For immediate release - Sept. 21, 2005
(DALLAS) – Riding a “hog” cross-country (a Harley-Davidson, that is), one determined Ohio community college president is taking a special message to NBC’s Jay Leno through a national tour titled “Lessons for Leno.” Dr. Betty Young, president of Northwest State Community College, will make the fifth stop of her tour in Dallas on Friday, Sept. 23. She will ride up to a press conference at 10:30 a.m. at the Westin City Center (outside, at the end of the hotel’s drive) to share the lesson for the day with members of the National Community College Hispanic Council. Young will be joined by Dr. Jesus “Jess” Carreon, chancellor of the Dallas County Community Colleges, and Dr. George Boggs, president of the American Association of Community Colleges.
DCCC is hosting both the “Lessons for Leno” tour stop in Dallas, plus the NCCHC’s national leadership conference.
The Lessons (Why)
In response to frequent, disparaging remarks by NBC late-show host Jay Leno about community colleges, Young is riding across the United States on her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, from Ohio to California, to deliver a series of “Lessons for Leno” about the mission and value of community colleges. Her entourage left Ohio on Sept. 19 and will arrive in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, where Young hopes to have a face-to-face conversation with Leno and invite him to ride with her on his own prized Harley.
The “Lessons for Leno,” highlighted at eight institutions and seven tour stops, state that community colleges:
- Provide an economic engine for the nation.
- Have a 100-year legacy of serving communities.
- Deliver a skilled, competent workforce.
- Make higher education affordable.
- Ensure access and opportunity for all Americans. (Dallas)
- Change lives for close to 12 million students each year.
- Offer solutions for communities and the nation.
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Dallas: Texas Pit Stop, “Lessons for Leno” (Who and When)
- Hosted by Dallas County Community Colleges
- Press conference: 10:30 a.m., Sept. 23, Westin City Center, 650 N. Pearl, Dallas
- Participants: Dr. Betty Young; Dr. Jesus “Jess” Carreon, DCCC chancellor; and Dr. George Boggs, AACC president.
- Ride-up on Harley approximately 10:35 a.m.
- Attendees for the National Community College Hispanic Council’s annual conference will join Dr. Young to hear her Dallas “Lesson for Leno.”
- Both Dr. Young and Dr. Carreon are community college graduates.
- “Lessons for Leno” is supported by the American Association of Community Colleges.
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The Tour Stops (Where)
- Monday, Sept. 19 – Northwest State Community College, Archbold, Ohio
- Tuesday, Sept. 20 – Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill.
- Wednesday, Sept. 21 – St. Louis Community College, St. Louis; and Arkansas State University, Mountain Home, Ark.
- Thursday, Sept. 22 – Pulaski Technical College, Little Rock, Ark.
- Friday, Sept. 23 – Dallas County Community Colleges, Dallas
- Monday, Sept. 26 – Maricopa Community Colleges, Phoenix
- Wednesday, Sept. 28 – Los Angeles Community Colleges, Los Angeles
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The Players
- Dr. Betty Young, at age 28, was a single mother with two jobs. She decided to pursue an associate degree from her local community college. Since then, she has earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, and she now is a community college president who started her tenure at Northwest State in 2003.
- NCCHC – The National Community College Hispanic Council is holding its annual leadership symposium in Dallas for three days and will welcome “Lessons for Leno” on Friday morning. NCCHC has invited Dr. Young and her group to join them for lunch that day, and they also will welcome WFAA-TV anchor Gloria Campos as special guest and emcee during the organization’s annual awards program that evening.
- Dallas County Community Colleges – DCCC enrolls more than 64,000 credit and 25,000 continuing education students each semester. The system includes seven individually accredited colleges – Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland – plus the Dallas TeleCollege.
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For more information, contact Ann Hatch, DCCC marketing office, at (214) 860-2478.