Community College Is Not a Backup Plan

Photo by Juan Marcel Francia

Chiderah Edeh

The Advocate

When people hear “community college,” they often assume it’s a second choice, a backup plan or a temporary stop before something better. Some even think it’s only for those who couldn’t get into a university or can’t afford one. But that idea doesn’t reflect what I see every day at Mt. Hood Community College.

What really defines MHCC isn’t prestige or comparison to four-year universities — it’s perseverance. Walk across campus and you’ll see students studying between work shifts, reviewing notes before evening classes or sitting in the library trying to balance deadlines with real-life responsibilities. You’ll see different skin tones, different ages and different life experiences all in the same classrooms. That diversity isn’t a weakness — it’s one of the school’s greatest strengths.

Going to community college does not mean less ambition. For many students, it means being practical, focused and determined. Some support families. Some are first-generation college students. Some are rebuilding their confidence. Others already hold degrees and are returning to school to change career paths. Community college is not a setback — it’s the beginning stage of something greater.

I like to say this: You can go to the most expensive school in the world, but if we follow the same career path and put in the same effort, we’ll end up in the same place. Success isn’t about the school’s name — it’s about the work you put in.

The state of MHCC isn’t about comparison; it’s about resilience. Community college isn’t a backup plan. For many of us, it’s the plan — the starting point of something greater.