FIYou: Courtenay McClain

As director of the Golden Scholars Bridge Program, Courtenay McClain (left) helps students stay on track to graduate.

Name: Courtenay McClain

Hometown: Miami

Job Title/Department: Director, Golden Scholars Bridge Program, Student Access and Success

Location/Campus: MMC

In a nutshell: One of the main projects I work on is keeping my students motivated to stay in school and graduate. There are so many distractions ranging from the home life, relationships, self-esteem issues and other things that often discourage them from pressing toward their destiny. Developing the retention portion of the program is key to their success.

I also collaborate with various university partners to secure scholarship funding to help support the cost of the Golden Scholars to attend FIU. As a former admissions coordinator, I understand the difficulties prospective students may face and do my best to build their confidence.

Number of years at FIU: 5

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy helping my students. It’s my passion. It is a joy to find out that my students are achieving and how much FIU has contributed to their success. I’m amazed at their maturity and how much they want to make it. Some of the 2012 Golden Scholars will graduate in the spring, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. They have persevered though the toughest situations and it builds my faith to know that what we are doing at FIU through the Office of Student Access and Success is life changing. I’m proud that God chose me to do this.

What do you think your fellow Panthers should know about your department/area?
That Golden Scholars is a branch in the tree of optimism at FIU. Sometimes students may not realize that help is literally around the corner and we are just a small part of the gateway that leads to academic as well as social success. I believe that it does take a village to raise a child.

Where is your favorite spot on campus? Believe it or not, it is Bustelo. The women who work there know what I order—it hardly ever changes—and even with the large number of students they see every day, it is something special about someone remembering your face in a sea of thousands.

Name one thing you wish everyone knew about FIU?
How special the university really is. I always look around the campus and see the vision of President Rosenberg and VP Hardrick come to fruition. Having a truly diverse atmosphere allows students and staff to connect in a variety of ways. I have lived in many diverse cities, but there is still some level of segregation that is always present. I know it may sound a bit naïve but I feel that as we keep our eyes on the very mission that established us, there is nothing FIU can’t accomplish.

Family snapshot: I’m the oldest of six children, and I have four brothers and one sister. My mother is of Cuban, Native American, French and African ancestry. My father is just as eclectic..

Word that best describes you: Determined

First paying job: Sbarro’s Italian Eatery.

Your proudest accomplishment: My proudest moment will be when I see my first students graduate in the spring. To see them achieve their dreams is phenomenal. I will probably cry more than they will.

What do you do when you are not working at FIU?
I don’t really get the chance to rest much so that is at the top of my list. If I have the time, I’m usually at car shows or the races in Orlando. I also take quick trips to the U.S. Virgin Islands to enjoy a simpler way of life.