On Nov. 14, Temple University celebrated former Octavius Catto Scholars at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) who have graduated from the program and are now working toward their four-year degree at Temple.
Specifically, five Community Behavioral Health (CBH) Scholars who are former Catto Scholars are benefiting from CBH’s scholarship that provides them with last-dollar tuition support as they are finishing their degree at Temple.
Over the last several years, Temple has worked to build a stronger bond and culture between institutions and support systems for students to succeed as they transfer from CCP to the North Broad Street campus, according to Dan Berman, vice provost for undergraduate studies at Temple.
“Temple cherishes our transfer students. There are more transfer students from CCP on our campus than there are from anywhere else,” said Berman. “Having so many of the Catto Scholars here is a wonderful thing. It is a way to underscore what will continue to be a long-standing partnership we are happy to foster and support.”
More than 50 Catto Scholarship graduates are currently studying at Temple. The scholarship program was designed in 2021 to help Philadelphians on a pathway to academic success and improve their economic status, ensuring they can go to CCP for free. Nearly 300 graduates from the program have since completed associate degrees with little to no debt. The students are provided access to individualized support services, including coaching, academic advising and career support.
“I believe our partnership with Temple and CBH is a model for how Philadelphia institutions could work together to ensure Philadelphians have the path to upper economic mobility,” said Seth Jacobson, executive director of the Catto Scholars program and associate vice president for strategic initiatives and community engagement at CCP.
“Five Catto Scholars who are pursuing careers in behavioral health are now receiving full-tuition coverage at Temple through the generosity of CBH,” he added. “We have been working with Temple to ensure there are strong systems in place to provide high-touch supports and wraparound services so that students can make the transition from CCP to Temple, other institutions and workforce partners as seamless as possible.”
Janette Locke, a former Catto Scholar who is majoring in psychology at Temple as a recipient of the CBH Scholarship, said it was a big decision for her to return to school later in life. She was initially concerned about how she would pay for college while working, but the Catto Scholarship allowed her to be a full-time student and earn an associate’s degree from CCP.
“When I first applied to CCP, I thought I may only have time to take one class at a time, but because of the Catto Scholarship I could focus on being a full-time student and not wait,” she said. “Without the scholarship, I would have probably been in school for five or six years just to get my associate's degree.”
She added that Sarah Steese, a Catto Scholarship success coach, went above and beyond to walk through everything she needed during her journey at CCP. Locke recalled Steese’s extra-mile effort to help her get textbooks that had been delayed in shipping just in time before classes started.
“I again started to have doubts about going back to school, but Sarah told me that by the time you get off work, you can quickly drive by [CCP], assuring me that she would be standing outside ready to throw the books in my car,” laughed Locke. “I drove by in the afternoon and Sarah was standing outside with my books on time at 3:45, which is an example of the exceptional support that the Catto program gave.”
After Temple, Locke is interested in pursuing a career in counseling and providing mental health support to Black and Brown communities through therapy and research.
“I am truly in awe of the opportunity and grateful for the partnership with Temple,” she added. “I will do everything I can to do the work.”