In this talk, Gabriel Conte Cortez Martins, a junior at Yale University, argues that community colleges should be valued in their own right as institutions of higher education. Gabriel Conte Cortez Martins is a Junior at Yale studying molecular biophysics and biochemistry. Originally, from Brazil, Gabriel immigrated to the United States in 2015, residing in Miami, Florida, where he finished his high school education and attended Miami Dade College prior to transferring to Yale. Gabriel is interested in the intersection between science and humanitarianism, having performed research in Structural Bioinformatics and worked with Human Rights Organizations in the past. At the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, Gabriel received a national award for his research in molecular biology. After graduating from college, Gabriel wants to study public health and eventually pursue a career in medicine. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx