Sheila Ortego wants to stay in school forever, and she's got a good head start: She's been at the Santa Fe Community College for 26 years.

She's the president now. But she started as an administrative assistant in 1983 — the year the college opened — before moving into admissions. And that was before she became a teacher, which in turn led to the role of president in 2006.

"I had no idea where it would take me at the time," she said Monday. "But I thought it was the place to be."

She's busy these days pushing others to go to school, touting the college as relief for tough economic times. "I believe in learning skills that help you earn a living," she said.

Apparently she's not the only one — the college has nearly 9,000 students enrolled this year, a jump of about 10 percent over last year. Ortego acknowledged the numbers are causing a slight strain on her faculty as belts and budgets tighten and the student-to-teacher ratio rises.

Community colleges around the nation have reported increases in enrollment as students seek to change careers or earn a higher salary. Likewise, community college tuition is more affordable — classes at SFCC cost from $32 to $43 per credit for New Mexico residents; about $560 per semester for full-time students (not including the possibility of financial aid or scholarships).

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama, speaking at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y., said, "This is a place where anyone with the desire to take their career to a new level or start a new career altogether has the opportunity to pursue that dream."

Students ranging in age from teens to not-quite-seniors appeared to agree. Many emphasized the merits of attending the college to land a job — or, in some cases, a GED.

Erika Balladares, 20, is a single mother who's pursuing an associate degree in Human Services to build a career as a social worker. Her two children are in the college's Early Childhood Development Center — it accepts children up to 5 years old — which makes learning easier for Balladares.

"I don't have to worry about where I can take the girls or whether I can't attend school because I have to stay home with them," she said while walking to class. "I tell single moms who tell me they can't take time off to take classes that they should get together $15 and fill out the application for child care on campus. This is giving me a chance to improve my life."

Katie Candelaria has been taking classes at SFCC for four years, taking prerequisite classes one at a time. She's a state worker and a single mother who declined to give her age but said with delight that most of her younger classmates think she's in her '30s.

"Right now I'm the oldest in my class. A lot of the others are old enough to be my children," she said. "But I don't feel stagnant taking classes here. It's great to exercise my mind, and it proves that it's never too late."

Among the most popular SFCC programs, Ortego said, are film technicians' training, environmental technology and health care. Elizabeth Oshel, 27, is in the latter program, and will graduate SFCC in December. She has already lined up a job as a nurse at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. She plans to pursue a bachelor's degree through The University of New Mexico while she works.

"It's been a great school, and the nursing program has a high placement rate among students," she said. "They know we're ready and capable of taking care of people."

The college is trying to take care of its own people, too, Ortego stressed — she has no plans to lay off anyone, but cuts are being made. Money — or lack of — isn't stopping her from planning to pursue the idea of developing a Higher Learning Center on the Laureate-run College of Santa Fe campus within a few years.

"We'd partner with other colleges, all under one roof," she explained. "I don't feel it would compete with Laureate. It would be for people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or who don't have the financial wherewithal for tuition there. What better ideal than to have all these educational entities all come together to offer a higher educational complex?"

Much, of course, will depend on community support, financing (as with the Laureate deal, it would involve bonds), and approval from the state's Higher Education Department.

In the interim, Ortego is heavily promoting the notion that earning an associate degree equates to earning more money.

"For people who have had advantages in their lives, a two-year degree may not sound like much," she said. "But for someone who hasn't had many breaks, it can mean the difference between a $15,000-a-year income and $40,000. You gain skills that you can use to make a very good living."

Contact Robert Nott at 986-3021 or rnott@sfnewmexican.com.