{"id":91465,"date":"2019-12-03T03:06:37","date_gmt":"2019-12-03T03:06:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/bayfield-a-college-town-pueblo-community-college-opens-satellite-site\/"},"modified":"2019-12-03T03:06:37","modified_gmt":"2019-12-03T03:06:37","slug":"bayfield-a-college-town-pueblo-community-college-opens-satellite-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/bayfield-a-college-town-pueblo-community-college-opens-satellite-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Bayfield a college town? Pueblo Community College opens satellite site"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"George
George Johnson, 71, practices signing during an American Sign Language class at the Bayfield location of Pueblo Community College Southwest. The new site offers easy access to higher education for high school students and adults.<\/span>Shannon Mullane\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The night before her first college class at Pueblo Community College in Bayfield, Heather McKee, 42, couldn\u2019t sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very nervous. Mostly because I knew the high school kids would be there, and I thought they would look at me like, \u2018Oh my gosh, why are you here?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cBut it just kind of went with the flow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bayfield officially became a college town this fall when the PCC Southwest site opened for enrollment. For adults in eastern La Plata County, the easy access to classes is a life changer.<\/p>\n

The site, located at the former Bayfield Primary School, offers classes for high school students interested in college classes and adults furthering their education. While the site could spur the local economy, it is connecting adults to opportunities for greater financial stability and a better life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know I was going to want to go back to school until I started, and now I\u2019m seeing all kinds of different doors opening,\u201d McKee said.<\/p>\n

McKee plans to start a career as a surgical technician. Her second income will help her ranching family financially.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe farming industry goes up and down. It\u2019s so unpredictable,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to raise a family with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Students
Students learn American Sign Language during a class at Pueblo Community College Southwest in Bayfield.<\/span>Shannon Mullane\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Of the 41 students, 29 are high school students concurrently enrolled in college classes. About 12 students are adults continuing their education.<\/p>\n

PCC students can earn certifications, take not-for-credit classes, get college credit and earn an associate\u2019s degree. PCC credits are guaranteed to transfer to any four-year institution in Colorado.<\/p>\n

The Bayfield site offers general education classes<\/a> during the business day, and administrators hope to add evening classes in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe potential of that site is big. This is just the beginning of it,\u201d said Sam Dosumu, executive dean of the southwest campus.<\/p>\n

The site will expand its class selection based on community requests, he said. This spring, students can take early childhood education and business management. Administrators plan to expand technical education courses for the automotive, welding, construction or agricultural industries.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally hope that we\u2019ll offer more business classes at that location because that area looks like it would be conducive to small businesses,\u201d Dosumu said.<\/p>\n

An investment in business education would align with Bayfield\u2019s efforts<\/a> to support entrepreneurs and revitalize its downtown area. The site also brings students from outlying areas, like Pagosa Springs and Ignacio, into town. Some students, like Rachel Stewart, 31, eat out at local restaurants between classes.<\/p>\n

Stewart said her PCC experience has been beyond expectations.<\/p>\n

\"Instructor
Instructor James Martin guides students through an American Sign Language lesson at PCC Southwest in Bayfield. The site opened enrollment this fall and offers a variety of general education and technical classes.<\/span>Shannon Mullane\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cI love that it\u2019s right there. I can literally walk to school and walk home,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s all done before my kid gets out of school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stewart, who is pursuing an associate\u2019s degree in accounting, pursued a college degree several times at several institutions. However, balancing raising a child, working a full-time job and taking classes always proved too difficult.<\/p>\n

PCC is similar in quality to her other experiences, only its registration process is more streamlined. Not only that, but its process is similar to Fort Lewis College, and guaranteed course transfers are a huge benefit, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can come over here to Pueblo, pay cheaper rates and work with a schedule that\u2019s going to work for you in a location closer to you,\u201d Stewart said.<\/p>\n

Three continuing education students said location was a major reason they chose the Bayfield site. McKee wished the site had more classes available but thought the class length and online options were helpful. She said the staff helped her search for financial aid, which resulted in a $1,000 scholarship.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be able to supplement our income with this degree, but also be a part (of the family business) still,\u201d McKee said. \u201cI think that by doing this, that\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

George Johnson, 71, is taking American Sign Language \u2013 not for credit \u2013 but to learn how to speak to his grandson who is deaf. He said the class at the Bayfield site was more expensive than a similar class at San Juan College in Farmington.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity to have (the site) there,\u201d he said. It would help \u201cif PCC could acknowledge people who are not degree-oriented and make it cheaper for them,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

For degree-seeking students, going back to school can be overwhelming, but the PCC staff is invested in helping students succeed, Stewart said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be (worth it). Right now, it\u2019s not. I\u2019m dead tired all the time, but I\u2019ll be an accountant someday. \u2026 I\u2019ll only have one job,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to convince yourself that it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

smullane@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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