Pathway to Empowerment

Pathway to Empowerment (P2E) prepares students for immediate employability and what it means to live meaningfully in the real world.

The Pathway to Empowerment (P2E) signature program takes students on a journey of transformation that leads to a life of personal significance and professional success. This program is designed to empower our students to reach their full potential at Lake Erie College and beyond. To get there, we guide students through four key developmental stages that prepare them for the post-collegiate world intellectually, personally and professionally.

My experience with P2E so far has been amazing.
Working my way through the pillars in my own way has been interesting. As I have worked through the Pathway to Empowerment, I have come to realize that my strongest pillar is Creative Problem Solving. In the spring of 2019, I participated in an internship at Zappitelli Financial Services. At this internship, I prepared 2018 tax returns and worked on different tax situations. During the spring of 2019, I also participated in the Tax and Culture course. In that course, we learned how to prepare taxes by hand. At the end of the semester we went out into the community and prepared tax returns for low income families. P2E has helped me realize that going through college is a process of finding yourself not only as a person, but also a professional in the workforce.
Kelly McMullen, Class of 2021

Power-Up Scholarship Program

Pathway to Empowerment

As part of the Pathway to Empowerment (P2E), Lake Erie College's Power-Up Program allows students to earn scholarships by engaging in empowering activities throughout the school year.

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PHASE 1: SELF DISCOVERY

HU 110: Introducing the Pathway to Empowerment (P2E)

All Incoming freshman are required to complete this course. In this course, students get an introduction to college life including success strategies, self-assessment, informational interviews and more.

Power-Up students will enroll in HU111: Applications of Self-Discovery. This course will help students build an ePortfolio and get individualized plans for their personal and professional development.

Student sitting at a desk at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. Part of Pathway to Empowerment Phase 1: Self Discovery. — Self Discovery
The first step in the Pathway to Empowerment Signature Program is Self-Discovery. Find your place of purpose and make connections while discovering more about who you are and who you want to become.

First-Year Experience

HU110

Learn more about our HU 110 First year Experience Course and how it sets the foundation for our Pathway to Empowerment Initiative.

First Year Experience - HU110

PHASE 2: DEVELOPING STRONG PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Students build upon Self-Discovery insights by attending personal and professional development workshops, engaging in informational interviews or job shadowing, and other forms of significant experiential learning preparation.

Power-Up Students will learn about how to harness their unique gifts using their StrengthsQuest assessment results and tailored feedback to achieve their goals.

P2E Field Trip to the Holden Arboretum. Lake Erie College students pictured walking across a bridge. — Developing Personal Attributes
The second phase of Lake Erie College's Pathway to Empowerment program is about developing Strong Personal Attributes. Apply your new insights to strengthen your skills and abilities as your grow personally and professionally.

PHASE 3: CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

Significant Experiential Learning

Students will work to identify needs and develop innovative solutions to make a positive impact in the community, through a combination of scholarly research and hands-on engagement.

Students will seek out local professionals or alumni mentors and begin growing in a network of empowering relationships that will position them for real world success.

Laurel Society society students work in small groups to carefully plan out Legacy Service Projects during their junior year.

Pathway to Empowerment Students pictured at a poster presentation at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. — Creative Problem Solving
The third stage of the Pathway to Empowerment (P2E) is Creative Problem-Solving. Developing the ability to do creative problem-solving prepares you to adapt in a variety of situations and are therefore among the most sought after skills in any industry.

PHASE 4: BALANCING PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL GOALS WITH THE NEEDS OF OTHERS

Students demonstrate leadership by serving as mentors to other students, scholarship by being able to communicate applied learning, and service through their engagement in the local community.

In this step, students are able to finalize their ePortfolios and are able to effectively communicate their strong attributes as they prepare to embark on their journey after graduation.

Laurel Society students carry out their Legacy Service Projects to positively impact the local community during their senior year.

Pathway to Empowerment Students from Lake Erie College, photographed in Chicago. — Balancing Goals
The fourth stage of the Pathway to Empowerment challenges you to look at the bigger picture by balancing Personal and Professional Goals with the Needs of Others. At Lake Erie College, we are committed to finding ways every day to make a positive impact on the lives of others. We want to empower you to leave behind a legacy after you graduate.

Why is P2E essential to a student's college experience?

Each year, LEC students will add experiences and reflections to an e-portfolio. By the time students reach their senior year, they will be prepared for the rigors of the job hunt, skilled at the interview process, and have a deeper understanding of both personal and professional goals and how to achieve them.

Pathway to Empowerment at Lake Erie College