When you’re small on purpose, you’re able to do the big things right.
That’s what Keuka College senior Jennifer Padilla discovered a few years back when she was looking to transfer from her Los Angeles community college to complete a bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language.
“Because of COVID, we weren’t allowed to go back to class,” said the first-generation college student. “I knew going online would hinder me and I didn’t want to wait any longer. So I said, ‘I’m going to take the risk and transfer to a new school.’”
A guidance counselor provided a list of colleges and universities that had the types of program Jennifer was looking for. Among them was Keuka College.
That’s no surprise. The College’s American Sign Language and ASL-English Interpreting programs have been lauded by national institutions including The Chronicle of Higher Education and the academics evaluator Affordable Schools.
Jennifer narrowed down her choices to two schools, Keuka College and a much larger university. She was accepted to both.
But Keuka College and its Office of Admissions made her feel not only accepted but welcomed.
“I felt much more comfortable with Keuka College,” said Jennifer, who is now majoring in ASL-English Interpreting. “The counselor communicated with me the entire time. She helped with the application – she even got my application fee waived! When (the other college) finally got back to me, it was to tell me, ‘You’re on a year-and-a-half wait list.’”
The fact that Keuka College offered a better scholarship didn’t hurt, but the College’s attention to detail is what ultimately won Jennifer over. That personal touch reflects the College’s commitment to putting student success at the center of all that it does – even before the student sets foot on campus. And it was especially important to Jennifer, who was applying from three time zones away.
“I thought, ‘I’m not sure about moving out of California,’” she recalled. “But the counselor at Keuka College made the transition so much easier. She said, ‘You’ll be fine; you’ll be OK.’ And I was OK. And now I’m going to graduate!”
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