This reaction paper will discuss the issue of increasing access to higher education while increasing student success, higher transfer rates and higher attainment of high school diplomas. Is it possible that perhaps we have become so reactive in higher education that we have neglected to stop, listen, and create a proactive environment? We can create a proactive education system by understanding our student population. Students entering the community college environment are students of varying “academic abilities and preparation, gender, race or ethnicity, and life circumstances” (Cohen, Brawer, & Kisker, 2013, p. 46). I think it is important to understand what the student's intent is once they enroll in community college. I don't think all students have the desire to earn a four-year degree. When we push the agenda of higher transfer rates and more baccalaureate degrees, we may be hurting some students more than helping them. As stated by Cohen et al., (2013), “Determining the reasons why students attend college is not an exact exercise. They come for different purposes and the same person may have half a dozen reasons for attending” (p.65). The main reasons for attending a community college are “to transfer to a senior institution, enter the job market, get a better job, or simply learn for your own purposes” (p.70). While action is needed across the country, special attention should be paid to the state of New Mexico which is “a poor state and one of the lowest performing states in terms of measures to complete, maintain, and achieve high school diploma” (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2002, p. 33). If we want to improve these measures we will have to find solutions that have an impact on......middle of paper......supported by four-year institutions. Furthermore, each department of the institutions must take actions and find ways to implement and support these solutions. The responsibility is great but important for our future and for the future of our children. The majority of the student population today are first-generation students. If we can find ways to support students on an individual level, it will be worth the investment because these students could in turn support their children and family members, creating the next generation of graduates. References Cohen, A. M., Brawer, F. B., & Kisker, C. B. (2013). The American Community College (6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. (2002). State Policy and College and Baccalaureate Transfer (NC-R-02-6). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.