Chris Gray, Ph.D.
Founding President, Erie County Community College of Pennsylvania
Today, I'd like to set aside our usual discussions about EC3's growth and instead pause to express heartfelt gratitude. Recently, I had the privilege of attending the very first Erie County Community College Foundation golf outing, a landmark event that brought donors and community partners together with one shared goal: supporting our students through scholarships. The generosity on display and commitment to our students were deeply moving, and I am sincerely thankful to everyone who participated.
As I reflect on this occasion, I'm drawn to share something more personal, something vulnerable and rooted in my own lived experience. I've written before about my upbringing, but I wanted to take a second to share again for new readers. When I was growing up, my family was poor; we were reliant on government assistance in my early years. Through my parents' tireless work, we eventually entered the lower middle class. But this was not unique to my family. Not at all. In fact, it was the reality for nearly everyone in my neighborhood. These economic circumstances were, for us, just a backdrop to daily life.
In my small Illinois town, my neighborhood saw more crime than most, more addiction, more unemployment, and less hope. Many people lived without much of a plan for the future apart from mere survival, and for most of my friends, this was simply the norm. It was not something to pity or sensationalize, just a fact of life. We lived life on a very narrow margin, going along to get along.
But here's where fortune and my community made all the difference: I was surrounded by extraordinary mentors. My teachers, scout leaders, and baseball coaches saw something in me and stepped in to try to help. They gave me opportunities many of my friends never received. When I got into trouble, adults stepped in to guide me and help me develop better skills. For others like my friend Mike, a fight meant three days out of school; for me, it was a lecture and support. When I mouthed off to a teacher, I was sent to the principal, who offered patience and wisdom while some of my friends simply languished in the hallway. I don't know why I was surrounded by such generous souls, but the pathways they paved for me changed the course of my life. This reflection leads me back to the golf outing.
By the time I entered college, my parents were solidly middle class — but just barely. That meant I didn't qualify for federal grants. According to official calculations, a family of four living just above the poverty line should somehow still be able to afford college. The reality inside our home, though, was very different. I didn't feel comfortable asking my parents for money, knowing how tight finances truly were. I saw my parents' struggle and was determined not to add to it.
It's in cases like mine that the tireless work of organizers and donors like those at EC3's golf outing matters most. The dollars raised and the scholarships endowed make a tangible difference for students like me: for the working poor, these are not mere numbers but real lifelines. They are essential tools for changing trajectories and opening new doors.
Standing at the golf outing, surrounded by people committed to ensuring access to higher education, I was reminded once again how deeply our community cares. I am grateful beyond words for the work that we are doing. I'm grateful for the teachers, coaches, and mentors who believed in me, for the family who sacrificed, and for all those today who continue to pave the way for future generations. I also believe that I have a duty to pay it forward — to try to help those like me who come after me. This is how we make a difference.
This is the spirit that animates EC3. It is a call to help and to open doors by creating opportunities, just as others did for me. On this day, and every day, I wish for every student and family the chance for hope, and I extend my deepest thanks to those who make it possible. The work that we are doing matters.
Together, we can change lives.
Our community: your college.
