Episode 39: Community College is College!

Mar 20

Written By HTC

In this episode, Cody chats with 3 fellow first-gens who highlight their experience in navigating and completing coursework at a Community College.

In this episode you will hear from:

Denise, a high school Senior, who is undecided on a career path and has decided to attend Moraine Valley Community College in the Fall of 2021. Denise chose a community college mainly due to affordability and also the ability to explore different classes to decide on a major.
Devin, a Community College graduate, who was able to obtain gainful, relevant work experience after graduating. Devin is now in the transfer process and plans to attend a four-year university in the Fall of 2021 and major in Computer Science. Devin was a member of a WIOA grant program while attending a Community College.
Daisy, a Community College graduate, who now works in Higher Education at a Community College (College of DuPage). Daisy works as Dual Credit Specialist, assisting students and families with obtaining early college credit. Daisy speaks to the vast array of resources available at Community Colleges and how that helped prepare her as she then went on to earn her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

Some have said that our country has entered the Community College Era, as more and more students choose to start at the Community College level before embarking on their path to a four year college/university. Community Colleges offer a wide array of degree options and courses including transferable general education and elective courses, career degrees and certificates that lead students to gainful employment after just two years, and classes for the greater community, such as citizenship courses or even basket-weaving!

You may have noticed from listening to all of our guests that starting at a Community College was a great decision for them. For our guests, Community Colleges offered affordability, opportunities to explore various subjects, the ability to stay close to home, small class sizes and more individualized support to help prepare them for their next stages in life, personally and educationally. Community Colleges have and will continue to be great options for First Generation College Students.

Below are some financial aid resources as well: