From Small Town Iowa to the U.S. Senate: My Community College Journey

My education started in small-town Iowa. It took me all the way to the U.S. Capitol.

When I graduated high school, I did not have the financial means or even the desire to jump straight into a four-year university. I wanted an education, but I also wanted to avoid the crushing debt that so many people carry for decades. That choice led me to Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa, and later to Kansas City Kansas Community College. What I did not realize at the time was that these decisions would shape my entire life and career.

At Southwestern, I discovered the power of smaller classrooms and personal attention. Professors knew my name. They asked how I was doing. They noticed when I was missing something and helped me work through it. It was there that I began to believe I could succeed beyond the walls of a classroom. I started to learn how to think critically, how to solve problems under pressure, and how to communicate clearly.

Later, at Kansas City Kansas Community College, my world widened even further. I met students just out of high school, single parents chasing new careers, and seasoned workers learning new skills. We came from different backgrounds, but we shared the determination to move forward. I saw firsthand that education is not one-size-fits-all, and success does not belong only to those who can afford the most expensive school.

Those community college years did more than give me credits toward a degree. They gave me momentum without saddling me with heavy debt. That freedom allowed me to take career risks and say “yes” to opportunities that might have been out of reach otherwise. I could make choices based on passion, not just on the need to pay the next tuition bill.

That freedom eventually led me into moments I could never have imagined. I was called to help in the aftermath of United Flight 232, one of the most complex air disasters in U.S. history. It was work that demanded the highest level of professionalism, teamwork, and compassion. Years later, I stood before the U.S. Senate to testify on issues that mattered deeply to the funeral service profession, representing the voices of small, independent operators.

And my education never stopped. Community college instilled in me a hunger to keep learning, so I continued my studies with courses from Harvard University, the Wharton School of Business, and Vanderbilt University. Each new experience built on the foundation laid in those first classrooms in Creston and Kansas City.

Much of what I have achieved, whether it was leading teams through crisis, building successful businesses, or mentoring young professionals, can be traced back to what community college gave me. The smaller setting taught me to speak up. The diversity of my classmates taught me to listen. And the absence of overwhelming debt gave me the freedom to build a career and a life on my own terms.

If you are wondering whether community college can take you where you want to go, my answer is yes. It can be the launchpad to a tremendous life and career. The name on your diploma will not determine your success. What matters is how you use the opportunities in front of you, and the skills you develop along the way.

Community college was the right choice for me. It might just be the right choice for you, too.

#KCKCC, #SWCCpif