Howard Community College helps 'State of Business' in Howard County remain strong
It was an honor to join hundreds of executives, government officials, and financial experts yesterday for Howard County Executive Calvin Ball’s annual ‘State of the Business’ outlook luncheon. This meeting brought together the county's economic stronghold to share how the government and private sectors work together to create jobs and build socioeconomic equity for all residents.
Howard Community College is profiled as a significant part of this collaboration annually. Dr. Ball debuted a $60,000 county cybersecurity development grant for our workforce programs during last year's address.
This year, he highlighted two recent graduates, Jayson Linares and Darius Caroll, as recipients of the county’s $3.5 million ‘Complete 4 Success’ scholarship program. They both have strong career starts because of the financial assistance provided through the initiative; Jayson currently works in our financial aid office, and Darius, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and student parent, works in the Department of Corrections. They both are pursuing undergraduate degrees at the University of Maryland Global Campus, and you can hear Dr. Ball share their stories below.
These individual success stories complement HCC’s story of growth as a county economic anchor. The Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) recently issued its economic impact study for all 16 of the state’s two-year institutions, detailing $11 billion in added financial benefit for the state.
HCC drives economic growth for families and our communities, and yesterday’s address showcased the personal impact of our mission. We value our partnerships, which make a difference in the lives of our students, employees, and neighbors throughout the county. We will continue to develop our college as a best-in-class example of how teaching, learning, and career training translate to a higher quality of life for all residents in one of America’s greatest places to live.
Congratulations to Jayson and Darius again for their hard work, and all who support scholarships for our hard-working students.