RALEIGH – If school wasn’t for you the first time around, or if a four-year university seems too expensive, there are still ways to make it, says Chancellor Randy Woodson of NC State University.

“One of the great things about America is that you’re not defined by a test score in the 8th grade – a lot of countries, you are. You’re set on a path by the time you’re 13 years old,” Woodson says in the accompanying video.  “In this country, you can reinvent yourself.

“The Community College System is a great opportunity for people for affordability, for access, for reinventing themselves, any number of things. And we need to be a part of that. Starting at a community college gives them confidence that they can be successful,” he says.

A student that’s been successful in community college often has a better statistical chance of being successful at NC State and other universities. “They graduate at the same rate as students who start as freshmen, and they do as well in the classroom,” Woodson says.

“Many of the community-college students that come to our university … have worked very hard to get to where they are. And they’re very driven, and they’re very passionate. Many are older – (but) not always.

“They’ve had to reinvent themselves, and they’ve had to stay really focused to get to where they are,” he says.