By Isaac Piper
Cuyahoga Community College’s Jessica Krowka has recently been named a finalist for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) 2026 faculty innovation award. This award’s purpose is to recognize educators who use and or develop innovative tools to help students succeed. Krowka works as a nursing professor for Tri-C. It was there that she created the Student Success Course, the reason for the award.
The Student Success Course is an eight week program designed to help students who have failed a class. Instead of repeating a nursing class, the course works to rebuild how a student learns entirely.
“[We were] hearing the same concerns over and over again—students were failing courses and then returning to the program without really understanding what needed to change. We wanted to fix that.”
Like most innovations, this program did not start as an immediate success, nor did it stay the same. Originally the program began as a four hour workshop in Fall of 2022. The feedback was positive at first, but the results were not long lasting. Krowka found that an eight week online course allowed a more comprehensive and personalized approach. “That process—learning from feedback and applying it—ended up being the key piece we were missing.” The program’s humble beginnings led it to a larger success as the program is now mandatory and installed into Tri-C’s nursing program. After the first failure, all nursing students are required to take the course.
The journey to get to this point wasn’t easy or straightforward. Krowka admits she struggled in both high school and the beginning of her college career. “At one point, a nursing instructor told me that I should probably ‘find a different career path.’ ” Krowka used this criticism as fuel to the fire, causing her to be more motivated than before.
Despite being the award finalist, Krowka emphasized that “This has truly taken a village.” She credited her colleagues such as Dr. Bennington and Associate Dean Dr. Talisha Cottingham. Krowka also credits the broader Tri-C faculty and students who continue to refine the program. “The course continues to evolve as well. Students complete surveys after each session, and we adjust the course based on their feedback.”
When looking ahead to the future, Krowka cites the idea of expansion. To help with this, she is currently on a professional leave to gain expertise in a Legal Nurse Consultant Program. This program combines law and healthcare. Her plan is to bring this expertise and perspective back into the classroom for her students.
Krowka encourages students and fellow innovators to embrace patience. “If you believe in an idea and keep working toward it, meaningful change can happen. Innovation doesn’t always happen overnight, but when it does come together, it has the potential to change lives—both in the classroom and at the bedside.”
Being an award finalist is both recognition of Tri-C’s commitment to ensuring student success and it is another step in Krowka’s education and innovation journey.
