CSU Outreach representative Rod Sweet presented the City of Pascagoula, Miss. with the CSU March Learning Partner of the Month award at Pascagoula City Hall recently.
Sweet hosted a luncheon and presented the certificate to Brenda Germany, the Human Resource benefit coordinator for the City of Pascagoula. As a partner, city employees and their immediate family members receive a 10 percent discount on tuition and access to exclusive scholarship opportunities.
Germany is glad that CSU recognizes that people have jobs and families and enrollment options such as LifePace Learning make taking classes easier for City of Pascagoula employees.
According to Germany, “the partnership allows for the city’s employees and their families to be able to get an affordable and flexible education that fits into their everyday lives.”
CSU student and firefighter Archie Fitch agreed. “This partnership gives me an opportunity to grow and gain the education that I have always wanted,” he said.
Fitch also praised the flexibility of the online courses. “One of the best reasons that people should consider Columbia Southern is that they will be able to better themselves and that’s what Columbia Southern University offers people that work two jobs and have kids at home.”
Another CSU student Suzanne Steinberger was at first skeptical about online learning. However, once she applied and enrolled with CSU, “it has been a great experience and all the people I speak with at Columbia Southern have been friendly and supportive.”
Pascagoula, one Mississippi’s largest cities, has a population about 25,000 people and has 270 city employees. The city and CSU have been partners since April 2008.
