Published 04/20/2026
Don’t be surprised if you hear a casual conversation about the latest assignment in Chemistry II while working out in the cardio area of the BRCC Rec Center. It’s all part of chemistry instructor Larry Rasheed’s grand plan to meet students in a less intimidating environment, and also introduce them to the facility. “About a year ago, I started telling my classes how great the Rec Center is and when I usually go,” Rasheed said. “I offer to help them with chemistry if they come.”
One of the many students who now regularly join Rasheed in the Rec Center is engineering student Izaak Mazur. Calling Rasheed, “a very down-to-earth professor with wicked dad jokes,” Izaak said they usually end up talking about food and what’s going on in their lives.
“I think the fitness center is a wonderful space on campus and I try to go as often as I can. I thought if more students experienced it even one time, that they would keep coming back,” Rasheed explained. And it turns out he was right; often the students who take him up on his offer end up becoming regulars at the Rec Center.
Many dedicated professors like Rasheed are finding creative ways to meet students where they are, offering extra support and adding value to the BRCC experience.
English professor Pamela Yates has begun holding early morning Student Engagement hours in a computer lab – and via Zoom – for students to practice keyboarding. “Over the years, a continual survey of my English language learning students showed that only 10-15% of the students had proficient keyboarding skills. In addition, many of our native English speakers have very spotty keyboarding skills as some schools make tech foundations optional,” Yates explained.
She said that efficient keyboarding skills can help students complete assignments in half or a third of the time, and also reduces errors. Being an English professor, she added “Students can also ask me any questions regarding English” during the help session.
An earlier riser who took full advantage of the keyboarding assistance is Sumaya Lak. Sumaya joined Yates most mornings by Zoom so she could get her children ready for school before she started her own day at BRCC. “I appreciate her,” Sumaya said about Yates. She said that the practice has helped improve her typing speed and accuracy, but also has helped with pronunciation. Seeing a word on the screen, then hearing and saying it, and also typing it, reinforced learning on multiple levels.
Dan O’Brien, BRCC Computer Science professor and program, said that the extra keyboarding instruction has been a “huge boost for my students.” He added, “While they are familiar with using smartphones and tablets, many have never needed to use a computer keyboard. Pam has helped them with improved efficiency and accuracy when writing papers and especially with computer coding.”