In May 1946, a committee met to explore the possibility of creating a public junior college in Montgomery County, one that would help veterans of World War II adjust to life in a post-war world. A few months later the state of Maryland and Montgomery County contributed $10,000 each to bolster that effort, and by that fall a school was born.
Montgomery Junior College came to life at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, where an eight-person staff offered evening and Saturday classes.
The school has come a long way since then. Its three campuses -- in Takoma Park, Rockville and Germantown -- offer more than 100 degree and certificate programs. Students may work toward an associate degree, transfer to a four-year college for further studies, or head straight for the job market. In addition, many adult learners come simply to upgrade their career skills or to enrich their lives through continued learning.
The school's for-credit classes draw some 20,000 students each year, of whom about two-thirds attend part time. Another 26,000 enroll in workforce development and continuing education courses.
To meet the needs of such a diverse student body, the college offers day, evening and weekend courses in liberal arts, sciences, business and technology.
In recent years, the student population at all three campuses has shown strong growth. In 2002, for instance, enrollment in for-credit summer courses jumped more than seven percent over figures from the previous year, with the two summer semesters drawing a combined total of almost 13,000 students.
The school attracts many adult learners: The average student age is 28 years old. Still, many students fall into more traditional demographics. In fact, one out of every four public high school graduates from Montgomery County comes directly to Montgomery College.
For most, this is just a first step on the road to a post-secondary degree. Some 90 percent of graduates from Montgomery College go on to four-year programs within the University System of Maryland. The school's many partnerships allow students to transfer credits easily to any of the schools within the University of Maryland system.
The student body is roughly split between men and women. About half the students are of either African-, Asian- or Hispanic-American heritage. Montgomery also is among the area's most international community colleges, with about one-third of students coming from such locales as India, El Salvador, Vietnam, Korea, Jamaica and Peru.
The school has seen a number of significant developments in recent years.
In 1998, friends of the school marked the retirement of then-President Dr. Robert E. Parilla by raising more than $300,000 to launch the Robert E. Parilla Endowment for Community Leadership. The next year, a $1.2 million gift helped establish the Gordon and Marilyn Macklin Business Institute, which offers students a range of business honors courses. Also in 1999, a $1.3 million donation helped establish the Paul Peck Humanities Institute to advance the teaching and appreciation of the humanities.
Financial milestones such as these have helped the school stay on course during turbulent times. While the county's economic landscape shifted somewhat during the rise and fall of the dot-com phenomenon, the three-campus community college system has remained a constant, driving the growth of local enterprise by preparing both high school graduates and adult learners to meet the challenges of a changing world.
Montgomery Junior College came to life at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, where an eight-person staff offered evening and Saturday classes.
The school has come a long way since then. Its three campuses -- in Takoma Park, Rockville and Germantown -- offer more than 100 degree and certificate programs. Students may work toward an associate degree, transfer to a four-year college for further studies, or head straight for the job market. In addition, many adult learners come simply to upgrade their career skills or to enrich their lives through continued learning.
The school's for-credit classes draw some 20,000 students each year, of whom about two-thirds attend part time. Another 26,000 enroll in workforce development and continuing education courses.
To meet the needs of such a diverse student body, the college offers day, evening and weekend courses in liberal arts, sciences, business and technology.
In recent years, the student population at all three campuses has shown strong growth. In 2002, for instance, enrollment in for-credit summer courses jumped more than seven percent over figures from the previous year, with the two summer semesters drawing a combined total of almost 13,000 students.
The school attracts many adult learners: The average student age is 28 years old. Still, many students fall into more traditional demographics. In fact, one out of every four public high school graduates from Montgomery County comes directly to Montgomery College.
For most, this is just a first step on the road to a post-secondary degree. Some 90 percent of graduates from Montgomery College go on to four-year programs within the University System of Maryland. The school's many partnerships allow students to transfer credits easily to any of the schools within the University of Maryland system.
The student body is roughly split between men and women. About half the students are of either African-, Asian- or Hispanic-American heritage. Montgomery also is among the area's most international community colleges, with about one-third of students coming from such locales as India, El Salvador, Vietnam, Korea, Jamaica and Peru.
The school has seen a number of significant developments in recent years.
In 1998, friends of the school marked the retirement of then-President Dr. Robert E. Parilla by raising more than $300,000 to launch the Robert E. Parilla Endowment for Community Leadership. The next year, a $1.2 million gift helped establish the Gordon and Marilyn Macklin Business Institute, which offers students a range of business honors courses. Also in 1999, a $1.3 million donation helped establish the Paul Peck Humanities Institute to advance the teaching and appreciation of the humanities.
Financial milestones such as these have helped the school stay on course during turbulent times. While the county's economic landscape shifted somewhat during the rise and fall of the dot-com phenomenon, the three-campus community college system has remained a constant, driving the growth of local enterprise by preparing both high school graduates and adult learners to meet the challenges of a changing world.