Community college panel inspires students to overcome academic obstacles

Panelists share their story on how they conquered challenges to accomplish goals

ROANOKE, Va. – Virginia Western Community College officials know how tough school can be so on Wednesday, the college hosted a panel discussion to inspire students to keep going. 

"I Persist" was put on by TRIO Pathways Student Support Services and designed to help students struggling with a variety of academic barriers.

What that means can vary greatly person by person, whether it's being a first-generational college student, a refugee, working full-time or maybe for someone for whom English isn't their first language.

Kitty Walls, an academic success coach for TRIO who is the panel's organizer, hopes by bringing students, faculty members and staffers together, students with these struggles will be motivated to press on.

"We just want to make sure we are having events where we take time for them to hear from other students, people who have been through those experiences and know that they too can be successful," she said.

Panelists included members of the college's faculty and staff and a former student.

This the second year the college has hosted this panel.