‘Tis the season to reflect and recognize just what we are most thankful for. I have never quite understood just why we only do this once a year. Shouldn’t we always reflect on this? Nevertheless, we have this one special day a year that we are supposed to share what we are thankful for. So I thought I would share what I am thankful for.

As I think back over my life, or rather my educational career, I find that there are so many things that I am personally thankful for. At Northwest Vista College, in particular, I am grateful for the kind smiles from the custodial staff and their hard work to keep our campus clean and healthy.  As a disabled student, I am eternally thankful to our Courtesy Patrol staff for the countless number of rides I have been given and the wonderful conversations I have had with both those who answer my calls and those who pick me up. I am truly blessed by our fabulous staff that is there for our success and to help us through our day.

Even during this time of frustration and confusion as we register for the next semester, they greet us with a smile and work tirelessly to solve our issues. I am grateful for our president and our chancellors that work so hard to make Northwest Vista College all that she is and which always support the students. I am so very thankful for the wonderful faculty that teach us and guide us along our chosen career paths and enrich our lives each day. I am thankful for both their passion and their patience. I am more than eternally grateful to our donors that graciously supply the students such as myself with the opportunity to receive scholarships.

I am blessed each and every day that I get to look around our beautiful campus and see all of the marvelous landscaping and improvements continuously being done on our campus by the grounds crew. And last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for my fellow students, many of whom I now call friends. I am so very blessed by the friendships that have been developed here on campus and I know that I will remain lifelong friends with so many of you. Thank you for your support every day.

May this season of thanksgiving be a fabulous one for all!

Dawn Thomas
NVC Ambassador

Once again it’s that time of year; students run around asking, “Who did you have for this class?” or, “Is he an easy instructor? Did you make an A or a B?” A lot of students think if they have a certain instructor that they will make an A in that class. Northwest Vista College boasts about having the best professors in the city, but having the “right” professor is not how you make good grades. No, the key is how dedicated, focused and hardworking you are.

The question has always been, is early registration the key to success, or to get an ‘A’. I believe it’s not always the case; it’s always the individual effort that counts towards making a good grade. Whether you believe that the instructor is good or not, your effort to study and make use of the excellent English, math and science resources available is the key. NVC boasts about having the best science tutors, headed by Gabriela, the English lab headed by John and the math lab run by Debby. The only advice I can give to everyone is that you should register early so as to get the class you want and also to make sure it’s in line with your schedules at work, home, etc.

Also, remember not to worry too much, the classes you register for now don’t start for another two months.

Where to Get Help
For instruction on how to access ACES: http://www.alamo.edu/it/aces/aces_id.html
For Network or Password issues contact the Alamo Colleges Support Central at 210-485-0555.
If you need additional registration help, please go to the link:
http://www.alamo.edu/district/registration/webforstudents.htm   

– Harrison Ohiri
NVC Ambassador

Is choosing a career path stressing you out? Do you feel like you’re being rushed to figure out what you want to do? Well you’re not alone! There are so many students here on campus that are undecided or are still not sure about their major. A lot of students have also changed majors multiple times, too. But isn’t college the time for us to find ourselves and what we really want to do? So don’t fear students, you will not be viewed any differently if it takes you two years or ten years to get a degree. After all, you’ve already made the most important decision to go to college!

Luckily, we have counselors here on campus to help out any student who wants it! Our CaTS (Career and Transfer Services) center is located in CCC-200 and is open Monday & Thursday: 8am-7pm, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am-5pm, and the first Saturday of each month 9am-1pm. If you don’t have time to talk to someone on campus, there is a link on the website for career and educational planning! You can either copy and paste this website, http://alamo.edu/nvc/students/cats/assessments.htm, or you can go to the home page, click on ‘Students’ at the top of the page, then click ‘Career Planning’ under the ‘Advising, Career, & Transfer’ subtitle. This website has a lot to offer as well as our counselors, also.

My advice to anyone who is an undeclared major is to get out and find what interests you and pursue it! If you really have NO IDEA what you want to do career-wise, then it would probably be in your best interest to talk to a counselor. The last thing you want to do is waste money and time on classes you don’t need. The rest of your life is a long time, but don’t be afraid to make a decision! If you get a degree now and find out that it’s really not what you want to do, you can ALWAYS go back to school. But if you do what you love, then you will never have to work a day in your life!

– Ericka Wilder
NVC Ambassador

Recently questions have been coming, asking whether having a degree is worth it. A friend of mine in physics class told me, “I guess what we are doing here is damn crazy. It’s not worth it at all.”

I told him that for anything one is doing in life there is always an advantage attached to it, and the higher your education level, the higher the salary and job opportunities. A lot of people have this myopic view that not all people benefit from four years in college, nor do they need a college degree in order to succeed in work or in life. Going to college for four years can be an enriching, eye-opening experience. Truly speaking, to get a degree is the highest asset you can get if you want to make it in America.

Robert Longley, in the About.com Guide to U.S. Government Info, reports on new U.S. Census Bureau data that shows that "Americans age 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $51,554, while those with a high school diploma earned $28,645."

With this report, I don’t see why people should not care to earn a degree. The following shows the importance of having a degree.

• An individual with a degree tends to earn fifty percent more than someone who is doing the same job without a degree.

• Having a degree opens the door to more job opportunities or helps you land the dream job you wanted. For example, if an employer has a choice of two candidates with equal experience and skills, the employer will most likely hire the candidate with a degree.

• Another benefit is having promotions and rises in pay. The more knowledge and experience you have, management will be more willing to give you better positions in the company and better pay raises or bonuses.

• A degree creates personal satisfaction. By getting a college degree, you will have the pleasure of knowing that you took the steps that were necessary to better educate yourself and better your future.

Harrison Ohiri
NVC Ambassador

Science is a fundamental part of our human life in which we can’t escape or decide to live without. We wonder why people fall sick, are able to go to the moon and understand the components of our atmospheric existence. We have so many questions for Mother Nature and the only ways to get these answers are to understand our questions.

How do we Understand Our Questions?

At Northwest Vista College, science is a part of our pride and heritage and we put a lot of effort to get students to embrace it. People run away from biology, physics, and chemistry because of the multiple calculations and critical thinking involved. It is certain that our neural tissues produce neurons every time we carry out an unknown subject or deed. These neurons are memory neurons and potentially relay messages to our brain for our long-term gain. The one cause of Alzheimer’s disease is the dying of the neural cells, which cannot be replaced. Attempting challenging ideas while we are young and having the ability to create these neural cells will help in the delay or repelling of memory loss in the later years.

The Science Club at Northwest Vista is here to help students explore endless possibilities of nature; you don’t have to be a science major to be overwhelmed by science, because every day life is an experiment due to the fact that we try new ideas and things each day. We will be having fun-packed events and conferences for students and encourage everyone to participate in exploring science at Northwest Vista College. To learn more about the Science Club, e-mail me at [email protected]

Andrew Opara
NVC Ambassador
Science Club Coordinator

The benefits of an NVC Graduation!

For those who aren’t able to attend a four-year university, an associate’s degree can be a very practical and highly valuable alternative. Typically taking only two years to complete, an associate’s degree can provide more opportunities and higher pay in the job market. Three major reasons to get an associate’s degree are cost, flexibility, and time.

An associate’s degree costs considerably less than a four-year degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of an associate’s degree is rising more slowly than the cost of a bachelor’s degree. Attending a four-year college can be very expensive. Many students who graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree have acquired a lot of debt. If you start your college studies with an associate’s degree in education, you’ll actually save money. You can pursue an associate’s degree and take your first two years of required courses for a lower tuition than at a large college or university. These core courses will transfer to a new school if you decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Moreover, associate degree programs let you earn a degree that can be used as a gateway into dozens of different bachelor degree options. Students often enroll in associate degree programs as a first step toward a better career, sometimes even before deciding what career to pursue. You can decide on your future course of study while you’re getting your associate. Many four-year colleges and universities find that students with an associate’s degree are more mature and make better students than those who start college right out of high school. Students with associate degrees can prove that they are focused and maybe very successful in their bachelor’s studies.

This allows graduates to get into the job market and start earning sooner. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with an associate’s degree earn around $6,500 more per year than those with only a high school diploma. Associate’s degrees can stand alone or be a stepping stone to a second degree. Associate’s “Transfer Degrees” are designed specifically to have all the credits transfer towards a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university. An associate’s degree can often lead to more opportunities to advance in a career field. Also, the unemployment rate for those with an associate’s is lower than for those with only a high school education. A lot of employers prefer to hire someone with a college degree and an associate degree will open doors to higher income and promotions.

Andrea` Parker
NVC Ambassador

Well, it’s almost November. Temperatures are dropping, basketball season is already here, and the semester is one month away from being over. I’m sure most of you are rejoicing in being only a month away from an A or B and being over and done with the semester. But what about those of you who slacked off during the middle and all of a sudden you are worried about your grades? You probably think there’s no hope now and you’d be wasting your time if you tried to salvage your grades, right? Wrong!

While your dream of getting an A may be well down the toilet if you’ve slacked majorly, passing the class is still possible. In many cases, the final exam is worth a large part of your grade, so if you ace the final, your grade may improve a little bit. Granted you won’t get that A, but then again whose fault is it for slacking anyways? You will also have to come to class every day and pay close attention to what’s going on. Even if you’re completely lost, usually the class syllabus will tell you whatever week you are supposed to be on to catch up. You may not get perfect attendance points, but if you show up, you’ll at least have some homework, quiz, and participation grades to rescue you.

So if you’re worried about your recurring case of post high school senioritis, know you can overcome it. If you worked hard enough your F might turn into a C and you pass the class! Worst case scenario you keep the F and have to retake the class. The good news about that? You don’t have to buy the textbooks all over again.

– Marisa Luna
NVC Ambassador

Can any of you guys recall your first time in college? Do you remember what you did or didn’t do to succeed your first semester, or any mistakes you’ve learned from to help you in your current successes? If you can, you’ve probably learned those tips from one of your professors. Have you taken the time to say “Thank you” lately?

I’m serious here. These teachers do so much for us it’s not even funny. Whether they act as mentors, advisors, or even friends, they make a big difference in our lives. Some of you can relate. Others might want to slap the dummies on www.ratemyprofessors.com for recommending that teacher. Whatever your perspective is on your instructor, try to see things from his/her point of view. They really do care about us students, because the hiring board wouldn’t hire just anybody to teach us!

I myself have been blessed with the majority of my teachers. My multimedia teacher, Miss Viviane Marioneaux, not only helped me learn the basics of Photoshop and such but also helped me with unofficial graduation advising. If it weren’t for my Spanish teacher, Mrs. Sandra Uribe, I wouldn’t have even heard about the College Ambassadors program! James Puente, my history teacher, makes learning about American history a blast with his hilarious insights and commentaries, while Ito Romo (English) helped make me a better writer and also cured my morning/two o’clock hunger with fudge striped cookies! Finally, my algebra teacher, Gary Johnson, not only makes mathematically-challenged me understand college algebra every week, but also tells the class that he loves each and every one of us, which is evident in his passion to help us all understand the material.

In addition to the teachers that stand out in a positive way, I’ve also had my share of teachers that didn’t stand out as much to me. However in retrospect, I realize that they cared about the students just as much as the teachers who are more significant to me. I may not have agreed with them or even cared for them at the time, but now I see that they cared about us just as much as anyone else did. So maybe you have teachers that stand out to you that you would recommend to all your friends. Maybe you have others who you wouldn’t wish on anybody. Either way, let them know you appreciate all that they’re doing for you. Even if you think you don’t at the moment, looking back on it, you’ll realize you’re very grateful for what they’ve done.

To all the aforementioned teachers, as well as all others I have had, THANK YOU! From the bottom of my heart!

Marisa Luna
NVC Ambassador

Everyone needs the help at one time or another…when it comes to food…..even if it’s just for a couple of weeks or a couple of months. Or maybe we just need the help while were in school. There’s no shame in that since we’re expected to spend the little money we do have on tuition, books, supplies, etc.

Did you know that not only low-income families can get help with food, but COLLEGE STUDENTS also qualify for food stamps. As long as they meet one of the many qualifications, they can get help while they are in college. Examples of some of the criteria are:

*As long as you are a full-time student who works at least twenty hours per week
*If you are a full-time, single student caring for children younger than 12
*If you are a full-time, married student caring for children younger than 6
*Or if you are at least a part-time student who is actively working any hours in a work-study program.

Did you know that federal financial aid including Pell grants, Perkins loans, Stafford loans and most work-study jobs are not counted as income against student eligibility? There are plenty of ways to apply, but these options aren’t for everyone. You can go to a local office, mail in an application, and now in some cases you can apply online.

To find out if and about how much you could qualify for, click on

the link to go to the ‘Food Stamp Benefit Estimator’ or just click on the picture.

– Elizabeth Torres
NVC Ambassador

Hello there Wildcats!!!! I would like to tell you about the importance of volunteering, how it can change lives, and how to get involved. Volunteering goes a long way creating a healthy community. Volunteers reach out to those that are unable to pay for the help they truly need and although there is no monetary gratification, the reward for helping people is priceless!

Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. It is never too late to learn new skills and no reason why you should stop adding to your knowledge. For example, planning and executing a major fundraising event can develop goal setting, planning and budgeting skills. Supervising and training other volunteers helps to develop supervisory and training skills.

Primarily, volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely. Unlike many things in life, there is a choice involved in volunteering. Volunteers predominantly express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is ultimately generated from your desire and enthusiasm to help. It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better.

President’s Volunteer Service Award is an award given by the president to anyone that successful fulfills 100 community service hours in 12 months, and at least five should be completed at NVC. You will receive an award medal, a personalized certificate, and congratulatory letter from President Barack Obama. http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/tg/pvsainfo/dspAboutAwards.cfm

We sometimes take for granted the community that we live in. People and societies co-depend on each other for survival. Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and having an impact on people’s wellbeing. So, what better way is there to connect with your community and give a little back? Well I’m glad you asked because I have any answer! Here at Northwest Vista, we have an abundance of community service opportunities! There is a link on our NVC page as well as our Facebook page full of volunteer opportunities that range from recycling on campus to Habitat for Humanity. I hope this inspires you to get involved and stay involved. Here are some links to help you start your journey!

http://www.alamo.edu/nvc/community/service_learning/index.asp

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Community-Service-at-Northwest-Vista-College/108353899187050?v=wall&ref=ts

Andrea` Parker
NVC Ambassador