Helping Students Achieve MOre

The Educational Opportunity Center's mission is for first-generation and low-income adults to finish their secondary education or pursue postsecondary education. Many do not think they can do it or have been told they can’t succeed. But thanks to one pioneering leader, Dr. Cheryl Sington, Director of the Center, and her staff working with the students helping them find their pathway and giving them encouragement and support through financial literacy workshops, goal-setting workshops, and assistance with applications their educational goals are able to be realized. Dr. Sington and her team seek these students out in various non-traditional life settings and work with them step by step to develop successful citizens. Leading with the skills of action, empathy, and support, she creates successful environments for all.

Dr. Sington is dedicated to education and ensuring every student is looked after and cared for. She brings with her decades of experience, not only in education but also in the entertainment industry. She was fortunate enough to work with many great artists, such as Natalie Cole, Kenny Loggins, Debbie Allen, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. Dr. Sington can be seen in episodes of “Fame,” the TV series “Roseanne,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and “Young and the Restless. She also appeared in After School Specials and is in the original video of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as one of the dancing Zombies. Dr. Sington continues choreographing, directing, and judging in the competitive dance world and teaching master classes. She enjoys her time in the Performing Arts when not serving the community through education.

The Educational Opportunity Center is a federal TRIO grant which is a very recent addition to Gadsden State. Starting a new program that does extensive outreach in the community to recruit 850 participants per year takes a courageous and willing director to implore creative methods to reach and serve so many adults needing to further their education. In addition to being brave and visionary, Dr. Sington leads by example and enhances all that the program and the team require for success. Gadsden State Community College’s Mission: Gadsden State Community College prepares students from all backgrounds for success through quality education, innovative workforce development, and inclusive community and global engagement. The Educational Opportunity Center’s mission is to connect adults with postsecondary education and career opportunities, and its goal is to help economically disadvantaged citizens transition from secondary to postsecondary education.

There are numerous achievements that Gadsden State Community College has achieved spanning decades. The founding institution – the Alabama School of Trades – was established in 1925 as the first state-operated trade school in the South. Since then, four other higher-learning institutions have merged to become Gadsden State Community College, serving approximately 4,000 students each semester in a service area covering five Alabama counties. Most recently, Gadsden State announced they would construct a 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Center on the East Broad Campus. This facility will provide work and training space for students embarking on high-tech careers in high demand.

“Gadsden State’s achievements are many, so it’s hard to pinpoint one. But, if I have to, our biggest achievement is providing affordable, accessible education and training that changes the lives of our students, their families, and the communities we serve,” says Dr. Sington. “Thinking outside of the box was very important regarding the EOC and its success. Our first plan of action was to connect with Community Partners. If we did not make a connection with our community and they did not “buy in” to what our program had to offer, there would be little chance for success.” One of their key partnerships is with retired professional NFL player Dre Kirkpatrick and his 21Kids Foundation. This foundation initially focused on children and their successes through education but has since shifted focus to the parents of those children. “After all, what success are we achieving if we place children back in a home where the parents have no stability? From there, we were able to identify adults needing to attend school and find a place in the community so that they can support their families and become positive members of society,” elucidates Dr. Sington.

As a student-centric institution, Gadsden State Community College is laser-focused on student success by providing educational opportunities that will allow them to improve their quality of life. They strive to be the first choice for higher education, workforce, and community development. “We make it our mission to inspire a learning community through innovative education which encourages life-long learning,” explains Dr. Sington. “We have targeted efforts on all student populations – traditional, non-traditional, at-risk, and under-represented – and we create a welcoming, accepting environment that creates a positive culture of success. Our college primarily exists to teach students, prepare the workforce with the skills and competencies needed to earn a living wage, and meet the needs of adults wanting to attend college and embark on a rewarding career.”