If one thing captures Dr. Jared Ashcroft, it is this quote from him in a recent ATE Impacts article: “If I see an opportunity that looks like I can impact students, I want to do it and figure out a way to support it,” he said.

The article explains how, in “early 2021 Jared M. Ashcroft opened an email announcing the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) to the Advanced Technological Education community. “Oh, that looks really fun,” was his assessment of the linked website’s description of the national competition that the American Association of Community Colleges offers in partnership with the National Science Foundation.

“When he told his chemistry students at Pasadena City College about the contest and the opportunity to win cash prizes for innovative STEM solutions to real-world problems, four students formed a team and asked Ashcroft to be their mentor. Mentoring took his time – an hour or two at a time over several months – but “not a dime” from the budget of the Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC) he leads. And, Ashcroft said, the experience was well worth the students’ efforts and his time even if the team had not won first prize.”

Of course, under his leadership and a few other volunteers, that team did win first place. You can read about that here on the Think Small post: Pasadena City College Team Places First in National Community College Innovation Challenge.

Congratulations to Dr. Ashcroft for a job well done with guiding these students to great results and kudos for his ongoing commitment to their success. You can congratulate Jared for his fine work by commenting on our LinkedIn page.

You can read the full article by Madeline Patton on the ATE Impacts site: MNT-EC Principal Investigator Is a Fan of the Community College Innovation Challenge.