At the ripe age of seventeen years old, we’re instructed to map out the rest of our life. We’re expected to know our every move, plan every second, and ensure that we have a direct path to success.
As young students, we are presented with the notion of college, that the next few years of our lives will be successful and perfect if we just follow the path. Pay attention in kindergarten and make it to sixth grade, persevere through middle school, survive high school, and finally, attend a major university. If we aim to be successful, we must follow the status quo regardless of any obstacles.
As young students we are given the responsibility of plotting out our foreseeable future, all to get to the front door of a four-year university, because that is the only way we’re told we can make a name for ourselves. No pit stops and no breaks because we are on a mission, and failure is not an option.
If only life were that simple.
As we grow up and mature as students, we are met with more responsibility and a rude awakening about the realities of life. Life is never a straight path and often rolls along at a strenuous pace. So why do we insist on the fact that there is only one correct educational path?
At Morton Community College, we offer just that: a sense of community. It’s a place where non-traditional students are viewed as role models, where students commute between work and school, and staff members like Tank the tutoring center service dog have four paws. Despite this, I’ve recently observed a negative cloud of rumors surrounding Morton College.
As soon as society sees “two-year” status on a college transcript, the students attending those institutions are labeled an automatic lost cause. They are cast away and written off as less intelligent because they’re “only going to a community college,” as if that does not count as a legitimate form of education. As if a community college does not involve tuition, award-winning professors, scholarships, homework, finals, midterms, maintaining a high GPA, and yes, even an extensive campus for potential students to tour.
Because of this erroneous reputation society ascribed to community colleges, even some of our best students have been conditioned to believe the false rumors and negative connotations about their place of education. Josslynn Murillo, a pre-med student here at Morton College, admitted, “At first, I wasn’t proud to say I went to Morton College for the simple reason that it is in fact a community college. So many people thought that I just didn’t have a great academic record, which isn’t true.” There is a persistent and damaging stereotype that community colleges are for bad students, those with low academic status. However, learning about students on our campus tells a completely different reality.
It is my strong belief that students of Morton should not have to defend our reasons for deciding to attend a community college. We’re all in school, we are all studying to better our future, we are all stressed about the upcoming exams, we are all getting the job done.
We should be proud to have such an opportunity. We should honor the privilege it is to learn and accomplish what previous generations of our families may have never thought possible. Take for example, Jessica Mendoza, a high-achieving student who found her footing on the Morton College campus. Mendoza asserts that the campus’s Student Advising department provided her with a newfound hope. A conversation she had with counselor Angelo Green, initiated the process of her growth and flourishing, all by helping her believe in herself again. She states that “Morton gave me a clean slate and they welcomed me with open arms, which was life-changing for me because seventeen-year-old me would never believe how much I have accomplished.”
An essential function of a community college is to provide a helpful steppingstone, a safety net for many students who don’t have the privilege of a steady and simple life. We all know that in a matter of seconds, life can get complicated and curveballs can knock us off of a straightforward path. For many, Morton College offers a second chance to believe in themselves because it is vitally important to understand that community college is not a dead end.
We are the parents taking online courses after we put our kids to bed. We are the workers whose days consist of attending night classes after an 8-hour shift. We are the students dutifully studying for our midterms instead of taking a lunch break. We are the non-traditional students who are determined to give ourselves another chance at a better life. Community college is in our corner. Not because it is our only option, but because the college wants to see us succeed. Morton Community College is hidden among a sea of successors, undervalued and underestimated, but from the fire rises a phoenix.
In other words, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Morton College. Prepare for greatness.