April is Community College Month. As a proud Harper College alum, vice chair of the Harper College Board of Trustees and board member of the Association of Community College Trustees, I am an enthusiastic champion of community colleges and their power to lift our students and strengthen our community.
Though faced with unprecedented challenges this past year, Harper College and its sister institutions are finding new and innovative ways to keep students on their educational journeys while removing financial barriers and serving as critical lifelines to students with food, housing, transportation and financial insecurities.
At the onset of the pandemic, Harper quickly demonstrated its agility and responsiveness. Its Small Business Development Center connected area employers with state and federal resources, helping them to stay afloat as much of the…