At first, community college did not sound appealing. Having just graduated from high school, I had dreams of attending a well-known university. I wanted to make sure I got the best education possible, and from what I had heard, I could not obtain that education from a simple community college.
Finally I decided I would give it a chance. After all, it would save a lot of money.
When I started signing up for classes, I was still not excited. I took just two classes that first semester, and that was when I knew that Salt Lake Community College was going to work out just fine.
For the first time, math was something that was understandable. That topic had always been extremely hard, and I got it. My English class was just as informative. I loved writing and I very much enjoyed the essays we were assigned.
After a few semesters at SLCC I knew it was time to focus on what I wanted to major in – journalism.
I was so intimidated the first day of my first journalism class. Sudden 10-minute deadlines? I thought for sure that I would never be able to do this. After having been in the class for a while, my thoughts started to change. My passion for journalism started showing and I began to believe in myself. I know that I could not have done it without my excellent instructor, Robert Branch, and that was when I knew that community college was right for me.
During the first semester of my first journalism class, I had the opportunity to be a contributing writer for The Globe. It was so exciting. That’s when I started realizing exactly how many opportunities and resources there are at SLCC.
While I was taking my journalism class I decided I wanted to try more fields in journalism. This was so easy to do because SLCC has so many different areas that students can dabble in. I went on a friend’s radio show and read news every chance I got and I loved it, so I got a radio show. Next I decided I wanted to try TV, so I talked to the right people and I was able to try it out.
The TV studio at SLCC’s Taylorsville Redwood Campus is very impressive. When I walked in the first day I stood in awe for a while just studying everything. It has lights so students can learn how to set up lighting correctly, two studio cameras that are controlled by SLCC students, cameras that students can use to work on projects for TV classes – and that isn’t even including the things used “behind the scenes.”
I am so happy now that I chose to go to SLCC. I can’t speak to other community colleges, as I have never attended any besides SLCC, but it is certain that I am now a proud community college student. I have learned so much about my field of study and now I feel so prepared to transfer to a university after I obtain my associates.
SLCC has many other resources for many other topics of study. There is an animation studio where students can animate their own work, welding tools so students can work hands on, a gym where many of SLCC’s sports teams practice, and many other things.
I am proud to be a Salt Lake Community College student and I feel that I have been given a lot of opportunities that I may not have received had I chosen a different school.