OLIVIA NUNNALLY Contributing Writer

Piedmont College offers many wonderful resources to better educate students, even outside of the classroom. The Compass Program is an amazing opportunity for students to work in and alongside the community. Students are required to complete Compass endeavors in order to graduate. The Compass Program is designed to give Piedmont College undergraduate students experiential learning opportunities. Students work alongside other peers, faculty, staff and community partners to complete their learning endeavors.

Students can either create their own projects or they can work under an adviser or staff member as an “umbrella” project. The project must be approved by the Compass Program administrators, and then once the project is complete, a reflection paper is to be written explaining what the student learned from his or her experience. Once the reflection has been approved, the Compass Point then goes on the student’s transcript.

There are six different endeavors that students can choose from to complete their Compass Points. The first endeavor is Service Learning. This pathway introduces the idea of meeting a need of individuals or as a whole.

The next endeavor is the Social Ethics pathway. This pathway provides a step to help resolve ethical dilemmas. The Leadership endeavor is exactly what it says. This pathway is designed for the student to experience and practice Leadership skills. Cultural Awareness is next on our list. This gives students the opportunity to dive deeper into different cultures that are practiced in the world around them.

The Creativity and Innovation endeavor is popular among Piedmont College students. This endeavor provides students with opportunities to design or develop something that serves a certain purpose and provides understanding of a certain subject. The last Compass endeavor available to students is the Vocation point. This provides students experiences in professional development through their special gifts and talents.

Each of these Compass Endeavors can be completed by students. The sky is the limit with this program. If a student has an idea, all they have to do is submit a proposal with their endeavor they have in mind, and then begin working to achieve their goal for the project. The Compass Program is important because it sets Piedmont College students apart from other students. It shows that students ‘went the extra mile’, and not only diligently worked in the classroom, but in the local community as well.

Employers are going to see student transcripts one day, and they are going to see that Piedmont College students are well rounded individuals. For instance, let’s say a student just graduated from an institution with a Business and Marketing degree, and they are ready to go get a job. They graduated with a 4.0 GPA, perfect attendance and they’re very kind to everyone they come into contact with. A Piedmont College graduate walks in with the same degree, same GPA and are just as kind as the other graduate. What is the difference between the two potential employees? The Piedmont College student has Compass Points under their belt. The employer can see that the Piedmont student has worked in the community and has already made connections with important people. This gives the Piedmont graduate a greater advantage over the other graduate, even though they both have the same credentials.

The Compass Program is a great tool that allows students to gain different skill sets, experiences and overall achievements in reaching short term and long term goals. The local community also benefits due to promotion from students. When it comes to success, Piedmont College is dedicated to students and their overall benefit of whatever they accomplish during their time here. Do you have a good idea in mind? Go submit a proposal for a Compass Point.