Everyone knows that social media and influencers rule the world now. Tiktoks, Instagram reels, Facebook stories, and beyond all seem to control what is “trending” in both the digital world and real world. Content creators can’t keep up and are always after what strategies are going to “beat the algorithm”. The second you find yourself participating in a trending audio on TikTok, the moment has passed. Fashion trends seem to have been affected by the increase in control of influencers and social media as well. Your “trendy jacket” quickly goes out of style before even shipping to your door. This kind of power that social media and influencers hold is both a blessing and a curse. Take for example the following tiktok, proving that Gen Z even has the power to lower Juilliard’s google rating.
Juilliard Google Reviews
This idea of trends ruling the world and dictating whats either “in or out” has always controlled the way younger generations feel about the idea of attending community college. Community colleges and influencers have not taken advantage of this kind of control.
Graduating from High School and attending the local Community College is not the most trendy thing to do as an 18 year old. Over the years community college has always received a bad rep and been aligned with students who maybe weren’t “smart enough” to go to a larger four year university. During my time as a senior in 2014, my High School would post senior students photos with the list of college acceptances underneath in the hallway for the entire school to see. Faculty and staff were not boasting about the students who got into the community college, it was the larger universities such as The University of Texas, or Rice that stood out amongst the crowd. How is it that even the “influencers” of higher education seem to also contribute to the stigma that surrounds community college?
Establishing that younger generations think highly of their influencers and allow for their opinions to dictate their decisions, makes it easy to understand that being judged for attending community college is a huge barrier that students face.
So how do we fix this? How do we change the current sentiment around community college?
We show our students that community college is trendy. Saving your money on core college classes is trendy. Making wise decisions to take control of your future is trendy. Planning for success in accomplishing a bachelors or career in a technical trade is trendy. We relay these messages on social platforms and through social influencers that are already in front of younger generations and filling their social media newsfeeds. Community colleges open the doors to careers and achievements that initially may seem out of reach for a high school grad. It is understanding that social media has the power to initiate this change and streamline the process of removing the stigma that holds students victim to missing out on the benefits of community colleges.
Community Colleges hold so much power in setting students up for success. The community colleges themselves need to improve their marketing and branding and establish themselves as more than the “affordable option” and extend their social channels into the current trending styles of content that our younger generations are vibing with. Students need to understand the potential of choosing a transfer program. It’s not clear to them that their degrees don’t get printed with a special note citing their years at a community college, that they are printed and sealed with the University they graduate from. The idea community college is not a back up plan must be adopted by High School faculty and staff, influencers in the homes, and the Higher Education institutes themselves.
It’s time to stop gatekeeping higher education and make community college a first choice college.
