Roadtrip Nation: One step closerRoadtrip Nation: One step closer
Roadtrip Nation: One step closer
Lower costs, flexible schedules, and proven results of upward social mobility have led leaders to praise community colleges for expanding access to higher education and contributing to the American Dream. But despite the fact that nearly 40 percent of all undergraduate students are enrolled in community college, the system still faces a surprising number of negative stigmas.
That’s why for their latest one-hour special, “One Step Closer,” Roadtrip Nation sent three student road-trippers—each at different stages of their journeys through community college—on a three-week trip to talk to people across the U.S. who’ve attended community college, and to explore the heights that can be reached with a community college education.
Their journey covers over 3,000 miles of American territory, with highlighted stops in North Dakota and Detroit. Along the way, the three road-trippers explore themes like fighting through fear, leaving your comfort zone, and dealing with grief, all guided by the stories of the people they meet, and viewed through the lens of their shared community college experience.
Road-tripper Rebecca Rodack was someone who believed the stigmas around community college, always seeing it as a “last resort.” But after an illness forced her to drop out of her four-year university, community college kept her afloat. She’s since transferred back to a university, but after her community college classes exposed her to so many cool things, she’s having trouble narrowing her choices down to one major—and seemingly one path.
Armand Beltran has been attending the City College of San Francisco for eight years—and he knows it’s time for a change! But with a supportive family and a comfortable IT job, he’s finding it hard to actually leave what he knows and make the big leap into what’s next.
Melanie Scott originally decided to forego higher education, instead taking a job right out of high school—but she was soon left unsatisfied. Drawn towards activism and community organization, she knew she’d need more education in order to achieve the level of change she ultimately wants to effect, and recently decided to enroll in Queensborough Community College.
In sitting down with a range of professionals who either chose to continue their education past community college—like Jim Lehrer, prominent journalist and anchor of PBS Newshour for over 35 years—or stepped straight out of community college and into the workplace—like Deesha Dyer, activist and former White House Social Secretary for the Obama administration—it’s clear that community college laid the foundation upon which each of these leaders built a dream.
As Ron His Horse Is Thunder, an advocate for community colleges and tribal colleges, tells the road-trippers, “It doesn’t matter where you start; it only matters that you start.” For the “One Step Closer” road-trippers—and millions of other students across America—it’s clear that community college is much more than just a start: It’s a pivotal step towards building a life of purpose.
Meet the Roadtrippers
(from the left)
Becca
Age 21
Pittsburgh, PA
After an illness forced her to drop out of her four-year university, Becca was thankful to find an option that continued to expose her to new things and fuel her love of learning: her local community college. But now that she’s transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, she’s having difficulty picking a major—not because she doesn’t know what she likes, but because she likes too many different things! She hopes this road trip will show her that she doesn’t have to abandon one interest for another—she can combine her love for culture and linguistics into one fulfilling career.
Armand
Age 25
Daly City, CA
Currently attending the City College of San Francisco and working an IT job, first-generation college student Armand has carved out a comfortable life for himself. But he’s starting to get wary of that comfort: he’s been living at home and attending community college classes for the past eight years, and he feels ready for a change. A self-proclaimed procrastinator, he knows this road trip could be the jolt he needs to restart his system, and help him answer the tough question he’s been facing: Should he stick to his well-worn paths where he’s comfortable, or should he forge ahead into new territory?
Melanie
Age 23
Brooklyn, NY
In Melanie’s Brooklyn community, pursuing post-secondary education is by no means the norm. So after graduating from high school, Melanie followed the neighborhood trend, working food industry and retail jobs rather than continuing her schooling. But last year, something clicked: after developing an interest in politics and activism, Melanie realized that if she wanted to make a difference, she had to go back to school. Now enrolled in Queensborough Community College, she’s ready for this road trip to connect her with the kinds of role models she hopes to someday become for her own community.
Featured Interviews Include:
Dominick Cruz, MMA Fighter
Diana Trujillo, Mission Lead, NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover
Angela H. Brown, Executive Editor & Publisher, SLUG Magazine
Ron His Horse Is Thunder, Former President, Sitting Bull College
Jay Rayford, Founder, Social Sushi
Deesha Dyer, Executive Director, beGirl.world
Jarrett Adams, Attorney, Innocence Project
Jim Lehrer, Journalist
Carol Guzy, Photojournalist
Media Contact
Loureen Ayyoub, loureen@roadtripnation.com
Christina Reagan, creagan@kqed.org
Funding for Roadtrip Nation: One Step Closer
is made possible by: ECMC Foundation
Websites and Social Media
Website: roadtripnation.com
Education Site: roadtripnation.org
Twitter: twitter.com/RoadtripNation
Facebook: facebook.com/RoadtripNation
YouTube: youtube.com/roadtripnation
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. www.kqed.org
About APT:
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. For more than 10 years, APT has annually distributed one-third or more of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. Founded in 1961, among its 250 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies. America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, AfroPoP, Rick Steves’ Europe, Chris Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Front and Center, Doc Martin, Nightly Business Report, Midsomer Murders, A Place to Call Home, Lidia’s Kitchen, Globe Trekker, New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton, Simply Ming, and P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television.
APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. Entering its 13th year, Create®TV — featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming — is distributed by American Public Television. APT also distributes WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.