Fair connects MCC students to community resources
Published 2:04 pm Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Representatives from multiple nonprofit and community organizations were on hand at Meridian Community College Wednesday as the school held its biannual Community Resource Fair at Ivy-Scaggs Hall.
Organizations present included The Mississippi National Guard, Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library, Center for Pregnancy Choices, Mississippi Department of Health, First Mississippi Federal Credit Union and more.
Shaquita Hopson Alfonso, associate director of military services and C2C coach with MCC Student Affairs, who helped organize the fair, said the event is held twice a year to help connect students with any resources they may need to be successful. While MCC provides a variety of support services to help its students, there are some things it can’t do, she said.
“There are a lot of things MCC can help students with, but there are other things that we cannot, and we like to bring in people from the community and let students know that there are resources out there to help them stay in school academic wise, financial wise. There’s just so many different types of agencies,” she said.
MCC staff were also on hand at Wednesday’s fair to help connect students with the resources available on campus as well, Alfonso said.
Unlike a K-12 school, MCC’s student body consists of people at all points in life, Alfonso said, and the needs of those students change depending on where they are in their careers. Some students are recent high school graduates continuing their education at the collegiate level, while others are working professionals wanting to elevate or change careers, single parents or other nontraditional students.
“Sometimes there’s resources that can help you while you’re in school or just period,” she said. “And that’s our goal for the resource fair is to connect students with resources in the community that can help them.”
MCC’s Community Resource Fair is held each spring and fall, Alfonso said, and the next fair is scheduled for August. Service organizations or agencies interested in participating in future fairs can reach out to Alfonso or any member of MCC’s Support Services Team to learn more.
“We really want to connect students with resources in the community. It takes a lot for some people to start school, and we want to help them stay and maintain,” she said. “We want to retain our students, and we feel like the best way to retain them is to connect them with resources in the community.”