This year’s Northwest Vista College Employee Development Day included a welcome home for a group of four NVC graduates and scholarship recipients
Jesse Salazar, III, class of 2012, Gladys Torres, class of 2013, Santos Jimenez, class of 2011, and Daniela Magnone, class of 2013, contributed to a discussion on how donations made by faculty and staff during the annual NVC Employee Giving campaign can impact a student’s future.
During the session, named “Impact Stories: Conversations about Making a Difference,” the group shared how NVC scholarships helped provide not only financial support, but a high level of confidence that they each carry today.
“I cannot forget how helpful scholarships were during my stay at NVC,” said Gladys, who earned her associate degree in Allied Health at NVC and is currently in her third semester of the Nursing program at San Antonio College.
This is the first year that NVC Alumni have been invited to participate as guest speakers at Employee Development Day.
“I love coming back to campus, said Santos. “It still feels like home to me.”
Among those in attendance were Dr. Robert Marbut, NVC Government faculty, who said, “these students have great stories and more people need to hear them. When you listen to these students, you get a better understanding of how contributing to scholarships in any amount can have such an impact on a student’s educational journey.”
—
Jesse Salazar, III, graduated with an associate of arts in new media communications and a certificate of achievement in Digital Video and Cinema Production. He attended the University of Texas in Austin where he received his bachelor’s in Radio-Television-Film. Jesse is an independent Texas filmmaker making an impact on South Texas digital video, film and journalism.
Gladys Torres, graduated in 2013 and was the first recipient of the NVC Alumni Scholarship. She earned her associate degree in Allied Health and is currently enrolled at San Antonio College in the third semester of nursing school. During her time at NVC, she received the T-STEM scholarship as well as a Faculty Senate Scholarship.
Santos Jimenez graduated in 2011 with dual degrees in Science and General Studies. While attending NVC, he was employed as a work study and received both the NVC Brackenridge Scholarship and the 21st Century Scholarship for Young Men. Santos earned a bachelor’s of science in Respiratory Care and Cardiopulmonary Physiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). He is in his final year of the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW).
Daniela Magnone, is a tutor in the Northwest Vista College Math Lab. You might remember her as the unforgettable speaker at the 2013 NVC graduation ceremony. She has been the recipient of the La Prensa Foundation Inspirational Student of the Month Award and the Conceptual Mind Works Scholarship. A self-proclaimed lover of math, Daniela is a proud single mother of two daughters and currently attends the University of Texas at San Antonio. She earned her associate degree in Mathematics.