{"id":2404,"date":"2022-11-09T11:36:56","date_gmt":"2022-11-09T16:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.alumni.ncsu.edu\/?p=2404"},"modified":"2022-11-09T11:36:56","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T16:36:56","slug":"trailblazers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.ncsu.edu\/2022\/trailblazers\/","title":{"rendered":"Trailblazers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NC State\u2019s Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research<\/a> has launched an effort to help create a pipeline to develop community college leaders from under-represented communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cornerstone of that effort is the Trailblazer Profiles<\/a>, highlighting the accomplishments of past and present N.C. community college presidents and system leaders who are Black, Asian, Native American or Latinx. The online project features 12 profiles, but will continue to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community college students are a diverse group, the most diverse of any post-secondary institution, says Audrey Jaeger, the Belk Center\u2019s executive director and W. Dallas Herring Professor of Community College Education. They feature part-time and adult learners, and more Black, Latinx and Native American students than four-year colleges or universities. However, leadership at community colleges does not reflect that diversity. \u201cEverybody needs a role model to which they follow so they can say, \u2018Yeah, I can do that, as well. I can be that person,\u2019\u201d says Jaeger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n