By Laura Katauskas | Bugle Staff
During its eighth annual Community Service Day, employees and students across the country at Rasmussen College closed their office doors and opened their hearts to area organizations.
Approximately 1,200 employees and students from its 23 campuses and three central offices participated in the national service day event July 15. The college’s Romeoville/Joliet campus came out to volunteer at Cornerstone Services, which provides programs to help people with disabilities reach their full potential through engaging classes, guest speakers and special outings.
“Community service is at the heart of what we do. Rasmussen is steeped in community service–it’s part of our core values,” said Diane Nowaczyk, campus director.
The 115-year-old school, based originally in Minnesota, bases its core values on giving back to the community, supporting education in fields that do just that. Rasmussen College is a regionally accredited private college and Public Benefit Corporation that is dedicated to changing lives through high-demand educational programs and public service.
Its programs change with the times, building its curriculum around the needs of the community. Currently, the school primarily focuses on health care, which is seen as one of the largest needs in today’s society. In earlier times, it was accounting and secretarial because that was the climate of the era.
Employees and students from the college spent Community Service Day participating in a mock trip activity to Las Vegas to help teach valuable skills. The Community Services – Personal Enrichment Program location was set up with a variety of Las Vegas scenes and Rasmussen College volunteers helped facilitate the stations to help ensure a fun and engaging experience for participants.
“I personally found it great to help out a community partner that we know is important to this area,” said Nowaczyk . “And I just think it’s pretty amazing that 1,200 employees around the country all close their doors on this day and go out and volunteer because they are dedicated to community service.”
Rasmussen’s involvement with Cornerstone Services is two-fold–many of its students go on to graduate and work in the field at Cornerstone.
Nowaczyk explains Rasmussen sees many non-traditional adult learners, offering programs that will help students gain the experience needed to enter a new job field while still working to support a family and themselves.
“We see so many students who come to us as adults or here in the community from RHS that are working forty hours a week to keep the family going,” said Nowaczyk. “Our programs work so that they can earn a certificate that can get them a job in the field they want, be able to pick up tuition reimbursement and continue with an associate’s degree and then a bachelor’s degree, all while working in the field.”
Nowaczyk explains it is the importance of community partners that makes programs successful.