ECC graduates share their stories: Justin Kelly of Elgin

I have been pursuing my education at Elgin Community College for four years. I am graduating with my AAS from the Physical Therapist Assistant program.

I was born and raised in Elgin and graduated Elgin High School in 2006. I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 2010.

Wanting to stay around family and friends, ECC seemed to be the best choice for me and is a decision I do not regret. The transition between military life and student life was a little challenging because I did not know how to relate to "normal" students.

I was invited to join Phi Theta Kappa my second semester and I was introduced to a variety of like-minded students who were focused on their academic success. Phi Theta Kappa provided me camaraderie comparable to what I experienced in the military. I developed friendships with students and faculty, which have encouraged and pushed me to be better.

I would recommend ECC to any student, young or old. Every professor, I feel, truly cares about your success, they will do everything they can to assist you in achieving your goals. Many exciting and stressful events have taken place while at ECC and one instructor sat me down and told me, "I will not let you fail." There was no better feeling than knowing she believed in me.

I strongly believe I would not have been treated the same had I been at a larger university. For the price of the education and caliber of teaching, there is no better place to start out then ECC.

Upon graduation, I will go into the field of Physical Therapy, hoping to aid disabled veterans in rehabilitation. Your college education is what you make of it; you can do the bare minimum or you can strive to make an impact. The choice is yours.