Jill Biden Gives Thumbs Up To South Seattle Community College's Aviation Program

South Seattle Community College aviation-technology students became the teachers Monday afternoon at their Boeing Field hangar classroom.

Their student: the second lady of the United States, Jill Biden.

Biden, an 18-year community-college teacher, flew to Seattle as part of the Community College to Career program spearheaded by the Obama administration. The federal initiative awarded SSCC a $20 million grant to offer more classes in technical-education programs that had yearlong waiting lists.

"We were at the right place at the right time," Biden said of heralding the benefits of community-college education during the recession. "I've seen that these programs are essential for us to be the most competitive and effective workforce."