Harger: Community colleges, the unsung heroes of WA education, deserve more credit

Here in Washington, we sure do love our big universities. The Huskies, the Cougs, we wear their sweatshirts like badges of honor. And hey, that’s wonderful … if you can afford it, if you’ve got the grades, and if your college fund didn’t become a cover-the-rent fund.

But what about everybody else? The families that are working hard just to pay the bills on time in this economy? The kid who needs a do-over? The grown-up who just wants to fix things that actually break?

Enter our community colleges and vocational schools, the heroes nobody puts on a bumper sticker.

The power of community college

I know this personally. At 21, I walked into what was then Green River Community College in Auburn with no money, no direction, and grades that screamed “solid B student on a good day.” My parents couldn’t help. They didn’t have the resources or, frankly, the roadmap. College was not a thing in my family. But Green River had a radio program and a tiny, but mighty station, KGRG, where I figured out how to sound confident while having absolutely no idea what I was doing.

Those two years of classes? Led straight to a contract job at Microsoft in the 90s, eventually a Bachelor’s, then a Master’s, and a career teaching part-time at Green River for two decades while working full-time at radio stations here in Seattle. All because someone at a community college said, “Sure, kid, give it a shot.”

In those classrooms of 15, maybe 25 students, your instructor actually knows your name. Novel concept, right? You can raise your hand without feeling like you’re interrupting a TED talk.

And those vocational programs your nosy neighbor calls “fallback options?” They’re teaching skills that’ll outlast every smartphone app. HVAC techs, plumbers, and dental hygienists. Try outsourcing your burst pipe to artificial intelligence. Some of these grads are pulling up to six figures a couple of years out of school, with zero student debt and actual job security.

Here’s something to spark dinner table conversation with your high schooler: On average, what do people who graduate from these technical programs do? They’re seeing their paychecks jump 25-50%. Fifty percent! And if they actually land a job in their field, which most do, they’re making even more.

Try getting that kind of raise by asking nicely.

So next time a neighbor’s kid says they’re heading to Shoreline or Bates, don’t give them the sympathetic head-tilt. Give them the same high-five you’d give a future Husky, because these schools transform lives.

You know, we live in a time when everyone’s obsessed with the “best” path. Best school, best job, best lawn in the cul-de-sac. But maybe the best path is simply the one that gets you where you need to go. Even if it starts in a community college parking lot, searching for the Lindbloom Student Center, wondering if you’re making a huge mistake. You’re not.

Trust me on this one.

Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here. 

Follow @https://twitter.com/kirocharlie