Community colleges don’t always get the spotlight. But they change lives every day.

To kick off our Community College Month series, I sat down with Wallace Caleb Bates, Director of Marketing and Communications at Hazard Community and Technical College and 2026 NCMPR National Rising Star.

Wallace’s story comes full circle.

He started as a student at HCTC and returned just a few years later to lead marketing and communications.

He shared that walking into the president’s office on his first day felt surreal, asking himself, “Am I really here?” after being a student not long before.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Going from community college student to leadership

• Returning home to serve the institution that shaped him

• Challenging the stigma that community college is a “second choice”

• Marketing in a rural community built on relationships and trust

• Building visibility through storytelling and community engagement

• Why empathy matters as much as analytics in marketing

• The growing impact of community colleges across the country

Wallace also shared an important reminder: Many students intentionally choose community colleges for affordability, opportunity, and staying connected to their communities.

This conversation sets the tone for our Community College Month series.

Listen now.