How College of Lake County helped one student reach USC, Hollywood and a Ph.D. in physics
Published September 21, 2026
Can you really achieve your dreams by starting at community college?
The answer is yes for students like College of Lake County (CLC) alumna Suzanne Genc.
She began her college journey at CLC with a dream of attending one of the nation's most competitive film schools. Along the way, she found supportive faculty, lifelong friends and the confidence to pursue goals that others thought were out of reach. Today, Genc has built an extraordinary career that spans filmmaking, physics and public policy research.
Her story proves that community college isn't settling for less. It's a smart first step that can save money, reduce risk and open doors you never imagined.
Starting at community college can take you anywhere
Many students ask questions like:
- Is community college worth it?
- Should I attend community college first before going to a four-year school?
- Can I transfer from community college to a top university?
- Does starting at community college hurt my career?
Suzanne's experience at College of Lake County (CLC) offers a powerful answer.
"CLC was an integral part of my educational pathway. CLC has been the foundation for everything that's come after that.”
Genc earned a two-year associate degree at CLC in Grayslake, Ill. She then transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) and its highly competitive School of Cinematic Arts. She went on to work in the film and television industry as a production coordinator, second assistant director, and eventually writer-director of a short film distributed internationally.
The time she spent at CLC was integral to her success. “I had tremendous support here from the faculty, from the staff, from my fellow students. It was just wonderful. I'm not sure it would have worked out that way if I had done something different,” she recalls.
But that was only the beginning.
Save money without limiting your future
Choosing a community college first is often one of the smartest financial decisions students can make. You can complete general education courses at a lower cost before transferring to earn a bachelor's degree.
For Genc, attending College of Lake County (CLC) first made it easier to pursue her long-term goals.
“CLC really helped lay the foundation for my career. It's low risk to come here, but you get high impact, and so it's very easy to say, yes, I'm going to try this."
If you’re unsure about attending community college or college at all, CLC is a great first step.
“While you save a ton of money here, the value is immeasurable," she says.
Support makes big dreams possible
Big dreams can feel overwhelming, especially when they seem impossible to others.
Genc remembers sharing her goal of attending film school at University of Southern California (USC). Many people questioned whether someone from a small Midwestern town could make it.
But at CLC, she found something different.
"When I would say outside of CLC, I want to go to USC film school, they looked at me like I had two heads. It's important to dream big, and I could do that here at CLC. They understood. I felt like I could try things, and I could take risks."
The encouragement paid off.
When she was accepted into the prestigious school, CLC celebrated her accomplishment.
"When I got into USC, they made a big deal about it. There were articles, sent it to all the newspapers. I just felt really validated. It was wonderful.”
Grow beyond the classroom
College is about much more than earning credits.
At CLC, Genc became involved in student life, served as president of a campus club, participated in community service and built friendships that continue today.
"I got involved in a club, I became president of that club, and we did a lot of community service. I met my best friend here and met other wonderful friends."
She also discovered one of the greatest strengths of community college: learning alongside people with different life experiences.
"One of the things that I loved about CLC was the diversity of age and the diversity of life experience. I think that's an advantage. You get people from all walks of life coming in at different parts of their life. That was very enriching to me, and I think that helped shape my worldview."
A strong foundation can lead to unexpected opportunities
After working in Hollywood, Genc was ready for a new challenge.
She returned to school and completed additional coursework needed for graduate study. Eventually she earned both a master's degree and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Irvine.
“I always loved both film and science growing up. I chose to go into the arts first,” she recalls. But as her life and interests changed, she realized she wanted to help solve “practical problems, big problems” that impact society.
This drew her to the study of physics. Knowing how and why things work would help her see the bigger picture and find solutions to real-world problems. “With physics, I felt I would have the tools to understand,” says Genc.
She applied this knowledge in her work at national think tanks, conducting nonpartisan public policy research on emerging technologies. There, she combined her background in science, filmmaking and storytelling to help mitigate risks that affect us all.
Today, Genc’s focus is giving back. Her goal is to provide students guidance and support to encourage more of them to attend graduate programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
She credits College of Lake County (CLC) with giving her the confidence to believe she could evolve throughout her career.
"Those early formative years were here at CLC, and no one ever told me here I couldn't do anything. In fact, the opposite — they're like, 'Cool, how can we help you?’” she recalls.
The support she got set her up for a lifetime of success. “I really do feel like it goes back to where I started my educational journey."
Is community college worth it? Suzanne doesn't hesitate
When asked if attending CLC was worth it, Genc laughed before giving her answer. As a physicist, she can’t scientifically say it was worth more than 100%, even if that is how she feels.
But she definitely would not change her decision to attend CLC first. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."
Her advice for future students is simple.
"Anybody who is thinking about coming here, or not sure, just try one class. It's so worth it."
Watch the video to learn how CLC influenced Suzanne and her future:
Start your journey at College of Lake County
Whether your goal is
- transferring to a four-year university
- preparing for a career
- exploring new interests
- discovering what's possible
College of Lake County can help you build the foundation.
Like Suzanne Genc, you may find that starting at community college is the beginning of a future much bigger than you imagined. Learn how to apply.
Artificial intelligence was used to organize and summarize this article. Guidance, tips and quotes from CLC experts, partners and students are expressly their own.