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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20 percent of adults in the state of Illinois report being in fair or poor health. In addition, our most recent state census data shows that the proportion of Illinois’ population that is age 60 and older is growing more rapidly than other components of the population. These two statistics alone indicate that access to and demand for high quality health care is more important than ever. Through solid employer partnerships, state-of-the-art technology and facilities, and evolving curriculum and professional development for faculty, community colleges expertly strengthen the workforce in one of our country’s most critical and growing sectors.

This month begins a year of reflection, gratitude and inspiration for Waubonsee Community College, as we celebrate our 50th anniversary. Measuring the ways that Waubonsee has become woven into the fabric of the lives of so many in our community over the past 50 years is both an honor and a challenge that speaks to the impact of the American innovation of community colleges in our country.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker holds 10 different jobs before age 40, and this number is projected to grow. In fact, some research suggests that today’s youngest workers will hold 12 to 15 jobs in their lifetimes. This places a new perspective on the urgency and importance of lifelong learning, because it means that most likely, one’s career path will require continuing education beyond an initial degree or certificate.

One of the best ways to ensure employment related to your major after graduation is to spend some time gaining work experience related to your field of interest. For many college students, internships and other experiential learning opportunities result in job offers even before graduation.

First-generation college students are in many ways the core of community colleges, which were originally designed to provide equal access to higher education. Serving this group of students requires respect for and attention to the unique challenges they face.

In today’s fast-paced world, most people are looking for the most efficient path toward their goals. Dual credit is one of those rare, timesaving pathways that delivers real dividends.

Today’s student in the United States enters a higher education system different from the one experienced by previous generations. A decades-long drop in public investment in higher education (especially at the state level) has laid a greater responsibility on the tuition paying student, often leading to burdensome levels of debt to obtain a degree. But there still exists an affordable path to higher education, and even a debt-free plan – community college.

When you think of the daily routine of a typical college student, do you envision rising before the sun to prepare kids for school, followed by a full day of work and then night classes? Do you envision a part-time schedule of classes that allows the student to support their family along the way? Do you think of a student whose parents never attended college? For the majority of community college students nationwide, this is reality.

Sustainability has evolved from a buzzword to a part of everyday life, and as educational leaders deeply ingrained in our local culture, community colleges have the resources, mission and reach to help steward the environmental future of our regions. Our students, partners and community members count on us to prepare them for a brighter future. An environmentally sustainable way of living and doing business is critical to achieving that goal.