Job Corps Scholars support helps student focus on studies

For the first two months of college, Wen Long Chen was spending much of his days just getting to and from classes.

“When the first day started, I was still walking to school. Probably an hour away from here,” he recalled.

Wen Long, who began studying digital media at Terra State Community College in 2021, lived about three miles away from campus. On class days, he would get up at 6 a.m., walk to school, attend classes, and return home at about 6 or 7 p.m. This made for long days.

On top of that, Wen Long was struggling to pay rent, with apartment costs running over $600 per month, not including utilities.

But, when he found out about the Job Corps Scholars program through Terra State and Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, Wen Long found that the program’s help made attending classes much easier. Apart from offering tuition assistance, Job Corps Scholars was able to help Wen Long with his on-campus housing and meals, making it easier for him to focus on his education.

Wen Long, who wants to pursue a career in video game design, was interested in enrolling in the University of Cincinnati’s game design program. He researched and realized that Terra provided an affordable, high quality digital media program that would get him started in the field.

“After I talked to my dad, we discussed and found that here is a very good choice.”

Now, with tuition, housing, and meals covered through Job Corps Scholars, that choice is looking even better. Wen Long has also been able to maintain Dean’s List status, and has become a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an honorary scholastic organization for community, junior, and technical colleges. He plans on earning his associate’s degree from Terra, and eventually transferring to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Along with digital media, the Job Corps Scholars program supports multiple career options in healthcare, skilled trades, and business. The program offers up to $6,000 in tuition assistance as well as supportive services. Job Corps Scholars is available to young adults ages 16-24 who meet income guidelines and other eligibility requirements.

To apply or for more information, visit www.terra.edu/jobcorps or call 419-559-2427.