I went to community college (now I work at the White House): By Ryan Robinson
I was four years into my service in the Marine Corps, and as is the case with most of our young enlisted military members, I had enormous responsibilities for a twenty-two year-old.
Grateful for the opportunity to serve, and thankful for the experiences the Marine Corps gave to me, I left active duty in 2006, excited at the prospect of new cities, new jobs, and the chance to go to college.
The Marine Corps gave me excellent job skills, world-class leadership training, and a ton of willpower and ambition. Still, academia was somewhat intimidating. Trading a base for a campus, and military leaders for professors felt like a huge step.
To make the transition a bit easier I moved back to my home state of Florida, and found Valencia Community College — where I was able to use my GI Bill education benefits to attend for free.
I found diverse classrooms full of people with varying backgrounds and experiences — from kids straight out of high school to seasoned professionals pursuing a career change.
I fit right in. Community colleges were made for people like me; they’re designed to take persons from all walks of life and help them embark on their next adventure. People like Dr. Brooks and Professor Zuromski made me love learning and sparked a hunger for knowledge I didn’t know I had.
More Americans should have this opportunity. Today, the President is announcing a campaign called “Heads Up,” and the idea is simple: Let’s make two years of community college free for anyone willing to work for it.
At Valencia, I wasn’t just in the classroom — I was leading fellow students in groups like Model UN, where I studied diplomacy and foreign affairs. I was an editor for The Phoenix, Valencia’s annual literary magazine, where I honed my writing skills and learned the value of creative expression.
While I was there I also earned my place in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. It was all a valuable part of my academic, personal, and professional growth.
Valencia Community College also prepared me to tackle classes at one of America’s oldest and most rigorous academic institutions — Columbia University, where I finished my undergraduate degree.
I majored in philosophy, a discipline I wasn’t exposed to until I took Professor Wallman’s amazing Intro to Philosophy class at Valencia. Not only did community college make Columbia possible for me, it gave me the tools to experience it to its fullest measure.
Today I work at The White House as an Associate Director in the Office of Public Engagement. I have the privilege of being the President’s liaison to military service members, veterans, and their families.
I can’t express in one message how grateful I am to have been given this opportunity, and how fulfilling it is to work with, and for, a group as deserving as they are.
It’s hard for me to fully grasp the incredible things that have happened in my life in the eight years since I first stepped foot on a community college campus, but I feel confident that taking that step made it all possible.
More people should have that chance. That’s what the President thinks, and I agree.
Up until now I’ve shared my story with a largely military and veteran audience, encouraging those with the ambition to take advantage of their education benefits because you never know where it’s going to lead.
I’m sharing my story with you now because we have the chance to make sure that everyone has the opportunity I did. We should do what we can to ensure everyone in America who wishes, has the chance to go to community college for free.
Thanks for listening.
Sincerely,
Ryan Robinson
Associate Director of Public Affairs
The White House