Students in Mindy Fredenburg’s principles of biology class and lab in Saranac Lake measure the growth of their Wisconsin Fast Plants that they grew from seeds under different experimental conditions this semester. (Provided photo — North Country Community College)

April is a time of beginnings. It is the traditional start of the baseball season, the opening of trout season and, in the North Country, the beginning of spring. It is a month that symbolically and literally recognizes the impact of investments made today on our future, individually and collectively. Think about how those flowers that bloom in May benefit from April’s showers.

Thus, it makes sense that April is Community College Month, a time to celebrate community colleges and all they offer to students, families and the communities they serve. As with April’s showers, the investments made in community colleges yield benefits revealed not only in May, but for a lifetime.

Since its founding in 1967, North Country Community College, the college of Essex and Franklin counties, has and continues to benefit from the support of our county sponsors, New York state and countless individuals and organizations that contribute to, partner with and help make our work possible. To borrow a phrase: it takes a community to make a community college.

Over that time, NCCC has educated thousands of students who have attended classes, earned degrees and went on to establish careers, raise families, serve their communities and contribute to the well-being of the region and beyond. That story is repeated across all 30 community colleges within SUNY and the hundreds of community colleges across the nation.

North Country alumni tell us that attending NCCC was the best decision they ever made. Those alumni can be found in every corner of the North Country, and beyond. They are the nurses and health care workers in our hospitals, physician’s offices and nursing homes. They are peace officers in our region’s police departments. They are the teachers, counselors and childcare workers helping prepare and care for the next generation. They are small business owners, emergency first responders, backcountry guides, artists and beyond that ensure the vitality and vibrancy of our communities. And the list goes on.

For these reasons alone, setting aside a time like Community College Month to consider the impact of and investments in community colleges is a worthwhile venture. But there is more. In New York state, community college enrollments have been on the increase, and closer to home at NCCC, we’ve experienced upticks in enrollment for five consecutive semesters.

But enrollment, which is critically important, is only one measurement of impact. Economics is also an important consideration when investing in a community college education. A recent economic impact study of the North Country conducted by Lightcast highlighted three important findings related to investments in community colleges, and in particular NCCC. Using data from 2022-2023, they found that

¯ NCCC graduates realized a 24% increase in their annual average earnings when compared to those with a high school diploma only. Those same graduates saw nearly six times the benefits compared to the cost of attending college, with the potential for higher future earnings;

¯ The local economy experienced a significant boost, with NCCC’s operations generating $12.5 million regional income due to college payroll and other spending, and

¯ The total economic impact, including multipliers, was $47.7 million, supporting nearly 700 jobs in the region.

Whether one is a student or a parent of a community college student, a community member or a community leader, a taxpayer or a lawmaker, there is much to be encouraged by and about community colleges. And that makes celebrating and investing in their work a valuable endeavor.

——

Joe Keegan is the president of North Country Community College.