Isothermal college official shares more about ‘Gen Z’ at Rotary

Published 8:00 am Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Diane Dickerson, enrollment director for Isothermal Community College, was the guest speaker at the Aug. 23 meeting of the Rotary Club of Tryon. 

Dickerson shared with the club her experiences with the newest generation of students attending ICC, Generation Z. 

Sociologists have identified characteristics of Generation Z that are very similar to a group many of the club members know well — the “Greatest Generation.” Generation Z has lived in a post 9/11 world with global unrest, a long running recession and a poor job market for parents or older siblings. 

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This instability has influenced Generation Z to be more focused on the future, to be more self-sufficient and interested in helping make the world a better place through work and volunteering.  As a group, these are young people who want to “do things.” They have lived in a world where, in just a few seconds, they could use their phone to find a video teaching them to change a tire, hang wallpaper or learn calculus. 

After many questions about this new generation, Dickerson went on to describe some of the courses ICC provides to both student and adult learners in Polk and Rutherford counties. The presentation finished with an explanation of the ICC Endowment and how this funding assists students with ICC tuition costs. 

The club enjoyed hearing from Dickerson, and is looking forward to having her back to hear more about what is happening at Isothermal Community College, representatives said.

– Submitted by the Rotary Club of Tryon