Raymond Pert: In Praise of Community Colleges

Raymond Pert: At Kellogg High School, I was too remedial in math to take a class from John’s dad, Gene Austin. His reputation was stellar. My most inspirational teachers remain, to this day, the NIC Holy Trinity: Virginia Tinsley-Johnson, Jim McLeod, and Tony Stewart. Each day I teach at Lane Community College I aspire to have the humane and intellectual impact on students these three teachers had, and continue to have on me.

DFO: I shudder when I think of where I might be if Butte (Calif.) Community College hadn’t been newly opened when I was 18 years old. Mebbe dead in some rice paddy. Mebbe stuck in a dead end job wondering what might have been. Who knows? I certainly wouldn’t have become a journalist. It was affordable. It provided a good transition for a small-town kid who wasn’t quite ready for a four-year college. I cannot say enough good about the two-year institutions.

Question: Has a community college played a significant role in your life?