Author Archives: ourcolleges_admin

Last fall, I came to community college without even a high school diploma. In just three weeks, I earned my GED and began working on prerequisites for the dental hygiene program. Recently, I received my acceptance into that program—a major step toward my dream of becoming a dental hygienist. Staying close to home made thisContinue reading “Student Story: Danae Lee”

Seven years ago, I moved to the U.S. with my family from a small island near Guam. As a student at Lincoln High School and now a second-year Running Start student at Tacoma Community College, I have worked hard to make the most of every opportunity available to me. Running Start has been life-changing. BecauseContinue reading “Student Story: Bibi Shrestha”

I recently graduated from South Puget Sound Community College with an Associate in Science, through the general science transfer program. Right now, I work at the mall at American Eagle, earning minimum wage. My parents live out of state, so for the past two years I’ve been completely on my own—paying for rent, food, andContinue reading “Student Story: Renee Morris”

I’m from Michoacán, Mexico, and I’ve been living in the U.S. for two years. I came here with one clear goal: to learn English. My background is in Environmental Science, and even in Mexico our professors were clear—the best research, data, and opportunities in this field are in English. If I wanted to grow professionally,Continue reading “Student Story: Margarita Acosta”

Three years ago, I made the decision to get sober, and it completely changed the course of my life. Before then, college was never on my radar—I had dropped out of high school, earned my GED in 2012, and was stuck in a lifestyle that gave me no real future. But through recovery, I foundContinue reading “Student Story: Cristian de la Torre”

I’m a psychology student at Cascadia College, and I chose community college because it just made sense — it’s more affordable and gives me more time to focus on what I love. I wasn’t completely in love with the idea of staying in high school full-time, and this path gave me more freedom to exploreContinue reading “Student Story: Florence Sambisa”

I’m a sophomore at Everett High School, and I stay pretty busy — between volleyball, tennis, and playing the cello in the school orchestra, my days are full. I like challenging myself, so I’m taking AP World History right now, and last year I took AP Environmental Science. I really enjoy learning about how thingsContinue reading “Student Story: Emma Jenkins”

My name is Zichen Gong. I’m 25 years old and a proud graduate of Whatcom Community College. Growing up, attending a university wasn’t something I could easily imagine. My family didn’t have the financial resources to make that path a reality. But a connection through one of my teachers, who knew the international director atContinue reading “Student Story: Zichen Gong”

At Lincoln High School, I am a sophomore already thinking about what comes next. My passion is in music and the arts, and I dream of pursuing those fields in college—maybe even at Western Washington University, which has a program that inspires me. I also think about becoming a florist or exploring other creative careers.Continue reading “Student Story: William Gutierrez”