Source: Delaware Technical Community College
Delaware Technical Community College dedicated its recently renovated Stanton Campus Student Success Center in honor of First Lady Jill Biden. The center first opened to students in fall 2023, offering most critical student services—financial aid, business office, registration, veterans services—in one easy-to-access location.
Dr. Biden’s relationship with Delaware Tech dates back to 1993 when she first began teaching English and writing to community college students after starting her career as a high school teacher. She taught at the College until 2009 when her husband, then-U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., was elected vice president of the United States, at which time she began teaching at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). She continues to teach at NOVA as First Lady.
“Dr. Biden has always been deeply committed to student success, and during her years at Delaware Tech, she not only helped her students broaden their knowledge of English and writing, but she was dedicated to helping them achieve their overall academic and career goals, as well,” said Dr. Mark T. Brainard, president of Delaware Tech. “By naming our Student Success Center after her, we are not only acknowledging her longtime support of our students and Delaware Tech, but we are showing our tremendous appreciation for her unwavering dedication to community college students nationwide.”
Dr. Biden has championed community colleges and workforce training programs in her role as First Lady, traveling the country to highlight evidence-based models and promising practices that connect high school and community college students to well-paying jobs. This week, Dr. Biden joined President Joe Biden in hosting more than 200 education and workforce leaders at the White House for the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Classroom to Career” Summit. As former President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden focused on leading our nation’s recovery from the 2008 economic recession, Dr. Biden worked to underscore the critical role of community colleges in the nation’s economy. She hosted the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges in 2010 and led the Community College to Career Bus Tour to highlight industry partnerships between community colleges and employers.
“I am first, foremost, and forever a teacher—and community colleges will always have my heart,” said Dr. Biden. “I am honored to remain a part of this community through the Student Success Center. At the end of the day, what inspires me most is my students. It is my hope that the center bearing my name can inspire them—making them feel welcomed, embraced, and hopeful for their future, wherever it may lead.”
Dr. Biden has also served as honorary chair of the College Promise National Advisory Board, leading the effort to make community colleges free for hard-working students. As a military mother, she has worked to increase economic opportunities for student veterans and military spouses; create additional educational programming and support for military children; provide more focus on health and wellness in the military community; and improve resources for caregivers and survivors, including military and veteran children in caregiving homes. Her advocacy has helped to change lives for countless people across our nation, including those in Delaware.
The renovation of what is now known as the Dr. Jill T. Biden Student Success Center was a critical component of a larger project that made improvements to the B-Wing at Delaware Tech’s Stanton Campus. Creating a “one-stop” Student Success Center to bring together financial aid, advisement, registration, the business office, and veterans services saves time and effort for students that they can use to focus on meeting their academic goals. The College has also recently completed similar projects at its Wilmington and Dover campuses.
Photo Cover: College leadership posed with First Lady Jill Biden after the Biden Center dedication ceremony that included unveiling a plaque in her honor. (Photo Courtesy Delaware Technical Community College).
