The writer of this article was part of a summer honors experience: Voices From Our Backyard: Local News Narratives during which students created and wrote stories to be published in community news outlets.
Calise Harper
Seeing a former classmate after graduating high school can be an awkward encounter, especially when they ask what school you go to because saying, “a community college” may be embarrassing. According to a blog by Steven Zauderer, more than nine million students are enrolled in community colleges which makes up about “41 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S.” Yet, community college students may not be as confident as four-year college students.
Vidhi Patel, a Spring 2024 CCBC graduate, recently spoke about her encounter with an acquaintance after high school. Before the conversation with her former friend, she already had a plan of action by avoiding talking about her college experience. “I would say it (attending a community college), but I would redirect the conversation because I would feel a little bit embarrassed, not being on their level (attending a four-year institution),” she said.
This is a common feeling that community college students around America can relate to, especially in a society where attending a four-year institution is considered the norm.
Why is there a stigma about community colleges? According to the article, “A Renewed Examination of the Stigma Associated with Community College Career and Technical Education” by Thomas Gauthier, “since community college is easier to attend and get into, most people assume those who attend community college are less intelligent.”
Evan Balkan, a CCBC Professor of English and Coordinator of Creative Writing, recently agreed that community college students “can potentially face a lot of criticism from their friends or the community.”
While Professor Balkan acknowledged that students may not get the same praise for going to a community college as they would if they went to a four-year, he emphasized that everyone needs to realize that community college students are every bit if not more hardworking and dedicated as four-year students. “You can get a really high-quality education at a community college,” he emphasized.
Patel has also experienced this stigma. “When you told someone that you are going to a community college, and you didn’t like go to or apply to a four-year… they would look at you differently,” she said.
Patel’s experience is not uncommon.
Taylenn Knight, a Fall 2023 CCBC graduate said, “I felt kind of slow going to a community college … being left behind or feeling 'stupid' because I was going to a community college and not a university.” Knight and Patel both agree that not having support can affect the student's way of thinking and ultimately their ambitions and motivation to follow through with their goals.
Patel explained her experience while conversing with her aunt who had high expectations of her and pressed her to go to a four-year college. “The stigma that I faced was that it was not good enough and ‘wasn’t to my standards’," she said.
Patel also said that this stigma also caused her to not share important milestones and accomplishments such as winning the President’s Distinguished Graduate Award. “I did not want to tell [my aunt] because why would I share my accomplishments with someone who does not really support me,” she asked.
Knight added, “it can affect ambitions because seeing your friends going to (a) university might make you feel as though you are not on their level or feel left behind. It might stunt your growth.”
Knight also said while in high school she felt that she was, “not feeling good enough. It was hard seeing other people at my school having their t-shirts, going to their big universities.” What Knight realized when she stepped foot into CCBC was that, “I was not the only one my age who went to community college after high school and then I felt confident in my decision to start at a community college.”
Balkan’s daughter’s experience mirrored Knight’s sentiments when she wore a CCBC sweatshirt to her high school and her teacher made a disparaging remark. Balkan was shocked at this reaction since he has had direct experience with many talented students at CCBC. “If she were walking around wearing Yale stuff, her teachers and peers would say, ‘oh that is great!'" In fact, Balkan, who teaches screenwriting and creative writing at CCBC, had an experience in which he could directly compare the work of students at the two colleges.
“They (two Ivy League students) had both written feature length scripts (roughly 100 pages). One turned it in a week late and did not finish it. The other did a better job but it was not great (good, but not great). At the same time, I was working with two CCBC students doing independent studies in screenwriting where they, too, were writing feature length scripts. They both turned them in on time and did phenomenal jobs,” he said.
There are potential solutions to end the stigmatization of attending community colleges.
Knight suggested that “during your junior or senior year, it should be a requirement to take a course at the local community college so people can see that it is not a bad thing if you go here, and you could be exposed to see what college is like.”
Balkan said, “the narrative that needs to be more prominent is the fact that the level of certificate and degree programs that we (CCBC) offer versus a four-year school is really remarkable.”
And now that they’ve attended community college, both Knight and Patel said they have no regrets.
“Since I did graduate, I am more confident,” Patel said.
Knight said, “Community college was a great steppingstone for me; it allowed me to make mistakes that would have a harsher consequence at a four-year university, and I was able to find myself and grow.”
Despite going through these hardships of being judged by peers and family for attending community college, they still made the best of their time at CCBC. No matter what path you go on, you will still achieve your goals.
