Dr. Deanna Blackwell, director, TRIO Student Support Services, was the keynote speaker at the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday Celebration Jan. 21 at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill. Her speech was entitled, “Why We Must Become Student-Ready.” She told the audience Dr. King’s legacy continues. “I think immediately to Dr. King’s vision of an inclusive social justice movement. Just as he believed that all persons had a right to decent work with a livable wage, I believe that education from K-12 to a bachelor’s degree should be accessible to all. It’s one reason why I am so proud to work at a community college. Because we strive to be inclusive and make higher education an attainable goal.” She also noted that it is time to debunk the commonly held view that college students are a privileged, pampered class. “In fact, they are among the hardest hit by real world problems such as unemployment/underemployment, securing basic needs such as health care, child care, housing, transportation and food. Increasingly, college students struggle with mental health conditions. Such issues can become obstacles for a student trying to start college, stay in college and complete her or his degree … When we make a way for students from all backgrounds, facing difficult circumstances to earn a college degree, we also make a way for the American Dream to persevere.”