I Owe It All To Community College Summary

The article, “I Owe It All to Community College,” by Tom Hanks, highlights the impact of an accessible community college on his life, emphasizing its role in providing opportunities and aiding personal and professional growth. As a struggling academic student with low expectations for college, he unexpectedly found success and inspiration through the diverse and supportive environment at Chabot. This college provided a foundation for his career in theater and film production, resulting in his immense gratitude for the invaluable opportunities offered by a community college. Likewise, in “The Chance And The Choice That Changed My Life: The Power of a College Promise,” Chike Aguh shares his parents’ humble beginnings and their journey to achieving

Throughout the articles, the authors reflect on their college experience. Hanks writes, “By some fluke of the punch-card computer era, I made Chabot’s dean’s list” by taking classes he found enjoyable, challenging, and divergent (Hanks 2). The author mentions a range of classes to illustrate the unpredictability of academic success, to prove the significance of personal preferences in shaping educational outcomes. Furthermore, Aguh asks a rhetorical question on how his parents achieved the American Dream, to which he responded, “It was my parents’ ability to come to the United States of America and study in its amazing public universities debt-free—my dad at the University of Texas-Austin and my mother at Rutgers—that changed their lives” (Aguh 1). Here, he contradicts common beliefs about low-income families, proving that affordable education promotes socioeconomic advancement and success. Both writers had difficult beginnings, yet managed to strive and share their influential stories. Doing so may inspire underrepresented individuals who doubt their future because of social

With his parents’ experience, he understands that education is a universal tool used to break down background barriers and realize goals to contribute to brighter futures. Together, they highlight how colleges not only shape individual lives but also contribute to social mobility and progress. In addition, they suggest that everyone has the life-changing opportunity of higher education, but it is up to the student to take the initiative. Ultimately, the authors appreciate these inclusive institutions for allowing them the opportunity to achieve their goals. Furthermore, Hanks and Aguh have different approaches to addressing financial barriers to higher education, yet both emphasize the urgent need for affordable college. Hanks recalled a proposal for free community college for most students, where he “hopes the idea sticks, because more veterans, from Iraq and Afghanistan this time, as well as another generation of mothers, single parents, and workers who have been out of the job market, need lower obstacles between now and the next chapter of their lives” (Hanks