Campus Spotlight – Antioch, California
Please note that this campus is now closed. Click here to find a Carrington campus near you.
In the second of our series of campus spotlights we’re learning a little more about our Carrington College California Antioch campus. Tiffany Clingshoff, Director of Enrollment Services was kind enough to spend a little time with us to share her insight into life on campus, and in the community of Antioch, CA.
About 300 students and 30 faculty members enjoy our 29,000 sq ft purpose built campus. The facility opened in March 2006 at a great location just off Highway 4 in central Antioch, at the intersection of Lone Tree and Country Hills.
The campus’ central location and proximity to the freeway makes it very accessible for students who commute from further afield, as Tiffany explains:
“We’re about a 2 minute drive from the freeway, so we have quite a few students, especially on the Vocational Nursing program, who come in from as far away as Sonoma or the Vallejo area.”
The Antioch campus offers 7 certificate and associate’s degree programs – Criminal Justice, Dental Assisting, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Medical Billing and Coding, Pharmacy Technology, and Vocational Nursing. While all the programs prove popular with students, there are 2 that stand out in terms of enrollment numbers.
“Medical Assisting and Vocational Nursing are our most popular programs. I would say that more students come in because they are interested in the nursing program, but many of them switch their interest to Medical Assisting when they realize what’s involved with nursing. Measuring by student population, I would say those two programs are pretty equal.”
As a fairly new building that was built from the ground up for our purposes, the college facilities are excellent, but Tiffany highlighted a couple that the staff are especially proud of.
“The Learning Lab is something that’s brand new to Carrington, and it’s something that we’re focusing on opening up right now. A Learning Lab is a standard classroom, filled with computers, that has an instructor on hand to offer individual tutoring.”
More than just a library, the Learning Lab is designed to be a more structured resource for students; it’s staffed by the General Education Program Director who is on hand to help with questions and projects. There’s also a lounge area where students can work together on group projects.
We’re also have two Vocational Nursing labs; the main lab is set up as a hospital setting with interactive simulators that students begin working on in their first term. The simulators are pretty cool, basically functioning mannequins; they can be programmed to replicate different medical conditions, like a gunshot wound for example. They have pulses, heartbeats, they make noises when in distress, and their vital signs reflect an injury. This gives students the opportunity to get real hands-on learning from the start.”
We bet you didn’t know that Antioch is one of the oldest towns in California? It was founded in 1850 by two brothers, William and Joseph Smith, who originally named the town Smith’s Landing. Just a year later the town’s new minister persuaded the residents to change the name to Antioch, for the Biblical city of Antioch in Turkey. This small California town has a rich history, not all of it good, including a devastating plague that wiped out most of the population the year after gold was discovered!
Like most Carrington College California campuses, the students and faculty at Antioch are very active in the local community; they attend job fairs, are members of the Chamber of Commerce, and regularly sponsor and attend events such as the CornFest and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) walk.
“We usually bring students to events; the massage students offer chair massages, while the vocational nurses do vital signs, glucose testing and so forth. They’re usually really popular, the people in the area love it, and it’s a great opportunity for students to practice their skills.”
The Dental Assisting program also offers community clinics where the public can come in to get their teeth cleaned, or have x-rays done complimentary. And every Friday, Massage Therapy program students have a clinic for the general public, offering complimentary massages. They even have a website – www.massageclinic-antioch-wcc.genbook.com – so you can schedule an appointment in advance!
As with all Carrington campuses, Antioch has regular campus events like Red Cross Blood Drives, Student Appreciation Day (always very popular as everyone likes complimentary food!) and Bring a Friend to School day.
If you would like to find out more about Carrington College California Antioch campus, or if you have friends who may be interested in the programs at our Antioch career college, please visit https://carrington.edu/ccc/schools/antioch for more information. Classes will be enrolling soon!