After a long first semester of agonizing over college applications, hundreds of MVHS seniors anticipate their college decision letters second semester. However, amid the stress and pressure behind acceptance into what students consider a “good college,” such as an Ivy League, University of California or another prestigious four-year university, many subconsciously disregard a different educational option right down the street from their own school.

De Anza Community College is a 15-minute walk from MVHS, and it is often looked down upon or forgotten about in college discussions despite its status as one of the top community colleges in the nation. MVHS and De Anza alum Gaia Buller recalls her experience with MVHS’ stigma surrounding De Anza, witnessing the humiliation and ridicule that came with attending community college.

“I remember as a senior, everyone was posting their acceptance letters on a wall in the academic square,” Buller said. “Someone posted one to De Anza, and it got written all over with people laughing at it.”

While there are many reasons why a majority of students choose to attend four-year universities over community colleges, senior Shiva Chaganti, who plans to attend De Anza after graduation, believes a major factor in this stigma arises from pressure from immigrant families in the community. Chaganti explains that students are intimately aware of the family expectations that come with being immigrants.

“Parents often set high goals for their children,” Chaganti said. “You have to do certain things, achieve certain milestones and a lot of it is due to social circumstances where your parents have sacrificed a lot for you to be able to do these things. So if you’re going to do them, you’re going to do the best. You will get into a good college immediately, through your own merit, because they’ve sacrificed so much for you, and they have high expectations for you.”

Because of the familial pressure put on students in the FUHSD community, many students may see community college as a way to avoid putting in effort into applying for four-year universities and, therefore, not fulfilling the expectations of both their family and peers. MVHS school counselor Belinda Olson fell into a similar belief, thinking that attending De Anza was a sign of academic incompetence during her time at Homestead High School.

“I remember very distinctly feeling this shame and guilt if you ended up going to De Anza or to community college, that it wasn’t necessarily a choice,” Olson said. “It was more of an ‘Oh, that meant that you didn’t get into XYZ University.’ Now that I’m grown, I definitely understand that that’s not the case, but stigma is a very real thing in high school.”

However, there are other reasons why community college isn’t the first option for many students. Perceived drawbacks for community college may also include the lack of competitive sports, fewer housing and food options and a focus on a more basic education, only allowing students to get an Associates Degree, which can limit students’ job opportunities if they did not plan to further their education past community gollege. Chaganti notes that even though he’s confident in his choice to attend De Anza, he’s also aware that attending community college, especially one close to his home, might limit his potential freedom and experiences as an adult.

“I think the biggest drawback for attending De Anza would be that you don’t necessarily get the full college experience,” Chaganti said. “One of the draws of a four-year college is that you get to have that full college experience where you’re away from your parents for the first time. You’re in a dorm, and you have a lot more freedom that you wouldn’t have normally.”

Similarly, Olson believes that the proximity of De Anza is a detractor for MVHS students who plan on attending due to the lack of change within students’ environment after graduation. As both a school counselor and mother, Olson emphasizes that students should take responsibility for their own actions and lives.

“De Anza isn’t a continuation of high school,” Olson said. “It’s a choice that you’re making to further your education. You should be hustling. When I was talking to my son about this, I said ‘I need you to be an 18-year-old going to college. So if you do go to De Anza, most likely, you won’t be living with me.’”

Despite these shortcomings, there are many benefits to attending community college. De Anza, in particular, is a highly rated community college, ranked the top Silicon Valley community college for transfer. For community colleges in general, many students choose to attend for the financial benefits. On average, two-year colleges cost thousands of dollars less compared to four-year universities in terms of dorm costs, tuition and materials. De Anza itself saves students thousands of dollars in tuition and provides free transportation through the VTA bus system. Tuition for California community colleges can also be covered by the California Promise, which guarantees full-time college students attending community college for the first time free or cheaper tuition. For students like Buller and Chaganti, community college also offers the option to take more time to fully figure out what they want to do post-graduation. 

“De Anza gave me a lot of flexibility in trying out different fields of study without worrying too much about how much money I was wasting,” Buller said. “As someone who was on the fence about my major, this was really helpful.”

Still, the stigma surrounding community colleges remains prevalent among students, not only at MVHS but across the FUHSD community. Olson believes students, families and MVHS need to have honest conversations about community college as an option rather than disregarding it based on their preconceived notions and stigma, with it being the responsibility of both the school and the families themselves to actively educate themselves about the topic. While they are not for everyone, community colleges should still be seen as a valued and plausible option for students to further their education according to Olson.

“For this topic and any other topic, the feeling of stigma, or the feeling of uncertainty or lack of worth, is tied to an achievement,” Olson said. “I really hope that we lean into those conversations. You can’t be the only one who feels it, so why is it that way? And is it true? I think if an adult like me who came from this environment, felt that way and no longer feels like that, we should have authentic conversations to be like ‘your feelings are legit, your feelings are OK, yet how do we work through them?’”