Five Years Later: What Owens Has Taught Me
Posted on June 10, 2026
When I arrived at Owens Community College five years ago, I came with a career rooted in student success and with one guiding question: How do we help students move their lives forward?
That question still guides me today.
I have long believed in the mission of community colleges. There is something powerful about institutions built around access, opportunity, and meeting people where they are. We serve students at moments of transition, ambition, and hope, and help them pursue goals they may once have thought were out of reach.
Over these five years, one lesson has been reinforced again and again: students’ lives are more complex than institutions sometimes realize. Many are balancing work, family, financial pressure, and uncertainty — often all at once. Colleges and universities have traditionally asked students to adapt to us. I believe institutions must also adapt to students.
That belief has shaped much of our work at Owens, requiring us to consider long-term sustainability and evolve to serve students and communities into the future.
What has become equally clear is how deeply connected Owens is to the future of Northwest Ohio. Community colleges help drive educational attainment, workforce development, economic mobility, and regional growth — and Owens has been doing that work for decades.
What may be changing is a growing recognition of the important role community colleges play in shaping the future of regions like Northwest Ohio.
None of this happens because of one individual.
The real strength of Owens lies in advisors who refuse to let anyone give up, staff members who understand that sometimes students need encouragement as much as instruction, and faculty who are both compassionate to stay after class to help a struggling student and experts in their fields to design modern curricula to help students achieve their academic and career goals – workforce or university transfer. It is found in people who care deeply about students, about each other, and about this community.
Over the past five years, I have become increasingly proud not only of what Owens has accomplished but also of what Owens is becoming.
The momentum we are experiencing today is not the result of a single initiative or decision. It is the product of years of collaboration, trust, alignment, and a shared commitment to students and community. It reflects people across this institution continuing to work together, support students, and move Owens forward.
I believe our six consecutive semesters of enrollment growth reflect those efforts and our commitment to meeting students where they are. That commitment has led to a state-of-the-art Healthcare Education Center, more transfer pathways with our four-year partners, and the announcement of Owens’ first-ever bachelor’s degree program: an online BSN Completion Program designed to help working nurses advance while addressing critical regional needs.
But what excites me most is not any single accomplishment.
It is the culture we are continuing to build together.
A culture that values collaboration. A culture that embraces responsiveness. A culture that understands the humanity of our students. And a culture that understands the important role Owens plays in the broader success of Northwest Ohio.
As Owens closes its 60th anniversary year, I am reminded that the needs of students, employers, and communities will continue to evolve — and so must we.
We will keep listening, strengthening partnerships, and adapting. Because when community colleges are accessible, responsive, and deeply connected to the communities they serve, they become more than places of education. They become engines of opportunity.
The past five years have meant so much to me. I am grateful for everyone who cares so deeply about Owens and the people we serve.
Owens has a proud history, and I believe that even greater momentum lies ahead.
I believe our future will involve continued evolution, leading to deeper connections throughout the region. We will focus on proactive solutions—expanding programs, strengthening partnerships, and anticipating student and workforce needs to ensure Northwest Ohio thrives.
That future is incredibly exciting to me.
And I believe Owens is the best place to start.
Dione D. Somerville, Ed.D.
President