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| Kellogg Community College Battle Creek, Michigan |
By T. R. Shaw Jr.
When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to attend Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan, as an advanced standing high school student. I took some basic college classes in subjects I excelled in. I felt important. I was getting to attend a real college as a high schooler.
Following graduation at Battle Creek Central High School, I enrolled at Central Michigan University with advanced credits. Those credits helped me graduate in four years, many of my college classmates ended up with an extra semester or year to earn their bachelor’s degree.Today, students are facing an expensive proposition when seeking a sheepskin. For many, they may spend the first third, if not half, of their working career paying back their college debt.
When I started college I paid $33.00 a credit hour at CMU. Those days are long gone.
In my youth, community colleges were
somewhat looked down upon. They were
viewed as an alternative for those who couldn’t compete in, or afford a
four-year college, or weren’t ready to leave home. The college also had a reputation as a trade
school were vocational education was offered to those not pursuing college
degrees. Community colleges, in those
days, had a blue collar feel to it. I’ve
grown up and realize I was wrong.
That
paradigm has been destroyed as skilled trades have exploded, and many times
out-earned college graduates. Thank you
Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs!
Today,
we question the value of a four-year degree as expensive, and sometimes
obsolete in today’s market place. Fortunate are those whose employer can cover advance schooling. Community colleges are still a great academic and economical starting
point for higher education. In fact, 52
percent of bachelors degree earners in Michigan have had some connection to a community
college, according to the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA).
As
we come out of the COVID pandemic, there is a new focus on jobs that have been
deemed “essential.” Many of those
professions and trades began at community colleges. Those involved in programs like nursing, emergency medical services, law enforcement, fire fighting, and many other
skilled trades began in community college. Additionally, many top level leaders and
executives in business and government, with advanced degrees from prestigious
colleges, also began their academic quest in a community college.
Beyond skills training and
preliminary higher education, community colleges are an integral part of the
community they serve. Here in Battle
Creek, KCC has played a vital role in the economic, cultural and academic
flavor of our community. It is a vital
asset that is often overlooked in the broader role of economic
development. It provides resources and
expertise that cannot be found anywhere else.
One impressive part of KCC is their
campus in the Fort Custer Industrial Park, the Regional Manufacturing
Technology Center (RMTC). It is an asset,
training workers and creating more and better employment opportunities. There are few such academic-industrial
relationships in Michigan.
While I once dismissed community
college as educational path, I’ve come to realize what an important and needed
asset it is to a community. It is a
source of pride and a first opportunity for many people to really improve their
lives. It provides hope and direction
for those who cannot afford a large institution. Additionally, it’s an asset for non-traditional
students and learners who seek knowledge later in life.
Education offers the greatest path to prosperity and upward mobility. Community colleges are uniquely suited as an academic starting line, as well as a place to gain needed skills in this new world where technology and expertise are in high demand.
The future is very bright for community colleges, especially in Michigan where we traditionally ride the first wave of emerging technology.
T. R. Shaw Jr.
is CEO of Shaw Communication in Battle Creek, Michigan; a published author and community
leader. He is also a candidate for
Trustee at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek.
