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Seminole State grad shares success tips in book

Thursday, Mar 29, 2012
Kimberly Allen

Isa Adney's new book, "Community College Success"

Seminole State College of Florida graduate Isa Adney is paying it forward with a new book and receiving national attention, including accolades from the White House.

Adney, who now works as a Student Life coordinator at Seminole State, can add published author to her list of accomplishments. Her book, “Community College Success: How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, Internships, and the Career of Your Dreams,” was released in March.

Recently, the White House named Adney a “Community College Superstar” for her mentorship efforts. And Adney has begun a tour to promote her book that included an interview on WCVB, the ABC affiliate in Boston.

Adney is no stranger to success. At Seminole State, she won a Jack Kent Cooke scholarship, the largest award offered to two-year college students in the United States. With the publication of her book, she has been asked to speak at colleges and conferences, sharing her experiences and the tips that helped her succeed. The real secret, she says, is people.

“Peers, professors and professionals…people make a difference,” Adney says. “I never would have expected or planned everything that I’ve achieved, but I can name the people at Seminole State who had a hand in my success.”

Working with students is part of what inspired her to write the book, Adney says. As students came to her for advice, she noticed that they were applying it to their own situations and thriving.

“I thought that I could put all of this advice in a book and help a lot of students – more than just the ones who pass through my office,” she says.

Adney’s book, which has received praise from Miami Dade College President Dr. Eduardo J. Padron and best-selling author Harlan Cohen among others, focuses on the challenges first-generation students face at community colleges. Adney said it’s one of the first books to focus exclusively on the unique challenges community college students face. It covers several topics, from the importance of choosing a major early and getting involved in clubs to finding a mentor and discovering your perfect career.

“My hope for the book is that it will reach many, many community college students across the country,” she says. “I want students to see that they have the tools within themselves to succeed. They can use their college experience as a great asset for their lives, as long as they know how to connect it to what they really want.”