It It is also a lifeline for student-parents like Janice Rayo, thanks to donors like St. Faith’s House and the Federal CCAMPIS program, which provide the funds for Janice to send her son to VMCC. Janice, a second-year student at SUNY WCC, was in high school when she became pregnant with her son, Julian. In high school, Janice worked hard and graduated with straight A’s. She had her heart set on a four-year school, was accepted to several colleges and offered generous scholarships but, as she said, “Julian’s safety and happiness were my greatest concerns. I had to grow up very fast, make mature choices, and so I had to turn down all that money.” Those scholarships, as tempting as they were, would not help with the steep cost of childcare. A Dream of College Kept on Track The Virginia Marx Children’s Center (VMCC) opened on the SUNY Westchester campus in 1986, thanks to the generosity of longtime WCC Foundation board member Virginia Marx and her husband, Leonard. Today, VMCC is an award-winning childcare center and a laboratory school for students in the college’s Early Childhood, Human Services, and Dietetic Technology programs. As she began researching her options and learned about the rich array of supportive services offered by SUNY WCC’s Viking ROADS program, she became hopeful that her college plans might still be realized. She met Kalsi Johnson, VMCC’s director when she visited the childcare center and her decision was made. This was the place for her gentle, quiet son and SUNY WCC was the place for her. Janice became part of the Viking ROADS program. She is full of praise for the education she is receiving and is especially grateful to her academic counselor, Christine Rogers with whom she meets monthly. Recently, Janice was introduced to a representative from St. Faith’s Foundation and describes how meaningful it was to understand the source of some of the funds that made her son’s stellar childcare, and her college experience, possible. Among the SUNY WCC opportunities Janice counts as particularly formative, were joining the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society (PTK) and serving as senator for the Student Government Association, presenting students’ concerns to the college administration. She is currently secretary for the Law Society and Criminal Justice Club. In May, Julian will graduate to kindergarten and Janice will earn her associate degree in criminal justice, transferring to Pace University Law School through SUNY WCC’s transfer agreement with that school. It will be a joyful, tear-filled leave-taking as Janice says farewell to her friends, teachers and counselor, and Julian gives a parting hug to his teacher, Jenn. Janice will proudly be wearing her gold PTK medal. “It was either I find a way to take care of my son’s needs or I don’t go to school. I am so grateful to have found Virginia Marx at WCC. It’s perfect.” Janice Rayo VIRGINIA MARX CHILDREN’S CENTER • 5-star rating from QUALITYstarsNY • NAEYC re-accredited for 5 years • Dream Big Award for excellent educational opportunities for future early education professionals, and for housing a 5-star rated, accredited early learning center. HHHHH STUDENTS JANICE RAYO STUDENT-PARENT 27
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