Becoming a teacher once meant four years of university. But community colleges are fast becoming a real alternative. In this article, the author discusses how community colleges brought teaching within reach. Here, the author profiles Jacqueline Cardona, a teacher at Bell-Cudahy K-8 School. Amid the yawning teacher shortages that persist in California and other high-growth parts of the country, community colleges such as the one Cardona attended are rushing to fill the gap. According to a 2004 survey by the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs, 91 percent of its member schools showed increased enrollment over the previous two years--some have seen matriculants jump by 35 percent. Through education prep curricula, certification offerings, and even four-year degrees, two-year colleges are increasingly becoming a viable--and in some ways preferable--entry point into the teaching profession. Among other things, the author discusses how a startup program known as Teacher TRAC at Cerritos College helped in solving the teacher shortage in the Los Angeles area.