The following is an essay written by ECC student, Yasin Bhatti. It is the first in a new series we are starting. Creative Writing Nook will feature poems, short stories, essays and other forms of creative writing authored by ECC students. If you would like your work to be considered, submit your work here.
Listen to Bhatti read his essay.
Biology done. Footsteps echoed in the ever-polished hallway. Each corner whispered that this campus was built for something bigger than classrooms. Something here breathes into futures, stirs up ambition, and carries the community along with it. I searched for the stairs, weaving through what felt like a labyrinth of hallways, admiring how every space seemed to be designed with intention.
Passing the glass-walled study rooms, I paused for a breath-long sight. Sunrays bathed the polished tables; whiteboards gleamed with ideas, and the hush of focused students felt almost sacred. Truly, ECC has put a lot of thought into providing its students with the environment to thrive!
Left turn, a glance to the left too, and my gaze fell into a secluded classroom. Around a round table sat a group of special students, laughing in joy, exchanging ideas, passion filling the room with energy! (One even spilled a Red Bull!) It seemed like this class was specially dedicated to students with disabilities. Oh yeah! Education isn’t just about academics-it’s about dignity and the belief that everyone deserves a chance to achieve!
Moving down the stairs, I heard music drifting from the right. A vast ocean of students from all over the world was making its way towards it. I too funneled into a long, narrow corridor and passed the ECC testing center along the way. Far more than just a room with exams, the testing center is where students prove what the human mind can do! By passing placement tests, students move directly into higher-level courses that match their abilities, ensuring no time is wasted and every student is challenged at their true caliber.
The corridor stretched ahead, narrow, very long, almost making me think like I am going the wrong way, and then suddenly—BOOOM!—the student lounge! A buzzing, students getting high on caffeine: a lot of intellectual discussion, social battery charging, Sony subwoofers blasting music so loud it made my brain cells tickle.
And then came what I call my hero, my girlfriend, my fairy godmother: the Financial Aid Office! Though hidden at the very end, this office is the radiance of hope. Unlike going to private universities, where my bank account would have screamed and my future cursed me for taking loans too laden, the financial aid office whispered into my ears, “Relax! We’ve got more than your tuition, okay!” Relief washed over me as I remembered the day I got their email confirming my semesters would be fully funded. At ECC, I can learn, succeed, and build my future…without constantly counting pennies and stressing about money.
I stared at the encampment and wondered about the guide…ECC isn’t just about students. Its teachers and thousands of dedicated employees are stars for the caravan to follow. My criminal justice instructor, Todd Ramljack, is a big example. Once a probation officer, then a steady presence in ECC’s own police department for a decade, he could have stayed there, comfortable in routine. But then ECC whispered to him, “Grow… grow like a beanstalk! Be the jack of the sky!”
With the college’s support, he delved deeper into criminal justice and expanded his research until a PhD bloomed in his hands. That pursuit opened doors…real doors! Aside from playing golf during the summers, he is into law enforcement training and teaches war studies to the military officials. From probation officer to professor, from ECC’s own halls to the world stage, his journey is proof: the employees at ECC evolve and keep on striving upward until they shimmer like stars in the night sky.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! I stare— blink, and then suddenly—yes, yes, that’s definitely popcorn! Not willing to resist my temptation (in which I would fail anyway), I went up to the lady in the student lounge.
“¡Hola! ¡Buenos días!”
“¡Hola! ¡Buenos días! Y tú, ¿cómo te hallas en este maravilloso día?”
“Yeah, I’m good too! Sorry, the rest of my Spanish is on vacation today!”
“Hahaaa, that’s fine! You’ll catch up. Here, have some treats!” (I grab a bag.)
“You like ECC?” I asked.
“Oh, absolutely! Big time, eh! I came from Spain as an international student, paying my own way. It’s a hustle! But also, there’s so much to learn!”
“That’s great!”
“Yeah! I even sell the knitted artwork I learned to make here… only two dollars each!” (Lots of popcorn makes its way into my mouth as I wink.)
“You’re really making the most of campus life, huh?”
“Yeah…popcorn in one hand, ambition in the other!” (It isn’t that way, actually.)
My vision stumbled as it sank into the dwindling, tinkling pool of woolly optical illusions. Her work was impressive! One bought for mom, one for my little sister. And suddenly…I figured out how it all works! You start with plain yarn, and then ECC teaches you to twist, loop, and weave until it becomes something entirely new and valuable. Anyone who works/studies here knits up his/her future using simple strands of yarn into their destiny. What begins as an illusion turns into the reality of having a job, a degree, and a dream to keep growing!
I took an ECC brochure from one of the tables and settled down to enjoy the meal.
Page 1: Dance classes, making your feet sing and body twirl.
Page 2: Music lessons: learn to play any instrument you want and make your soul hum along the rhythm.
Page 3: Training for truck drivers: Learn to steer through the roads like a professional driver.
As I flipped through the pages, each one revealed a new dimension of the kaleidoscope, a fresh way to heed your inner voice and chase your passion. There were chess classes, even sword-fighting ones, along with one of the best firefighting programs in Illinois, launching you directly into a career. It reminded me of a friend I met on the bus. Dreaming of being a chef, he takes culinary classes at ECC and writes recipes like Harry Potter spells, turning ingredients into magic! So many ways to add spice to life!
I took a deep breath and looked up. All voices around me faded. Above me stretched a long black wire, from which dozens of filament bulbs hung, each one glowing softly, their warmth embracing me like a hug. But these weren’t ordinary bulbs-they were the people of ECC, each shining in their own rhythm, some bright and bold, some gentle and steady, all connected by the same wire of possibility…hope! Together, they lit up the space with a brilliance that was admiring and intimate. In that stream of consciousness, I realized the mission of my dear school: Elgin Community College!
