The Community in Community College

By Salene Herrera Senior Staff Writer

Before me sits a group of students, all of whom are ready to begin their newfound education. Some are straight out of high school. Others have put off college but are ready to begin. Then there are those who already have one or two degrees but strive for more. Regardless of which group you fit in, you all share one thing. You’re all here to take your first steps into a new stage of your life, a stage that will help you all decide your future.

Though before we talk about your future, let us talk about your present. I’m sure you’re all sitting there thinking to yourselves, “now what?” The funny thing about college is that in our lives we have so many people telling us to go, but not enough telling us what to do when we get there.

We do as we’re told, but then we’re unsure of what to do next after that. And the worst part is, this is all new to you. You don’t know anybody. You don’t know who to ask. But

I’m here to remind you all of one thing: the word community in community college. The best part of this campus is that we are a community. We are a group of people who all come from different backgrounds. Some of you are eighteen-year olds who just became old enough to vote. Some of you are forty-five-year olds with four kids and a mortgage. And the greatest part about that is that you guys can use one another to help guide you through this college experience.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “What do I have in common with that child?” or “What do I have in common with that old man?” Yet the point is, it’s not what you guys have in common, it’s about your experiences. For all you know, that “kid” can help you navigate a website needed for your next big assignment. Or that “old man” can give you advice for your upcoming interview. You guys aren’t just here to learn; you’re here to grow. And you can’t do that alone.

So, as you walk through those doors, remember that kid, remember that old man. In a small community like this one, you don’t only have to rely on someone to point you in the right direction of a classroom. You can also rely on someone to help point you in the right direction for that next big decision in your life. Nobody here is alone. As I said, the most important thing you need to remember in community college is that this is a community.