From Community College to Hiring

They laughed when he said community college, loud enough to echo down the hallway.

Senior year, acceptance letters flying around, designer sweatshirts, big-name campuses,

and him standing there with a cheaper plan and a quiet reason he didn’t explain.

They called it a backup plan. Said he’d aim higher “next time.” He smiled,

but every joke stuck. Still, he showed up early, worked nights, transferred credits,

asked questions, failed exams, retook them, learned faster, and watched those

same classmates post parties while he posted nothing. Two years passed. Then four.

Debt stacked up for them. Skills stacked up for him. He kept moving,