Deep Dives Podcast With Trimeka Benjamin

Trimeka Benjamin brings back one of the most meaningful episodes of Deep Dives: The Other Side of the Mic. When it first aired, she didn’t realize how much it would reveal about her own journey, or how deeply it would resonate with listeners. As we gear up for a brand-new special episode, this revisit is a reminder of what Deep Dives is all about: real impact, honest storytelling, and pushing high...

Deep Dives returns with a powerful message from Trimeka Benjamin, President & CEO of Swim Digital Group. In this chapter-opening episode, Trimeka shares the heart behind founding Swim, what’s broken in higher ed, and why true transformation requires integrity, alignment, and a relentless focus on students. It’s purpose-driven, honest, and a grounding reminder of why this work matters. The next...

Communities in the Appalachian Region often experience isolation and economic disparity due to the geography of the region and the decline of the coal industry. Gayle Manchin, Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), talks about the funding initiatives provided to communities within the region to revitalize the economy. She shares how the programs are focused on strategies th...

Students living in rural communities have an entrepreneurial mindset because they are already accustomed to having a lack of access to resources.  Today, Dr. Rebecca Corbin talks about her work at NACCEE and details how their projects support community colleges in their effort to expand access to education. She discusses their work with students who are experiencing the digital divide in order to...

Strong business and community partnerships are essential to the success of Workforce Development programs in higher education. Dr. Micheal McDonough talks about approach to building strong business partnerships at the New Jersey Consortium of Community Colleges and at Raritan Valley Community College. He discusses internships, apprenticeships and job opportunities that contribute to student succes...

“If we don’t do something and do it now, we are going to have some problems down the road” says Dr. Daria Willis, President of Howard Community College. Dr. WIllis discusses the importance of community colleges that are able to be agile and flexible in order to respond to the needs of the community that the college is located, and the critical need to focus on student success rather than transfer...

Dr. Kimberly Moore is a trailblazer for workforce development, and in this episode, she’ll share lessons learned in her decade of experience. Dr. Moore discusses the importance of building an integrated workforce system in order to keep up with the constantly changing labor market, and shares examples of how Tallahassee Community College is doing just that by working with formerly incarcerated stu...

Dr. Williams explores the journey to become the president of St. Petersburg College as an internal candidate. She'll share   the work she put in at St. Petersburg College prior to becoming president, her willingness to fail to achieve her goal, the community of care platform she developed, why the employee experience is as important as the student experience, challenges she faced and more.

Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile, J.D. shares how the Broward UP model was created to better the community through an educated workforce. He discusses how partnerships were built with local non-profit organizations, municipalities and businesses to create an improved pathway that better prepares Broward residents to successfully enter the workforce.

As a follow-up to the conversation with Dr. García in Episode 2, Dr. Neal will share the work done with program efficiency, flexible schedules and career assessments to improve success rates of working learners.

A first-generation college student herself, Dr. Linda García is now the executive director for the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE). In this episode, Dr. Garcia shares how CCCSE is providing institutions with research, best practices and tools to build strategies for “worker learners.” She will share insights from her research among 25,000 working students at 74 different in...

In the Season 2 premiere, Trimeka is joined by President Madeline Pumariega, the president of Miami Dade College. President Pumariega will share her journey - all of the challenges and lessons learned along the way - that prepared her for this presidency. She will share the decisions that fueled her heart and drove her passion for helping students attain an education, and how she is using that pas...

Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart returns to "Deep Dives with Trimeka Benjamin" to lead the conversation by interviewing Trimeka about her college experience and how that shaped her passion for helping higher education institutions make improvements that better guide students through their journey. 

Funding is available for many community colleges around the country, but it doesn’t always have a clear path if you don’t know where to look. In this episode, Dr. Casey Sacks, with the U.S. Department of Education, talks about where to find funding and some advice for maximizing your institution’s funding opportunities. She discusses the Cares Act, finding a competitive edge in funding, and equity...

With Dr. Baston at the helm, Rockland Community College (RCC) is building real world ready students. In the episode, Dr. Baston explains what that means as the faculty and staff prepare students for graduation, and how they had to shift their approach to instruction and student engagement. He also shares in-depth knowledge on how he led this shift during his first three years at the College throug...

Amarillo College’s Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC) serves as a safe space for students affected by poverty, about 15% of their student population. At one point, however, the program was barely utilized and the issue of poverty was an uncomfortable conversation in the meeting rooms. In the season 1 finale, Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, President of Amarillo College, walks us through his journey of di...

The recent murder of George Floyd sparked protests and movements worldwide that continue to make an impact. But how do these tragic events affect the higher education space - the students, the presidents, and the culture of college? In this live episode, Dr. Merrill Irving will discuss his experience, both as a Black male and the President of Hennepin Technical College (HTC). He will dive deep int...

What does it take to run a successful fundraising campaign as a community college? What roles do investors, students, lobbying and the community play? In this episode, Dr. Leigh Goodson, President & CEO of Tulsa Community College, talks us through the 18-month campaign that raised $20 million for TCC. She discusses the importance of building real relationships with investors, a necessary basel...

The American Association of Community Colleges reported that 62% of students hold a job while attending school full-time. So, what role does a community college play in supporting students through the challenges they may face? In this episode, Dr. Michael Baston, President of Rockland Community College (RCC), talks through his definition of experience at RCC. He discusses both the missteps his col...

Only 15% of community college students transfer to four-year institutions after they complete their associate’s degree...nationwide. In this episode, Dr. Karen Stout, President of Achieving the Dream, shares how community colleges increase statistics through organizational processes, relationships with partner universities, and tackling student barriers head-on. In this episode, she will provide a...

St. Petersburg College created “The College Experience” to transform the way out-of-classroom is provided to significantly improve student success rates. Now President Tonjua Williams is moving that work inside the classroom. In this episode, Dr. Williams shares how she engaged faculty and staff to build “The Learning Experience” and the challenges she faced. She provides honest insight on how the...