We already know how outstanding De Anza  College is when it comes to academics and services afforded to students, as well as the turnaround graduation rate of almost 2,000 students transferring to four-year institutions.

A recent study by the Washington Monthly named De Anza College as one of the top 50 community colleges in the nation. (Take a minute to reflect, and be proud the school you are attending is anything but ordinary.)

De Anza is a campus right in the middle of Silicon Valley, and is privy to the minds of instructors who know their area of expertise down cold. They have a passion that inspires students to succeed, to better themselves, to push themselves beyond their boundaries and to get ready for employment in the real-world, or continued education at a university.

Student life at De Anza is unmatched. We have clubs for people to join, ranging from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Club to the International Student Volunteers and the Outdoor Club. What does this have to do with De Anza being on the list? The campus is vast, yet still affords students the opportunity to interact with their peers on a level that could rarely be achieved at a four-year institution. And this just happens to be one of the mitigating factors that set those on the list apart from the rest, and garnered De Anza a spot where so many others do not reside.

Take stake in your school. Be proud of the instructors who broaden your horizons. Talk to the students in classes. We are one big family and each year a new group of likeminded individuals joins our ever expanding group. The chemistry we have with one another is the interaction element discussed in the study; we are the ones who help put De Anza on the list, along with the faculty and administrators here. With your help, and theirs, we can maintain our spot and inch up closer to the No. 1 spot.