The VISTA Project

Serving at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), Nina’s VISTA project focused on enhancing the Bridges to Success program—an educational equity initiative designed to improve economic outcomes for low-income students. Leveraging her background in interdisciplinary studies, sociology, and psychology, Nina targeted critical educational pipeline transitions. Her work focused on building capacity for career and transfer exploration for middle and high school students, as well as establishing structured pathways for non-traditional students pursuing their GED to transition into degree and credential programs at CCBC. 

The Challenge
Students working toward their GED often face a gap in guidance once they complete their testing, leaving them without a clear roadmap for what comes next. Furthermore, CCBC needed a systematic way to map out existing community college outreach efforts, research national best practices for middle and high school engagements, and equip faculty and staff with unified tools and communication systems to guide prospective students into postsecondary pathways. 

The Solution
To bridge these gaps, Nina applied qualitative research methods, problem-solving, and cross-departmental collaboration to build capacity across the institution: 

• Process Mapping & Outreach: Developed a detailed process map to pinpoint exact touchpoints where GED students interact with the college, identifying prime opportunities to introduce next-step educational resources. 

• Testing Center Resources & CRM Integration: Designed new physical resource displays in CCBC testing centers so students completing their exams have immediate access to enrollment pathways. She also leveraged CRM marketing communications software to send targeted follow-ups as students hit key testing milestones. 

• Faculty & Staff Engagement: Facilitated professional development sessions with GED faculty, staff, and transition specialists to align on student pathways, while researching national best practices to develop a comprehensive toolkit for faculty to lead career exploration initiatives. 

• Historical Inventory: Researched and inventoried years of CCBC’s school and community engagements to help inform future outreach strategies. 

The Legacy
Nina left behind sustainable systems and frameworks that will serve CCBC long after her service term: 

• Faculty Toolkit: A structured framework for faculty to build, support, and maintain middle and high school career exploration programming over the coming years. 

• Institutionalized GED Pipelines: Permanent testing center displays and automated CRM communication workflows that ensure every GED graduate is seamlessly encouraged and equipped to continue their education at CCBC. 

• Enhanced Collaboration: Stronger cross-departmental alignment between GED faculty, transition specialists, and admissions staff to maintain a continuous, supportive pipeline for non-traditional learners. 

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What's Next

Nina has decided to serve and additional year as a TMA AmeriCorps VISTA to further develop the Bridges to Success Initiative with the goal of building resources to facilitate collaboration between internal CCBC departments currently engaged with high school outreach.  

She is also continuing her education at Salisbury University—where she previously graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (concentrations in Sociology and Psychology, minor in Law, Justice, and Advocacy) and was active in honor societies including Phi Eta Sigma, Rho Alpha Sigma, and Psi Chi. She is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work (MSW) with a focus on social change and leadership. 

Accompanying her degree, Nina also earned a credential through The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, establishing herself as a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP).