For people who’ve never been to Berea, it can be difficult to imagine how a college could provide its students with such a seamless, supportive, and transformative higher education experience. In fact, many students have said they thought Berea College had to be a scam until they visited and saw it for themselves. That’s why, every year, a delegation of Berea students visits Washington, D.C., to meet with elected representatives and government officials. These students share their stories with our nation’s leaders to help them understand the value of a Berea education and what makes this college so special.

“In the spring all of the Work College schools come to Capitol Hill and we meet with our Congressional representatives,” said Dr. Collis Robinson, Berea’s Dean of Labor who accompanied the students.

Each year, these students help the leaders they speak with to understand the unique opportunities that make Berea different. Even among its fellow Work Colleges, Berea’s Work Program has special aspects that help set the College apart.

When it comes to what makes Berea special, there’s a lot to talk about—its extraordinary academics, its innovative work program, and the funding opportunities it provides for internships, study abroad, and more. But even all that is just the start of what sets Berea apart.

Many other schools can claim impressive academics, and some even offer similar opportunities for travel and internships. But the things that truly make Berea unique are its Work Program, with its thorough grounding in learning and service, and the No-Tuition Promise that its financial model makes possible.

Engaging students in community-focused work-learning provides them with many unique opportunities to learn and grow. “We know that employers see a gap in graduates when they leave undergrad. There’s a skills gap—things like teamwork, accountability, taking initiative, critical thinking, and communication,” said Dr. Robinson.

Berea’s unique blend of work, education, and service is the perfect solution to this problem. By providing each student with four years of continuous work experience before they’ve even graduated (all documented in a work transcript that they can show future employers), Berea gives them the opportunity to hone and develop these skills before entering the job market.

That’s what this year’s group of students explained to our nation’s leaders—how Berea College is giving them an education like no other. “Berea is a special place that has helped fortify who I am as a leader,” said Alpha ’27, one of the students who visited D.C. “It became extremely clear to me how important our advocacy was for the perception of higher education in our nation. I vouched for the effect of Berea’s mission and impact on students like me.” Carmela ’26, who also went to D.C., wanted lawmakers to understand how Berea has helped her grow. “Berea has changed my life,” she said. “It’s made me more sure of myself professionally, academically, and personally.” Another student who went to Washington, Tristan ’27, wanted to make sure that those in government knew about Berea’s service to the community. “Berea is for the people,” said Tristan. “That’s the most important thing I wanted to share with our leaders in Washington.”

Berea College is hard to imagine until you’ve seen it for yourself. But since not everyone can come visit Berea, every year the College’s students bring Berea to D.C. By sharing their stories and advocating for their education, they help our elected leaders to understand what makes the College so unique, and the opportunities that a Berea education provides. Berea is the model for higher education nationwide that politicians on both sides of the aisle can appreciate.