For Lone Star College-University Park’s Kristen Khalaf, professor of developmental English, GradUP is not only a goal of reaching a 50% three-year graduation rate, but ultimately calls for faculty and staff to help students see their potential and start working toward fulfilling that potential.
“It is our job to light a fire in their hearts and keep that fire going,” said Khalaf. “Only then can they build a pathway to make their dreams a reality."
Khalaf notes that not every student who enters her classroom is confident in their potential or abilities and faces different challenges. She says that every professor must be ready for the varied situations or thoughts students are grappling with, like "the class content is not relevant" or "it's too overwhelming." Khalaf has seen the cause attributed to the pandemic or students not believing they will ever understand and complete the work to pass the course.
To help her students overcome these obstacles, Khalaf guides students to all the excellent resources available at LSC-University Park that can help them chip away at the roadblocks to success. Not knowing where to go for help often derails students, so Khalaf works with them to access the resources they need.
From her classroom experience, Khalaf knows that the English coursework can be intimidating for some, and just plain scary for others. Nevertheless, her first step is showing her students that English is not that intimidating. She does this by connecting classroom content to real-world application. She imparts to students that knowing how to write and make one’s message clear is a necessary, universal skill – whether the student plans on becoming a doctor, lawyer, professor or construction foreman.
"The secret to teaching this is by showing various styles of writing and grammar used by professionals,” said Khalaf. “Additionally, being innovative is key to understanding, and it's also crucial to students staying engaged in the lesson. I love hearing students go from disliking the subject to loving it!”
"LSC-University Park has a wealth of resources available to help students realize their goals of graduation and beyond," said LSC-University Park President Dr. Shah Ardalan. "Whether it's the Student Learning Resource Center (SLRC), tutors, or Webex check-in with their professors, our dedicated faculty and staff are ready to assist all students on their individual paths."
Khalaf also shares that engagement between the professor and student is vital. Whenever a student stops submitting work, Khalaf reaches out to them and helps them get back on track.
LSC-University Park student Scarlett Banbury has high praise for Khalaf.
"Professor Khalaf was always available and extremely helpful," said Banbury. "The help she provided made sense and her instructions were clear. There were also many video lessons provided, which elaborated on assignments and lessons. If students complete the assignments and ask questions, they will succeed. I greatly enjoyed her class."
Khalaf says that faculty, staff and administrators must work together to achieve the GradUP goal, and Khalaf loves being part of that. She has noticed that the LSC-University Park has grown more robust and better as each person brings their unique perspective to the GradUP initiative. Khalaf enjoys that she can bring significant change to students and help them achieve their goals and dreams.
"I've seen students who never thought they would graduate or even pass their classes do just that," said Khalaf. "There is a powerful feeling in completing a course, especially when students struggle in that subject. By being kind and helpful, our students succeed, and that inspires them to graduate. Every student who walks through our doors leaves us stronger and more determined.”