Learning Matters- Discounted Dreams (the story)

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Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
NYT Education Supplement
"Dream Catchers"
John Merrow writes about community colleges and his experience filming Discounted Dreams.

Community colleges are the fastest growing segment of American higher education – and some say the most vital to America’s future – offering a staggering array of classes and job training programs. But growing enrollment is straining the system, underfunding persists, and in spite of some remarkable success stories, they fail to graduate even half of those who come.

In this new documentary from Learning Matters, veteran correspondent John Merrow explores the paradoxes of these vital institutions.

Discounted Dreams was filmed in California, Colorado, Illinois and New York. Meet some of the characters:

Photograph of Krystal Jenkins It’s 7 a.m. in New York City and 18-year-old Krystal Jenkins is starting a typically long day. Krystal shares a cramped two-bedroom apartment with her parents, her new boyfriend and her 4-year-old daughter Destiny. She supports her daughter and their growing menagerie of pets – including a cat and a hamster – working the late shift at a supermarket. With just a GED, it’s the best job she could find, but Krystal wants more. Her dream is to be a veterinarian, but to even start vet tech classes, she has to pass a remedial class in algebra. So everyday she is on the subway before 8 a.m. for the hour train ride to the only place that would welcome someone with her limited educational background: community college.

Photograph of Jose Sosa Across the country in south central Los Angeles, Jose Sosa’s day begins in a similar way, with a bus ride in the wee hours of the morning to a 7:00 a.m. class at LA Trade Tech College. The 30-year-old former gang member, now father of three, has been trying to turn his life around ever since he got shot in a drive-by ten years ago. Frustrated by dozens of dead-end jobs, he’s now learning to be a chef. And it seems to be paying off. He’s already landed a job at an exclusive beach club in Santa Monica.

Photograph of Jennica Dinnell Jennica Dinnell did well enough in high school, but like Krystal and Jose, her college options were limited. Her dream was to attend the University of California Santa Cruz, but when she saw the price tag, she didn’t even apply. The solution for Jennica was also community college. Students who have been priced out of traditional 4-year colleges are turning to community colleges in droves, hoping to transfer to a 4-year college after completing two years of general studies. And they’re in good company. The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, began his higher education at community college.

Photograph of Dave Rynders When an on-the-job injury forced carpenter Dave Rynders to take a desk job, he was worried. He knew he wasn’t meant to be cooped up in an office, but with no other skills to fall back on and a mortgage to pay, Dave was in a bind. Community college seemed to have the solution for Dave’s problem, too. Across the country, community colleges offer vocational training in a staggering range of fields, attracting millions of students for everything from welding to culinary arts to homeland security management. Dave Rynders wants to become a nurse. Community colleges train 60% of new healthcare workers and with the country facing a critical shortage of nurses, his timing couldn’t have been better … or so he thought when he applied.

In Discounted Dreams you’ll meet Krystal, Jose, Jennica, Dave and others and travel with them through their successes and disappointments. AIRING NOW ON PBS. Check your local listings.