Don’t Change the Community College Experience; It’s Not Broken
I find the idea of the Community College experience mutating to focus solely on preparing students for the work place with little or no focus on transferring to a four year college highly disconcerting. Many students who attend college for the first time are unsure of their path. They may not think that they can succeed. Somewhere along the way, they realize that they can set their sights on a higher degree and suddenly transfer to a 4 year institution. Initially I enrolled in a 2 year program with my only goal being graduation; transferring to another college seemed out of reach and scary. That all changed during my journey, as it does for many folks, as confidence grew through success.
Upon returning to school to attempt to earn an Associate’s Degree from Berkshire Community College (BCC) in 2001 and being out of the academic pipeline for a decade, my confidence was low. When the college admissions advisor asked me about my future goals, I did not envision myself attending a four year school and continuing my education past a 2 year degree offered here at BCC. Being a Non-Traditional Student, like nearly half of my classmates, and a first generation college student, my ideas about my ability to succeed in college were almost nonexistent in spite of the fact that I was a member of the National Honor Society in high school and always loved school. Higher education was a mystery to me since none of my role models attended college.
My godmother was the person I admired the most aside from my parents and older sister. She didn’t attend college and successfully supported herself. She worked at a local mill with my grandparents. I was brought up not to discuss money with my elders. It was considered rude to discuss salaries. Even now when I hear someone asking about their finances; I silently cringe. I assumed that full time work would offer very comfortable life regardless of education. Boy was I mistaken!
My mother became a legal secretary after attending Berkshire Business School for a few months in the 1950’s. She quit school when she was offered a job but did not work after I was 10 years old due to health issues. After high school graduation I met with her former boss, he immediately asked if I had a college degree, which I did not at the time as a result of my limited education. There was no a job offer for me, so I worked for minimum wage for years until I decided to attend college.
My Godmother and Mother didn’t need a formal education to succeed in the workplace, but this is not the case now in 2012 due to lack of gainful employment options and workplace competition. In addition to succeeding in the workplace, there are other values to the college experience, such as realizing dreams, feelings of accomplishment, and self-fulfillment.
After completing an Associate’s Degree at BCC, I decided to try my luck at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). I am glad I did because I just graduated in December of 2011 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. It is certain that I would NEVER have had the self-confidence to start my college journey at a four year college, but the wonderful support I received at BCC made me able to transition to a four year college and succeed. I am researching Masters Programs and anticipate attending graduate school in the future. None of this would have been possible if I did not slowly gain confidence to succeed in my studies. I am supportive of the community college experience and it would be disconcerting if upcoming students aren’t afforded the same experience. Granted it is not necessary for every student, but it was essential for me and so many folks who I came in contact with on a regular basis. Currently the community college system is set up to accommodate many scenarios and if it is changed to a more narrow vision, that would be a great disservice to the future students.
For the past 6 years I have worked for a Student Support Service Program at BCC which encourages students to transfer or seek a four year degree after graduation. There are many students who succeed here at the community college level and go on to pursue four year degrees. These folks initially express feelings of self-doubt in the beginning of their college career, but then excel beyond their wildest dreams. Needless to say I’m proud of them and their accomplishments. Many of our graduates say that even though they had a good college experience after BCC, their experiences were not the same as the nurturing and encouragement they received here as students at Berkshire Community College. Many of these students not only need the service we provide but also the encouragement to realize their dreams and strive to accomplish more than they thought possible. The community college experience is significant to many people and it helps build confidence to achievement. It would be a shame for it to evolve into anything else!
By Sheriann Stanton
