Certainly, “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno has nurtured the perception that community colleges are a punishment for underperforming high school students by joking that community colleges aren’t “real colleges.” However, this perception belies the reality that contemporary community colleges serve students seeking trade skills but also serve a growing population of “students with choice” — high school graduates possessing grade point averages high enough to go to reputable four-year universities who choose to start their collegiate careers at two-year institutions.

In 2005, after being fed up with the latest Leno crack against community colleges, Dr. Betty Young, then-president of Northwest State Community College in Archbold, Ohio, embarked on a “Lessons for Leno Tour” — a cross-county road trip that highlighted the numerous opportunities community colleges provide. The tour made pit stops at 10 community colleges between Ohio and California and culminated with a visit with Leno on his “Tonight Show” set in Burbank. Knowing Leno is an avid collector of classic cars and motorcycles, Young rode her Harley-Davidson Heritage on the tour — the same type of motorcycle Leno rides.

Though the perceived lack of academic rigor at community colleges had become the butt of many Leno jokes, Young says most two-year colleges are “highly respected” within their local communities for providing transfer credits that are recognized by brand-name universities as equal to their own. Young says the perception of what community colleges have to offer has lagged considerably behind the reality of their rapid evolution.

Young says she outlined for Leno the many programs and benefits community colleges offer, and Leno hasn’t joked about community colleges on-air since meeting with her in 2005.

“Part of our challenge in community college leadership is to be sure that we tell our story. Sometimes we’re so busy doing the good work that we do that we don’t take enough time to tell our story. … I really believe and I know since that time that Jay Leno has great respect for community colleges and really gets us. He even funds a scholarship for folks attending community colleges,” Young says.