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May Bragging Breakfast Showcases Student Success Stories

Four students, who will be walking across the graduation stage on May 14,  started the May Bragging Breakfast by sharing their experiences of attending college and what Northwest Vista College means to them.

Zachary Maxwell said while college was really scary for him at first, NVC made him feel comfortable; and he had the opportunity to learn from others who had diverse viewpoints from him. He was also really proud he was able to complete 300 hours for a Presidential Volunteer Award in just six months instead of the typical 12 months.

Manny Ortiz said if he could offer advice to incoming freshman, it would be to get involved on campus. He was a president of the student honor society, PTK, and that helped him to build his confidence. Manny also competed in April’s Battle of the Speech contest at NVC, along with his brother.

Syeda Farooq said she leaves NVC feeling positive about her future because she felt like she was surrounded by a community of success. She thanked NVC for being a part of her journey.

And Kayleigh Deffendall, who works in Vista Central, said NVC helped to instill confidence in her to help her get on the right path.

These are just some of the success stories that will be apart of the graduation ceremony May 14.

Innovation Grant Presentation

Laura Lawrence and Mike Munoz presented on the Innovation grant they receive to help further their research on how compressed terms (shorter than 16 weeks) can benefit colleges. They both visited two-year colleges in Odessa, Texas and South Carolina and learned how both these institutions were having success with compressed terms. One college implemented six, seven-week terms, and another college had five, eight-week terms.

For colleges that implement compressed terms, some positive results include increased graduation rates, higher enrollment and larger revenue streams. Laura said since students are constantly enrolling in shorter terms, it means there is less time for life to happen and reduces student drop out rates. She added at NVC this initiative could become a reality since faculty already have  experience with compressed terms, such as with our flex terms and summer schedules.

Celebrations

  • Nobaproject.com recently published two modules written by NVC psychology professors: Jen Fox and Don Lucas.NOBA asks only the “most respected psychologists” to author their modules. Of the 100 plus modules about psychology available on nobaproject.com, there were none about sex and sexuality, before NOBA asked Professors Fox and Lucas to author modules about their expertise. Professors Fox and Lucas’ modules, titled: “The Psychology of Human Sexuality, and Human Sexual Anatomy and Physiology,” facilitate people’s abilities for fully exploring their own diverse and ever-changing sexual landscapes.
  • Congratulations to NVC Instructor Joe Caploe and San Antonio College music student Marco Salinas. They have both been accepted into the prestigious 2018 Jazz Meeting of the International Association of Schools of Jazz, in July. This year’s global jazz meeting is to be hosted by the Viljandi Culture Academy in Estonia.
  • Students from Jo Ann Gonzalez’s nutrition (BIOL 1322) class this semester took their project to a whole new level. Her class participated in a food collection fundraiser and collected 550. They were the only community college involved among universities that included St. Mary’s, UIW, Our Lady of the Lake, and UTSA.
  • David Cadena, who received a Nanotechnology certificate from NVC a few years ago, was just awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship that will pay for his PhD program in NanoEngineering at the University of California at San Diego.
  • The Wildcat Spirit Award went to NVC Public Relations
  • Aryn Edwards of Student Success received the May Employee of the Month Awards.

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