No Greater Odds is the powerful Emmy-nominated documentary that follows the inspirational stories of five community college students at the College of Southern Nevada. Barbara, Carlos, Jaklin, Monique and Tyrone each struggle with complicated family issues, financial difficulties and other personal obstacles as they seek to better their lives and futures through higher education.
Each of their stories is unique – and yet, theirs are the stories of millions of students who enroll in community colleges around the nation every year. There, they too can find strength, support – and ultimately, success– as a result of the care and concern of the faculty, staff and administration at their institution.
Told from the perspective of the students, their families, and the faculty, staff and administrators who guided and inspired them along the way, this documentary underscores the important relationship between a college and its community. For learners and leaders alike, it is a reminder of how important community college is in the context of higher education.
No Greater Odds challenges misconceptions, ignites passion for higher education and inspires audiences to understand how community colleges lead the way with passion, purpose and a charge to educate future generations of our nation. By sharing these stories of struggle and triumph, college students will understand that the way their story ends depends on how it begins – because for them, there are No Greater Odds.
According to Lumina Foundation, 60% of jobs will require some kind of degree or certificate by the year 2025. Of those 8 million students, community colleges will be expected to educate 5 million of them. Now, more than ever, it is up to community colleges to share their story.
No Greater Odds is changing both the position and perception of the community college, shedding light on the incredible impact that their people and programs have on their students.
This film – shared in colleges, at conferences and film festivals, and with community and political leaders – is changing the landscape of higher education in a time when the nation is looking to the future of affordable and accessible higher education for college students.
No Greater Odds is more than a documentary. It is a catalyst for change…for our nation, for ourselves, and for our students.
The idea to create No Greater Odds was the result of an adjunct faculty conference held at the College of Southern Nevada that highlighted how faculty and staff had directly impacted the lives of students at the college. The keynote presentation for the conference consisted of a panel of five community college students. The amazing student stories that emerged during that conference were so powerful that the conference keynote presentation organizers, James McCoy and Charlene Gibson, decided that this was a story that needed to be told to a broader audience—a worldwide audience. By bringing in students and faculty from across their community college, the creation of No Greater Odds became a college-wide labor of love. The entire production was completed by current and past film students from the College of Southern Nevada as well as faculty and staff from the college. No Greater Odds was created to highlight what community colleges are, who they serve and the impact that they have on millions of people across the nation.
