To the average person, the first thing that comes to mind when someone says “community college” is “kids who couldn’t get into a real school.”

But De Anza College has proved itself to be more than just a run of the mill stepping-stone for transfer-minded and vocational students.

This Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to reflect on the things we should most be thankful for here at De Anza.

De Anza enrolls approximately 22,000 students every quarter from all over the Bay Area and even the world. There’s a reason why people pay big bucks in gas and tuition fees just to go here – it’s the services, stupid.

We have a great financial aid program that’s committed to providing every student with an affordable education. We have an expansive Health Services department, as well as helpful counselors and transfer advisers.

More importantly, however, De Anza offers its students access to a dedicated corps of educators and state of the art facilities. For instance, our planetarium is one of the best in the world, and our environmental sciences program has achieved both local and national renown.

So yes, De Anza may in fact be just another stepping-stone on the path to bigger and better things, but it’s our stepping-stone – and for that we’re thankful.