College of Southern Nevada changes lives
Henderson Municipal Court Judge Diana Hampton has 65 diplomas and GEDs hanging on a wall in her courtroom that she required young offenders to obtain.
"I would much rather young defendants spend the money toward their education as opposed to giving it to the city of Henderson as a fine," she said.
A proponent of degree completion and education, Hampton knows what an education can do. She dropped out of school at age 14, ran away from home and had a baby that she gave up for adoption. Two years later, she obtained her GED. She moved away from home and then worked for seven years at Cheetahs, a local strip club, before enrolling at the College of Southern Nevada in 1991.
She's now in her second term as a municipal court judge, having graduated from California Western School of Law in 1999.
"I tell everybody that wants to go to school, starting off at CSN is a great way to start. The teachers and students that are there really care about learning," she said.
Hampton is living proof that education can change lives. Even as enrollment dipped in the fall 2011 semester, CSN President Mike Richards emphasized the significant impact the college is currently having on approximately 38,500 students that attended this past semester.
With unemployment stubbornly hovering in the double-digit percentages in Las Vegas, Richards noted that those with college degrees are far less likely to be unemployed and are likely to earn higher wages, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
"From our own economic impact report, we know CSN grads are likely to earn 35 percent more than those with a high school diploma," Richards said. "There has never been a better time to get an associate degree."
In 2010, the college asked a third party analysis firm to conduct an economic impact report. The firm, EMSI Inc., estimated that by 2019, there will be 549,800 new and replacement jobs available in the CSN service area. About 20 percent of these positions will require an education level equal to an associate degree or greater.
As the dismal economic climate continues to plague the state, Richards stressed the fiscal impact of CSN's more than a million alumni. The CSN study found college operations and current and former students contribute $864 million to the regional economy each year. People like Hampton who use CSN as a key step toward further achievement and increased earnings and civic engagement are the reason the college exists, Richards said.
After attending CSN, Hampton transferred her credits to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology.
"I thought I wanted to be a doctor," she said. But she developed a love for the law.
After graduating law school, Judge Hampton went into private practice, concentrating on family and criminal cases. She then became a prosecutor for the city of Henderson and subsequently ran for judge. She is now in her second term as municipal court judge.
She is most proud of her election to the bench, as she is the first woman to be elected judge in Henderson. She has brought a number of programs to the community, including the Advanced Interactive Driving Course to encourage youth to be more responsible behind the wheel. She also brought the Life of Crime program from North Las Vegas to Henderson in 2010. The program focuses on the choices youth face and how one wrong decision can change a life forever.
The CSN Foundation will honor Hampton and three other outstanding community members at the 2012 Legacy of Achievement Gala on May 12 at the Rio.
"Going to CSN helped me because everyone who attended and everyone that taught there wanted to be there. Their first priority was education," Hampton said. "Anyone who truly wants to learn can attend and that's a good thing."
