As printed in the 2025 Q1 Alabama Minute newsletter.
Photo courtesy of Calhoun Community College: Ernest Williams, Math Instructor and Department Chair
Alabama community college students push themselves to succeed with hands-on training, as early as their first semester. At Alabama’s 24 community and technical colleges, students gain real-world experience that helps them prepare for jobs and build careers.
At community colleges like Calhoun, students quickly realize how much the college invests in their success. Many faculty and staff were once students, with several having children who attend or have graduated. This connection highlights the lasting impact Alabama’s community colleges have on families.
Ernest Williams, Math Instructor and Department Chair at Calhoun, knows this firsthand. His son, EJ, began his education at Calhoun before moving on to and graduating from Athens State University.
“A community connects people, welcomes all who come, and values each individual,” said Williams. “When one of its members succeeds, the whole community succeeds. A community college teaches more than principles and concepts; a community teaches life. That is the power of a community college education.”
Williams hears from students regularly about how the community college experience changed their lives. They speak of the personal attention, support from faculty, and real-world training that helped prepare them for their futures.
“I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the incredible foundation Calhoun provided me during my first real college-level course in Calculus A,” said Dual Enrollment graduate John Savoy. “The passion of its mathematics faculty and dedication to teaching truly revealed the beauty and power of the subject to me. I am grateful for my outstanding professor, Mr. Ernest Williams. I am confident that his impact on me will extend far beyond my own experience.”