Mexico

Also see Guadalajara Nursing Workshop

Paul Ross, Paducah Community College

Paul Ross on left

"The people of Mexico are so hungry to learn and to grow into a productive society that is respected by the rest of the world."

The Global Studies and International Partnership programs have proved to be of tremendous value to our system. KCTCS has rapidly become a leader in workforce training throughout the world. I have had the special opportunity to participate in three of the current programs.

A partnership with Texas Tech University, Mohawk Valley Community College, and the Kien Giang Province in Vietnam, resulted in a technical assistance program for the development of a new community college in Vietnam. During the summer of 2002, I was privileged to write a grant proposal for the development of an Information Technology program at the Institute of Technology in Santiago, Chile. But, my most exciting experience occurred in Mexico.

The opportunity to travel to Guadalajara and work with individuals from the University Autonoma Guadalajara (UAG) presented itself quite unexpectedly. As a grant writer for the past thirty-two years, I had real concern as to our potential for success with the U.S. Embassy grant programs. Upon arrival in Mexico, I quickly realized that the individuals at the University were so dedicated and enthusiastic that success at some level was assured.

Our host treated us to the very best of amenities. After some brief formalities, the work began in earnest. In a two-day period, we completed a very comprehensive grant proposal in Nursing Education. One could see the excitement on the faces of our Mexican partners. The people of Mexico are so hungry to learn and grow into a productive society that is respected by the rest of the world.

Eleven months after our initial effort, KCTCS will offer the first of many instructional workshops in Health Sciences and Nursing at UAG. Nursing instructors and college administrators from Paducah will work at UAG with thirty-five nurses from Guadalajara. No doubt, this partnership will grow rapidly and will benefit hundreds of Mexican citizens a many KCTCS faculty members. Numerous professional development opportunities can be drawn from the UAG project.