Launch of Oakland80 Navigators

LOCATION: OCC Southfield campus

Jared Barnett, Student who has graduated

Lynn Cherry, Associate Academic Dean of Health Professions at
Oakland Community College

Dave Coulter, Oakland County Executive

Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., President of Oakland University

Peter Provenzano, Chancellor of Oakland Community College

Cal Talley, Oakland80 Navigator

• Thank you… Dave.
  
  
• We appreciate your leadership and support for Oakland
  University… and your collaboration on bringing
  significant and positive change to Oakland County.
  
  
• It’s so good to be among some of the staunchest
  advocates for higher education…
  
  
• We are here today to mark a beginning of what we
  believe will be a transformation in Oakland County and
  the catalyst is Oakland80.
  
  
• Our collective action in support of Oakland80 places
  education at the center of the county’s effort to
  improve the quality of life for all residents.
  
  < P A U S E >
  
  
• As many of you know, in 2018, Governor Whitmer
  announced Michigan’s “60 by 30” initiative, a plan for 60
  percent of working-age Michiganders to attain a
  professional certificate or college degree by 2030.
  
  
• Under the leadership of Oakland County Executive Dave
  Coulter, we, in Oakland County, are raising the bar.
  Already 61 percent of the county’s residents have a
  certificate or degree. Now our goal is 80 percent by the
  end of the decade.
  
  
• We have a lot of work ahead of us…. The road to
  achieving our goal might seem steep, but our
  determination and common purpose give us great
  confidence that we will succeed.
  
  < P A U S E >
  
  
• The impact of higher education on a person, family and
  community is simply transformative. We see this every
  day at Oakland University.
  
  
• In a few minutes, you will be meeting a remarkable
  young man…I’d like to share his story with you because
  it illustrates the power of education on a personal level.
  
  
• Jared Barnett is one of three brothers.
  
  
• He transferred to Oakland University after graduating
  from Pontiac High School.
  
  
• Jared’s parents died when he was just 13, leaving Jared
  and his two brothers without any parents.
  
  
• Jared’s oldest brother, unfortunately, never went to
  college.
  
  
• Jared was raised largely by his middle brother, who was
  a terrific young man.
  
  
• Remarkably, both Jared and his middle brother, despite
  not having a parent in their household, graduated from
  college.
  
  
• In May, Jared graduated from Oakland University with a
  3.92 GPA. Not only that, he worked full-time at St.
  Joseph Mercy Hospital, and received one of the highest
  university awards we offer, the Alfred G. Wilson Award,
  for his leadership during the pandemic, and tutoring
  Pontiac students on academic and life skills.
  
  < P A U S E >
  
  
• It is clear that education changed both Barnet brothers’
  life trajectories and their stories offer a compelling
  lesson.
  
  
• To the person thinking about going back to college or
  getting training, my advice is simple: Invest in yourself
  by investing in your education. Whether you are
  considering a community college or a four-year
  university, your investment will yield an enormous
  return on your investment!
  
  
• As THE university of Oakland County, Oakland University
  is working diligently with the talented Oakland80 staff to
  address the barriers many students might confront in
  attaining a degree or a professional certification… issues
  like student debt, transportation, a clear path to a degree
  and the practical realities of needing child care.
  
  
• Oakland University already has many student advising
  services, from academic advising to career counseling.
  We are thrilled to now be able to add a Career and
  Education Navigator. We consider this another way to be
  responsive to our students’ needs as they navigate a path
  toward completing their degrees and ensuring they will
  be successful in their careers.
  
  < P A U S E >
  
  
• The values of Oakland80 and Oakland University not
  only complement each other but they are inseparable.
  
  
• Oakland University’s partnership with Oakland80 is a
  collaboration that aims to inspire people to imagine what
  is possible, and with an education, make their dreams
  come true…For Oakland County, that translates into
  creating a talent pipeline vital to economic development
  and prosperity to elevate the quality of life for people
  throughout Oakland County.
  
  
• Thank you.
  
  < P A U S E >
  
  
• And now, I’d like to introduce Cal Talley…who will
  present the details of the Oakland80 Navigator program