Declaring Our Independence at a 2-Year College…

News August 03, 2018

Alejandra spent her 4th on the San Diego Bay, watching fireworks from the deck of the USS Midway with 4,000 of her closest strangers. Angela played Mario Kart.

Yeah, that’s how we roll. #interactlife

See, independence is a wonderful thing, not just on July 4, but every day. It’s the freedom to do your thing, even if it’s not the obvious or popular thing.

It’s also why we love 2-year colleges, and why we’ve devoted our entire professional focus to promoting and growing them.

Outside of maybe Michael Phelps crossing the Delaware with Abe Lincoln strapped to his back, nothing embodies the spirit of American (real American) independence like our 2-year colleges. They represent a higher education revolution, from which freedom of opportunity, independence from debt, and professional self-governance are the spoils.

Every employee at Interact has two-year college experience, either as a student, faculty member, staffer, or administrator. Here are just a few testimonials from Interacters who declared their independence at a two-year college…

Angela Carollo, Director of Communications

“I remember taking a bus from my school to the nearby community college for a theatre course. It was the first time I learned about something that seemed real, and that completely changed everything for me. It opened my mind to a world I didn’t know existed and it made me want to be part of that world.”

Carrie Smith, Director of Communications

“I developed a whole new kind of confidence in myself when I attended Northern Virginia Community College. I had a closer relationship with faculty and that got me more interested in learning, which built my knowledge and confidence more than I ever expected. It was that confidence that helped me decide to move to California and pursue the next phase of my education and career. I always had that choice, but I didn’t embrace it until I had that feeling of ability and confidence.”

Alana Villemez, Account Coordinator

“My time at MiraCosta College allowed me the opportunity to work 3 jobs while I attended class and save for my degree at the university I later transferred to. I graduated from college, debt-free, in 2016, which allows me to save for my future (since I am not paying off any pesky student loans).

Attending a community college allowed me to participate in activities outside of my major like… drum roll… vocal jazz! While I attended MiraCosta College, I was able to explore a passion I enjoyed and my musicianship was challenged and stretched! It made me appreciate being a comm major, but also having the freedom to have fun performing on campus!”

Cheryl Broom, President

“I took Adobe Creative Suite classes at MiraCosta College (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator). Learning the ins and outs of these tools gave me the ability to speak more intelligently with my creative team and also helped me understand the design process better. Once I had a better understanding of design, I had the freedom to say ‘no’ to outlandish requests and ‘yes’ to creative ones!”

Anthony Jones, VP of Technology

“The growth of knowledge from zero (no engineering at my high school) through graduation with a degree, allowed my passion to be realized and gave me a new direction in a short period of time and cost.

Mixing with the Art folks at college showed me the power of free-flowing ideas and expression, and how to escape being trapped in the logic barriers that creatives hate, and engineers embrace. That diverse combination helped me to develop the freedom to see solutions to problems and challenges outside of the ‘normal’ logic.”

Jim Wiseman, Strategic Director

“Twenty-one years ago, a Grossmont College English professor gave me a copy of John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces, thinking it would appeal to my weird sensibilities. She was right, and to this day, it remains my favorite book (and she, my favorite professor!)

I later went on to a four-year university, where the professors didn’t even speak to students one-on-one, let alone get to know them well enough to make life-changing literary recommendations. That individual attention, and willingness to engage and support students, really is the ‘Power of 2.’”