Kirkwood works to improve image

President Obama called Community Colleges the unsung heroes of America's education system. Tuesday, the President hosted a Community College Summit to sing their praises.

“They may not get the credit they deserve, they may not get the same resources as other schools, but they provide a gateway to millions of Americans to good jobs and a better life, “ said Obama.

Part of Obama's emphasis today is a partnership between community colleges and area businesses to train students for the workplace. And with 135 different programs, that relationship is growing.

“Some people kind of smirk at you like ‘oh you're just gonna go to Kirkwood,” said Interior Design 2nd year student Kristen Raabe.

Now Kirkwood is changing its image.

“It's becoming more of a Plan A,” said Kirkwood Community College President Mich Starcevich.

More than 18,000 students from nearly 100 countries chose Kirkwood for higher education. Part of it is because of finances.

“You can go to a bigger university and you're gonna pay way more,” said Raabe.

And today's students want to leave the classroom ready to start their professional careers.

“Kirkwood is probably at the forefront of community colleges and how we interact with businesses,” said Starcevich.

The college regularly sends out surveys to hundreds of area employers to find out what it needs to be teaching students. It's exactly what President Obama's says he wants all community colleges to do nationwide.

“It tells us the skill level that's needed from employers in our seven county region what skill level do they need to be a quality employer,” said

They take that information, change their curriculum or start new programs.

“All the hospitals told us all the nursing homes told us we have a lot of people that are retiring,” said Starcevich.

“That's why we increased or nursing program,” said Starcevich.

It's a relationship Raabe says influenced her decision to choose Kirkwood.

“They want a glimpse at what next year's students are going to be and they know good students come from here,” said Raabe.

Hands on learning to transition these students into a tough job market.

”I know it was the right choice,” said Raabe.