April 11, 2018 – “What’s your major?” That’s the question many new college students hear from advisors when they attempt to enroll in freshman classes for the first time. It may sound simple, but many don’t know where to start. Collin College and State Farm have teamed up to change that with the opening of a new career center at the college’s Spring Creek Campus in Plano.
Today marked the unveiling of the “State Farm® Career Center” with a dedication ceremony attended by students, faculty, staff, and college officials along with company representatives. State Farm provided start-up and program funding for the center, which is aimed at helping students learn how their strengths apply to specific career fields so they can develop professional career toolkits.
Collin College’s district president, Dr. Neil Matkin, praised State Farm’s dedication to students and the community. “This partnership will have major impact on both students and the economy because when students succeed we all succeed,” he said. “The State Farm® Career Center will help students make a degree plan that leads to their dream jobs in high-wage, high-demand fields. More than a half-billion dollars in economic impact is produced every year by Collin College, and a significant portion of that comes from alumni in the workforce. Clearly, they are a great investment.”
At the State Farm® Career Center students will find academic planning, career and degree exploration tools, interactive how-to workshops, employability skills training, online tools, and resources as well as assessments of personality, interests, and skills. The center also features one-on-one career coaching, individual or group career counseling, job fairs, employer information sessions, employer networking, job search tools, resume writing, interview prep, and internship help. State Farm officials are already working with college staff on career center activities to make the most of the partnership.
Robert Scott, Customer Care Center assistant vice president for State Farm, said the company was honored to support the students through this project. “The services offered at the new State Farm® Career Center can help students get the information and resources they need for a brighter future.” Scott also serves on the board of directors for the Collin College Foundation.
The celebration comes at a time of unprecedented growth for both the college and the community. Collin College posted record enrollment numbers this year, with fall student headcount topping 31,000 in courses for credit. State demographers predict that the population of Collin County will double by 2030 and triple by 2040, and the college is in the process of expanding with the construction of several new campuses across its service area.
The naming program at Collin began in 2009, and it was designed as a partnership between the college, foundation and corporations or individual donors with patrons receiving naming rights to facilities and proceeds benefiting students, typically through endowed scholarships. Options range from $25,000 for a classroom to multiple millions for major buildings or campuses, and so far, patrons have named nine facilities throughout the college district. The Collin College Foundation is also seeking naming partnerships for career centers at the college’s Frisco and McKinney campuses as well as centers constructed at new campuses in the coming years.
Tammy McSwain, who chairs the Collin College Foundation board of directors, said “The foundation’s mission is to raise funds for scholarships and programs of excellence so we are absolutely delighted to celebrate this victory for our students with State Farm today. We can’t thank State Farm officials enough for their ongoing commitment to improving student lives.”
Visit www.collin.edu/foundation to learn more about the Collin College Foundation.
Collin College serves more than 53,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates. The only public college in the county, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and work force development. In addition, the college operates the Collin Higher Education Center, which serves 3,200 additional students each year in partnership with The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas Tech and the University of North Texas.