Solano Community College offers a vast variety of classes across all of its main campuses. Enough so that there are over 9,500 students that currently attend SCC throughout its 4 major locations. Those looking for core classes that are in high demand (Vallejo specifically) subjects like Math, English, and Sciences, find themselves waitlisted with no reassurance that they’ll be enrolled in said classes. This has led to students taking unwanted classes and being forced to commute for a class that they didn’t want in the first place. Students who are ambitious about and eager to go to college have to rely on options that are further away from them due to the small variety of programs and courses available at the Vallejo Center. Solano Community College’s Vallejo branch leaves students with limited resources to further their education and is forced to look elsewhere for the education they deserve.
This poses a challenge for students with limited transportation options or conflicting work and family schedules. Not to mention the fact that some students have to travel back and forth between Fairfield, Vacaville, and Vallejo with gas prices being at their highest, it would be convenient for students to have more options locally, let alone more options for classes throughout the county. While Fairfield remains as the main campus, and the Vallejo city population being just as grand, with it being the largest city in Solano county, students have a right to voice their displeasure because of the commute and having no alternative choices. With that being said, it would make sense for Vallejo residents to have the option to go to a local college. The city’s residents include a variety of individuals who are looking for affordable options locally. Addressing this issue creates more opportunities for students looking into the future.
Investments in healthcare, business, sports, arts, and technology courses would be a lifeline for students to be willing to spend their time and money to get an education in Vallejo. Being able to have a college education in core courses in Vallejo would be an improvement to the community. Given Vallejo’s size, diversity, and growing community, the city is full of untapped potential. Without a way to harness that potential, the educational future of many students in the Vallejo area may be put at risk. Students deserve access to an education, but lack of options may affect that, which may incline them to choose a much more convenient option, or disregard furthering their education completely. Vallejo can learn and grow as a city where everybody has access to a college education, in turn creating a better future for Vallejo and Solano County where individuals and the community can prosper. 