4/20/2022 - Jackson, Miss.

Complete 2 Compete (C2C) Program Selected for the Beautiful Minds Contest, Competes for $50,000 Prize.

Mississippi's Complete 2 Compete (C2C), has been selected to be featured by the Lumina Foundation in their Beautiful Minds video series and is competing for a $50,000 prize.

Complete 2 Compete (C2C), a joint program of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), the Mississippi Community College Board, and the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges, helps hundreds of former students each year to return and complete their degrees. C2C was one of only three programs selected nationally to be showcased in the Lumina Foundation's Beautiful Minds competition. Each had a video produced featuring their programs and each will compete in the Beautiful Minds contest. The videos are posted on YouTube, and the video with the most "likes" will win $50,000 for the featured organization's initiative.

"We are so excited that C2C has been recognized in this national contest," said Amber Palmer, Project Coordinator at Complete 2 Compete. "C2C is helping thousands of adults in Mississippi complete their degrees, better their lives and that of their families. We are proud to receive this recognition and serve as an example for other states."

She encourages everyone in Mississippi to text "C2C" to 66866 to access the video and click the "Thumbs Up" (like) button to vote.

"We are excited about this opportunity for more people to learn about the program, and of course win the $50,000 so we can help more students," said Palmer.

Complete 2 Compete will reinvest all prize money back into the program to help adults in Mississippi return to college and finish their degrees.

Program Impact
The 6-minute video tells the story of Krystal Austin, just one of thousands of adults in Mississippi who were able to complete a degree with the help of the C2C program.

"I had a bit of a rocky start in my education journey," said Austin.

She hadn't quite finished her bachelor's degree when she had kids and got sick. She was unable to graduate even though she lacked only 2 classes to complete her degree.

Once she discovered C2C, she got the motivation and resources she needed to return to college and graduate with her bachelor's degree. Now, she is a business owner in Jackson, Miss. She links her entrepreneurship to her education.

"Without my degree, I would not have opened a business."

It's estimated that 36 million Americans have college credits but no degree. C2C exists to solve this problem in Mississippi, as it actively reaches out to adults with college credits to educate them about the resources available to help them complete their associate or bachelors degree. The program offers a unique University Studies degree option to help adults finish their degrees more quickly, C2C coaches who help students navigate the logistics of re-enrolling in college, and financial grants that can make college affordable.

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"Thumbs Up" to help Mississippi win the Beautiful Minds contest
Participate in the contest by texting C2C to 66866 to receive a link to the video. Simply click the "Thumbs Up (Like)" button to help Mississippi’s C2C program win the contest.

Help C2C win the contest so they can help even more Mississippi adults complete their college degrees.

About the Beautiful Minds contest
The Beautiful Minds contest is a partnership between Freethink, an online news platform, and the Lumina Foundation. The Lumina Foundation exists to discover and support innovative learning opportunities that are making an impact advancing adult education.

Along with C2C, two other organizations are also competing in the Beautiful Minds contest for the $50,000 grand prize. The other organizations provide nontraditional adult higher education options in Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

About Complete 2 Compete (C2C)
C2C is a state program that helps Mississippi adults who left college without a degree to return, earn a degree, and create a brighter future for themselves and their families. Since 2017, over 2,530 students have been awarded degrees thanks to C2C. Funding support for the C2C Program and Grant are provided by the Mississippi Department of Humans Services and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information on the Complete 2 Compete program, visit msc2c.org or call 833-222-4338.

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