Riding High At Community College - Brief Article

Careers and Colleges, March, 2001 by Kate D'Imperio

Kari Hecker's two main goals in life are to run her own business and to keep riding horses in the rodeo. Hecker, 21, is already an expert at barrel-racing and goat-tying, but to be a successful business woman, she knew college was a must. For Hecker, however, a four-year degree was an expensive proposition. As an alternative, she turned to her local community college.

Sheridan Community College in Wyoming has provided Hecker with top-notch teaching, state-of-the-art technology, and personal attention--for a fraction of the cost of a four-year university. Tuition and fees at Sheridan total $1,459 per year, compared to $2,574 at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

With her home only 15 minutes from campus, Hecker drives to school, spending only $50 a month on transportation. And living at home saves her a few thousand a year compared to living in a dorm. On top of these savings, awards such as the Moose Club International Scholarship ($1,000) and a local rodeo scholarship ($500) have helped her cover books and personal expenses.

For Hecker, low cost has not meant low quality.

"The teachers here are excellent," Hecker says. "They're glad to spend one-on-one time helping you with anything, including problems that have nothing to do with class." Professors gladly write letters of recommendation for scholarships and jobs, and advise students about careers.

Community college does have its drawbacks, Hecker admits. "Not having the dorm experience makes it harder to meet other kids," she says. And bad roads during brutal Wyoming winters can make the daily commute a miserable ordeal.

Still, she insists there are plenty of opportunities for commuters to socialize and make friends. For Hecker, participating in sports led to many friendships. She's on the basketball, volleyball, and rodeo teams. "It's great how all the teams support each other," Hecker says. "My friends who have transferred to larger colleges and universities have actually said that they miss the way everyone seems like family back at Sheridan."

When she receives her associate's degree in business in May, Hecker plans to transfer to a four-year university and earn a bachelor's degree in two years--either at West Texas A&M in Canyon or Dickinson State in North Dakota.