American as Apple Pie

The long-time chair of my previous college, Owensboro Community and Technical College in Kentucky, often told the story of the college’s origins.  Owensboro had two private colleges, one Catholic that had been around for decades, one Methodist that was established in 1858.  Because of this, the city had been bypassed when a dozen branch campuses of the University of Kentucky were established in the 1960s.  By the 1980s, it was clear that Owensboro, despite having the third largest population in the state, was missing out.  A movement to create a two-year branch was started.

As discussions progressed, the debate with the supporters of the two private colleges who didn’t want any local higher education competition came to a head.  In that moment, someone said with exasperation that being against a public community college was like being against baseball, apple pie, and motherhood. 

It was a turning point.  The opposition began to dissolve, and the branch was established by legislation in 1986.

My career at that college began in 1999.  The campus had only opened ten years before, and I remember the trees lining the main drive still seemed young.  By the time I retired the last day of 2022, officially just a day before I started at SENMC, the trees stood tall.  The college, only an idea four decades before, enrolled more than 4,000 students, and the two private colleges were still thriving as well.

Carlsbad’s history is different, but there is an echo, because there is more to Owensboro’s story.  In the late 1990s, there was a movement to break the two-year branch colleges away from the University of Kentucky and consolidate them with Kentucky Tech, a set of statewide technical education centers.  Legislation was passed in 1997, and Owensboro became the first to complete the transition to a community and technical college.  I was the president’s right hand in that effort, and it is why I know well the incredible power of a two-year college serving the transfer, technical, and economic needs of its region.  The leaders in Carlsbad had a similar vision when they made the push for an independent college in 2021, and we are well on our way to realizing that dream.

One can imagine the countless stories like this that led to more than a thousand two-year colleges around the nation.  Originally called “junior colleges” in the early 1900s before becoming widely known as community colleges, they are a uniquely American idea.  With open admissions—meaning that we welcome everyone and meet their needs where they are—we provide access to higher education that is close to home and affordable.  We are an oasis of opportunity in the land of opportunity, a pathway in the pursuit of happiness.  When our students realize how they can best contribute to their community, we form a more perfect union.  It is why I see our mission as a patriotic one.

April is national “Community College Month” and it is the fourth anniversary of the establishment of Southeast New Mexico College.  We are celebrating on Thursday, April 23 with Energy Day lectures open to the public beginning mid-day, and our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Technology) Expo and Open House that begins at 4:00 pm and culminates with a drawing for prizes at 6:30 pm.  It is open to all ages and a chance to see everything we have to offer.  You can learn more at https://senmc.edu/news/2026/03/steam-expo-open-house.html.

SENMC is your hometown, All-American college.  I hope you will join us on the 23rd, and we look forward to seeing you then!

Kevin Beardmore, Ed.D., is President of Southeast New Mexico College.  He may be reached at kbeardmore@senmc.edu or 575.234.9211