Notable people who took classes at a community college
Community college can be a stepping stone toward a higher degree or career path — even for well-known athletes, Hollywood actors and actresses, astronauts, politicians, authors and business executives. Here’s a look at where 20 famous people, listed in alphabetical order by first name, took classes or earned an associate degree at a two-year institution. The majority of the public figures on the list, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Guy Fieri and Gabrielle Union, attended California-based community colleges. Afterward, they either went straight into the workforce or transferred to a four-year college or university to further their education.
Aaron Rodgers
It was at Butte College in California where New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers caught the attention of the California Golden Bears — the University of California, Berkeley’s Division I football program. Five games into his 2003 football season at UC Berkeley, Rodgers became the starting quarterback. He was drafted into the NFL in 2005 during the first round by the Wisconsin Green Bay Packers and was named the starting quarterback three years later. After an 18 year-run with the Packers and one Super Bowl win, Rodgers signed with the Jets in 2023.
Amy Tan
Before writing her 1989 bestselling novel, “The Joy Luck Club,” Amy Tan took classes at five colleges, including San Jose City College, a community college in California. Her time at these colleges led to a bachelor’s degree in English and linguistics, and a master’s degree in linguistics. Since then, Tan has written six New York Times bestsellers, authored several memoirs and books for children, and served as the co-producer and co-screenwriter for the 1993 film adaptation of “The Joy Luck Club.” Tan’s work has been translated into 35 languages, including Spanish, French, Finnish and Arabic.
Anna G. Eshoo
Politicians don’t have to attend an Ivy League to be voted into Congress. Some get their start at a community college. Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo — who represents California’s 16th Congressional District — graduated from Canada College in California. Her first introduction to politics was in 1982, when she was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Ten years later, Eshoo was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Throughout her political career, she has focused on increasing access to health care for families and children, as well as protecting the environment through clean energy technology.
Annette Bening
Actress Annette Bening — known for both her roles on Broadway and in films such as “American Beauty,” “The Grifters” and “The Kids Are Alright” — credits former professors at San Diego Mesa College in California for giving her the foundation for a successful career. They “taught me that the essence of theater is teamwork,” she said at a 2018 gala. During her time at Mesa, Bening was in several local theater productions. She transferred to San Francisco State University after two years and was accepted into the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. From there, her theater and eventually film career took off.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
After moving to the U.S. from Austria in his early 20s, Arnold Schwarzenegger — bodybuilder turned actor turned politician — started taking English as a Second Language classes at Santa Monica College in California. “I went to learn English and a counselor convinced me to take math and business classes. That counselor is one of many reasons I don’t call myself self-made,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter, in 2019. Schwarzenegger got his big break in Hollywood when he landed the role as “The Terminator.” After several sequels, Schwarzenegger temporarily shifted his career to politics, becoming California’s governor in 2003.
Beverly Cleary
Author Beverly Cleary — who lived to be 104 — got her start in the literary world at Chaffey College. She graduated from the California-based community college in 1936 with an associate of arts degree in English. Over her lifetime, she authored more than 30 books for children and young readers and sold more than 91 million copies globally. Her book series “Ramona” was adapted into a Hollywood film in 2010 titled, “Ramona and Beezus,” which starred Selena Gomez and Joey King. Cleary’s books went on to win more than 35 statewide awards and she was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress, among other major honors.
Bryce Harper
Major League Baseball player Bryce Harper — a Las Vegas native — played one season of college baseball. During his short stint at the College of Southern Nevada in 2010, when he was the first overall pick in the first round draft, he played in 66 games, hit 31 home runs and had a .443 batting average. That same year, he was drafted by the Washington Nationals, where he played seven seasons. In 2019, the first baseman left Washington, D.C., and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. Harper has won numerous awards, including the 2012 MLB Rookie of the Year and the 2015 National League Most Valuable Player.
Eileen Collins
Before Col. Eileen Collins became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle and command a space shuttle mission, she was a student at Corning Community College in New York. Upon graduating with an associate of science degree in math in 1976, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in math and economics at Syracuse University in New York and eventually two master’s degrees: one at Stanford University in California and the other at Webster University in Missouri. After years of flight training and certification, Collins officially became an astronaut for NASA in 1991 and since has logged more than 537 hours in space, according to the New Mexico Museum of Space History.
Gabrielle Union
After graduating from high school, actress Gabrielle Union enrolled at the University of Nebraska. But with her family based in California, she decided to move back and attend Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. Union eventually transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles and earned a degree in sociology. She’s landed numerous roles in teen movies, such as “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Bring it On,” as well as romantic comedies and television shows. However, Union isn’t just an actor. She’s an activist and published author. In 2017, she published a memoir, “We’re Going to Need More Wine,” followed by a children’s book in 2020 titled, “Welcome to the Party.”
Guy Fieri
Before rising to stardom on the Food Network and taking his viewers to “Flavortown,” celebrity chef Guy Fieri attended two California community colleges — College of the Redwoods in Eureka and American River College in Sacramento. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Fieri first appeared on the Food Network as a contestant on the second season of “The Next Food Network Star” in 2006. Since then, the restaurateur has hosted several Food Network shows — such as “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Guy’s Grocery Games” — and serves up BBQ, burgers, tacos, pizza or sandwiches at his many restaurants across the U.S. and abroad.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Former U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen — who represented South Florida for nearly three decades — obtained multiple academic degrees within the state, including an associate degree from Miami Dade College, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida International University and a doctorate from the University of Miami. She started her career in education, as a teacher and eventually a principal, before moving into politics. In 1989, Ros-Lehtinen became the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress. Throughout her career, she worked to help women — including those in the military and those in domestic violence situations — and was reportedly the first Republican in Congress to publicly support the Marriage Equality Act of New York state in 2011.
Jackie Robinson
Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson attended what is now Pasadena City College in California — their baseball field has since been named after him — before enrolling at UCLA. Robinson was the first athlete at UCLA to earn varsity letters in four sports: football, basketball, track and field, and baseball, according to the Jackie Robinson Museum. After playing with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming the first Black athlete in the modern era to compete in the major leagues. In 1969, Robinson became the first Black player inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
James C. Ramos
Before earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, California assembly member James C. Ramos — a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe — started his education at community college. He received an associate degree in business at Victor Valley College and later earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA at two other California colleges: California State University, San Bernardino and the University of Redlands, respectively. In 2018, he became the first Native American state lawmaker and currently represents the legislature’s 45th District. During his career in public service, Ramos has focused on mental health and supporting Native American communities.
Jessica Chastain
Actress Jessica Chastain is known for her roles in film and television, such as “The Tree Of Life,” “The Help,” “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Law and Order.” Off screen, she advocates for women’s rights in Hollywood. Chastain has won several accolades and been nominated for others, including an Oscar nomination in 2022 for her performance in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Before rising to fame, she attended Sacramento City College in California — where she got involved with the drama program and was a member of the debate team — and later finished at the American Academy of Theatre Arts. She went on to earn a degree at The Julliard School in New York.
Jim Belushi
Before officially enrolling in the College of DuPage in Illinois, comedian and actor Jim Belushi spent several summers in the school’s theater program. He went on to Southern Illinois University and, after graduating in 1974, auditioned for the improv theater group Second City. From there, Belushi began to appear on television shows — including being a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” — and eventually in more than 75 movies. His connection to College of DuPage didn’t end once he left. He started a scholarship fund in 1983 in honor of his brother John, who was also a student at the community college and died in 1982 after a drug overdose.
Jim Sinegal
Before co-founding Costco Wholesale Corp. — a members-only warehouse chain known for its steady pricing on food court hotdogs and rotisserie chickens — Jim Sinegal was a student at San Diego City College, known then as San Diego Junior College. While in school, he started working as a bagger at discount store FedMart, eventually rising to the role of executive vice president. He worked in similar positions for other retail companies until the first Costco-labeled store opened in 1983. Sinegal served as Costco’s chief executive officer for 27 years, until his retirement.
Morgan Freeman
After serving four years in the U.S. Air Force, Morgan Freeman — actor, producer and narrator — simultaneously worked at and attended Los Angeles City College in California. He also took acting lessons at the nearby Pasadena Playhouse and made his Broadway debut in 1968. Freeman went on to star in dozens of films, such as “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Shawshank Redemption,” “Invictus” and “Olympus Has Fallen.” LACC dedicated its theater to Freeman in 2020, at which time he wrote in a Facebook post: “It was here that I honed my voice and even dropped it a full octave. It was also here where I learned to dance before departing to New York to break into the theater scene. It was the very first stop of my acting career.”
Robin Williams
Before he was Mrs. Doubtfire and the voice of the Genie in Disney’s “Aladdin,” Robin Williams pursued acting at the College of Marin in California. After spending three years there, he received a full scholarship to attend Julliard. Afterward, he did stand-up comedy in California, which led to television appearances — including his own sitcom — and eventually movie roles. In 1998, he won an Academy Award for his role in “Good Will Hunting.” To honor Williams, who died in 2014 in a suicide, his family set up a $2,500 scholarship for drama students at the College of Marin.
Tom Hanks
Actor Tom Hanks credits Chabot College in California for his success in Hollywood. “That place made me what I am today,” he wrote in a 2015 New York Times opinion piece. After two years at Chabot, Hanks enrolled in the theater program at California State University, Sacramento. He dropped out after a year to get his start as an actor, accepting an internship at the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio, that turned into a three-year stint. He went on to star in many notable comedies and dramas, such as “Big,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Forrest Gump,” “Philadelphia,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “Cast Away” and the “Toy Story” series.
Walter Jones
Like Aaron Rodgers, former NFL offensive tackle Walter Jones began his football career at a community college. He played offensive tackle and tight end at Holmes Community College in Mississippi during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Jones spent one year on Florida State University’s football team before entering the NFL draft in 1997. He was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks, where he played for 12 seasons before retiring in 2010 due to a knee injury in 2008. Jones’ jersey number, 71, was retired by the Seahawks and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Famous people with ties to two-year colleges
— Aaron Rodgers
— Amy Tan
— Anna G. Eshoo
— Annette Bening
— Arnold Schwarzenegger
— Beverly Cleary
— Bryce Harper
— Eileen Collins
— Gabrielle Union
— Guy Fieri
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
— Jackie Robinson
— James C. Ramos
— Jessica Michelle Chastain
— Jim Belushi
— Jim Sinegal
— Morgan Freeman
— Robin Williams
— Tom Hanks
— Walter Jones
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20 Famous People Who Attended Community College originally appeared on usnews.com
