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The White House
I went to
community college (now I work at the White House)
I spent more than half of 2005 in Iraq.
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
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