I'm attending my community college (cc) student gov 10 year reunion tonight. I've been thinking about the stigma associated with cc and my own experience. Thread.

I was always a 4.0 student but I graduated hs in '09 when the economy was in shambles and scholarships had dissipated. My immigrant parents couldn't afford to send me to a 4 year college, so (after many tears) I reluctantly enrolled at my local cc @deanza_college.

On the last day of hs, my AP english teacher made everyone share where they were headed that fall. I was ashamed to tell them cc. When I did, my teacher told me it was a big mistake that I'd regret. Ouch.

I started cc and was surprised to be surrounded by smart and driven students. I enjoyed the small classroom settings and was exposed to a diverse student body. My classmates included those in their 60s, single parents, homeless folks, second careers, and international students.

cc is what you make of it, so I took honor courses, ran for student gov, organized state-wide protests against budget cuts, helped start a food pantry, etc. All this is to say that cc offers opportunities that people think are only reserved for "real college."

After 2 years, I applied to transfer and was accepted to UC Berkeley w/ scholarship. It was a dream. I've only seen my dad cry twice: when I got into @UCBerkeley and when I passed the CA bar *tears*

My cc friends also transferred to their dream schools: Stanford, UCLA, and Georgetown to name a few. Many are now lawyers or rising leaders in their fields.

However, I always find myself having to defend my decision to go to cc. Most transfer students erase that part of their academic career b/c of stigma. We unfairly stereotype those that choose to attend cc as lazy and incompetent. It undermines the institution of cc.

Recruiters have asked me to remove cc from my LinkedIn. Colleagues and ex-boyfriends told me that they would have never guessed I went to cc b/c I wasn't "the type." A big law partner said clients would be off-put if they knew. Sighhh.

I love sharing my experience and I'm grateful for all the opportunities cc afforded me without taking loans (law school changed that).

As we enter into another economic downturn, I encourage folks to explore this alternative path and break the stigma.