When people talk about higher education, they often picture large universities, bustling campuses, and big-city institutions with thousands of students and massive endowments. But the truth is, some of the most meaningful, transformative work in education is happening in places that don’t often make national headlines. It’s happening in small towns. It’s happening in rural communities. It’s happening at colleges that are often overlooked but deeply woven into the fabric of the regions they serve.

I’ve spent much of my career working in rural colleges—places where the mission of access, opportunity, and service isn’t just something written in a strategic plan, but something you feel in every hallway, every classroom, every handshake. These institutions are not just centers of learning. They are economic engines, cultural anchors, and deeply personal lifelines for the people they serve.

More Than a Campus

Rural colleges are more than just educational spaces. In many communities, the local college is the largest employer, the host of community events, and a place where people come not only to learn, but to connect. The college may offer adult education, workforce training, and healthcare certifications during the day—and community theater, public forums, or farmers’ markets on weekends. It’s not just a school; it’s the heartbeat of the town.

That role carries a great deal of responsibility. In areas where access to services is limited, the local college often fills in the gaps. Whether it’s offering mental health support, helping local businesses with training programs, or launching a new career path for a single parent trying to make ends meet, rural colleges don’t wait for someone else to do the job. They are the solution.

Innovation Out of Necessity

One of the biggest misconceptions about small or rural colleges is that they are somehow behind the times. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I’ve found that rural colleges are often the most creative and agile institutions in higher education.

Why? Because they have to be. With limited resources and rapidly changing community needs, rural colleges are forced to innovate or risk becoming irrelevant. I’ve seen faculty design new programs from scratch based on local workforce gaps. I’ve watched staff build entire online course platforms with little more than their own determination and collaboration. I’ve worked with teams to open sustainable farms, build greenhouses, and create culinary arts centers in response to real economic opportunities around them. Because rural colleges are typically small, they can adjust more rapidly, without bureaucracies that paralyze larger colleges. 

These aren’t just pet projects—they are real, lasting changes that impact lives.

Personalized Education, Real Support

Another strength of rural colleges is the personal attention students receive. When a college serves a smaller population, there’s an opportunity to truly know students—not just their names, but their stories. You know if they’re working two jobs. You know if they’re raising children. You know what they’re fighting for, and you do everything you can to help them succeed.

That kind of support system can’t be manufactured with technology or policy alone. It comes from a culture of care—a belief that every person who walks through your doors deserves a shot, no matter where they came from or what they’ve faced.

I’ve sat across from students who doubted themselves, who had been told “college isn’t for people like you,” who weren’t sure they belonged. And I’ve watched those same students walk across a graduation stage years later, transformed by the steady belief of people who refused to give up on them. That is the real work of education.

Challenges Worth Facing

Leading in a rural college isn’t always easy. There are budget constraints, enrollment pressures, political headwinds, and sometimes just the weight of being asked to do more with less. It can be exhausting. And it can be frustrating when the national conversation about education seems to skip over the very places where the most grounded, impactful work is being done.

But I never lost faith in what rural colleges can do. I’ve seen too many lives changed. I’ve witnessed too much progress. I’ve worked with too many faculty and staff who care far beyond their job descriptions.

In times of crisis—whether economic, public health, or personal—rural colleges have stepped up again and again. They’ve found ways to keep students on track, to offer flexible programs, to provide food pantries and childcare and broadband access when no one else could. These schools have shown a level of heart and grit that deserves recognition and respect.

Moving Forward With Purpose

As higher education continues to evolve, we need to pay attention to these institutions. We need to invest in them. We need to tell their stories.

Because the impact of rural colleges isn’t just measured in degrees. It’s measured in community resilience, in families lifted out of poverty, in industries revived through workforce partnerships. It’s measured in the quiet but powerful change that happens when people are given a chance—and a place—to grow.

My path through education has taken me from faculty member to college president, from scientific research to institutional strategy. But no matter the role, my core belief remains the same: small colleges can do big things.

They already are. And they always have been.