Early in my tenure as SLCC president, I was asked to speak to the Salt Lake Rotary Club about the value of a community college education. After my remarks, a woman decked out in a St. John’s suit came up to shake my hand. She leaned in and whispered. “You know, my grandson went to his SLCC and he had a great experience.” I wanted to ask. “Why are you whispering this?” It should be shouted from the mountain tops. ” Unfortunately, this has happened many times.
Ten years later, I remain proud of our commitment to being an affordable, open access, and welcoming university. Our students come from all walks of life, including returned missionaries, military veterans, mothers returning to school, and concurrent students pursuing a four-year degree, and approximately half of our students are the first in their families. students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. Many of our students come from low-income families. Access to SLCC is particularly transformative for these students and may represent their only opportunity to higher education.
My students’ stories helped me focus on what really matters. Their stories are full of grit, determination, and hope. It is their lived experiences that compel me to speak out about the essential value of education: the real stories that get buried under social and financial conditions and political resentment.
Stories like Joyce’s, who was raised by a single mother with three siblings and didn’t really plan on going to college. She never thought that was an option for her. And in her high school, her teacher encouraged her to apply to her PACE program at SLCC. This four-year tutoring program is currently being implemented in six high schools and prepares first-generation and/or low-income students for college, ultimately leading to her sixth semester at SLCC. We offer scholarships. Joyce currently serves as SLCC’s student body president, and she plans to graduate this spring with an associate’s degree in business. She plans to transfer to either the University of Utah or the University of Westminster.
Many students choose SLCC not only because it’s affordable and accessible, but also because they feel comfortable and welcome here. Our future student support and retention data clearly demonstrates the incredible power and importance of belonging. Students’ struggles with academic ability and social confidence are very real. “Do I belong here?” Am I college material?
I learned that I need to intentionally communicate to all types of students that they truly belong at the university. Marginalized people need to feel welcome in higher education, regardless of whether their suspicions are based on income level, religion, gender, race, ethnicity, veteran status, or ability. We found that many students needed reassurance that, “Yes, you belong on this campus.” College can be an intimidating landscape.
If you start your career at SLCC, like 80% of our students (many full-time), you may be working while attending college. No one just gave you an academic degree. you earned it. This fact alone speaks to the strong work ethic, drive, and smart financial choices you bring to your decisions (80% of our students graduate with almost no debt). If you are the first in your family to go to college, your courage and drive to overcome and master something big and new speaks volumes about your resilience and ability to problem solve and succeed.
SLCC graduates bring these unique characteristics to their families and workplaces. They are woven into the fabric of our communities and help fuel Utah’s economic engine. You’d be surprised how many people you date started at SLCC. After all, 80% of his graduates end up working and living in Utah.
When I am speaking as a dean or just going about my daily life, I am a nurse, a mechanic, a teacher, a researcher, an architect, a filmmaker, an engineer, an electrician, a doctoral student, a dentist. People around me, like hygienists, share their connection to community college. It is heartening to hear that their path to higher education began at his SLCC and that they had a positive and often transformative experience.
These achievements and experiences should not be shared in whispers. These should be shared in job interviews, on your LinkedIn profile, and in your community circles. Speak up and tell your story. True story.
Denise G. Haftalin is president of Salt Lake Community College. She will step down after 10 years as president in May of this year. To support SLCC students of all backgrounds with scholarships and support services, please consider making a donation on Thursday, February 15th. SLCC’s Annual Day of Giving.