When I was a new student, I always saw a group of students helping out in events and I wanted to learn how I could get involved. I eventually asked the Student Life office how I could join in on the fun and they sent me an email about how to join the C.A.T Crew.

My first experience as a member of C.A.T. Crew was very interesting. I was a volunteer in Habitat of Humanity. I felt very nervous but excited at the same time. I did not know they do a lot of activities to help people off campus.

C.A.T. crew is very involved at Vista and are always hosting events for students. Some events that I volunteered for were breast cancer week and Halloween. My favorite was in November and the event was “Elf Willy,” which was to celebrate Christmas and give children presents. The crew wrapped all the presents for the families, who are in financial need. The next day they hosted a breakfast for the families.

I encourage students to join a club like this because it teaches the meaning of service. Joining the C.A.T. Crew is a grand opportunity to get involved, meet others and learn about your campus. To learn more about the C.A.T Crew, go here.

Contributed by NVC Student Shaila Ramirez

The NVC Student Government Association is seeking NVC students who are interested in applying to become NVC’s nominee for Student Trustee for the Alamo Colleges Board of Trustees.

The non-voting Student Trustee will serve along with the other nine elected Board of Trustees members.  The Board is the governing body of the five Alamo Colleges.  The compensation for Student Trustee is $300 per semester.  The position requires the Student Trustee attend required Board meetings and may also require travel to conferences and retreats.

Applicants for Student Trustee must have:

-A minimum of 12 completed college level course hours at the Alamo Colleges
-Be in good academic and civic standing with the Alamo Colleges
-Be enrolled at any of the Alamo Colleges and able to serve a term that will begin on May 1^st and end on April 30^th
-Have a GPA of at least 2.5

*Also Encouraged

-Proof of community service hours
-Participated in a student club or organization

If you are interested in applying to become NVC’s Student Trustee nominee, please fill out the attached application form AND submit a brief essay addressing your interest and credentials for this position.

Email the application form and essay to NVC Student Government Association Co-Advisor Craig Coroneos at [email protected] or deliver hard copies of the application form and essay to Craig Coroneos in LOH 206 no later than 5pm on Thursday, February 19, 2015.

More information about the Student Trustee is available in the attached Board policy describing the position.  Any further questions about the position can be directed to Craig Coroneos at [email protected]or 210.486.4812.

I have enjoyed most of my time at Northwest Vista College, but online classes are not for me.

I understand the need for distance learning for those with a crazy schedule needing to fit classes into their semester. It allows them flexibility in their schedule and maybe more options for their education.

I prefer interaction and feedback. I enjoy being in the class and getting to know the teacher and how the class works. I want to be able to communicate with my professor and get support from my peers.

Today’s technology allows us to stare at a screen for hours for interactions with others, but you still feel isolated.  I know for myself, I do better in a traditional education setting. It might be helpful to have “face to face” webcam sessions and remote desktop control in online classes.

Personally, I seem to get cognitive overload every time I see the list of required readings for the week. I would prefer to hear it from the professor with a class discussion.

I wish NVC could offer more variety in online learning and provide
 more face-to-face classes.

By NVC Student Shawn Borsheim

NVC recently set a single day record for the number of students volunteering to help at three houses for Habitat for Humanity projects. So many students wanted to attend that NVC (and Habitat) had to close registration.

With 59 students participating, 472 hours volunteer service hours were provided in a single day. The NVC community service effort continued with the Helping Others Today or “HOT” week from Oct. 31 through Nov. 6, which encouraged students and employees to log 200 volunteer hours in that time.

“This week, our NVC community logged 291.5 hours of service. We had four events canceled due to the weather,” said Kelly Blanco, a coordinator of NVC Student Leadership & Activities. “If they had gone on as scheduled, we would have had 138 more hours.”

She added that 152 students, staff and faculty signed up to volunteer at organizations such as: Habitat for Humanity, Haven for Hope, San Antonio River Foundation, SA Parks and Recreation, Morgan’s Wonderland, and HRMAC-Veteran & Family Assistance.

To Listen to NVC President Dr. Rick Baser’s message on volunteering, click here.

4th post in a series of articles. To see previous post, click here. 

Wow… we are already midway through the Fall 2014 semester! Time flies when you really don’t expect it to. At the end of this semester, I’ll be graduating with an Associate of Arts Degree and moving on to a university.

During the summer, the NVC website posted information about Fall 2014 graduation. The first day to apply for graduation was July 1^st. Guess where I was at 8 am? That’s right—I was on my computer using the Get in Line Now link posted on the website. I am so thankful that the school decided to use a virtual queue system. It’s extremely convenient, and it allows me to do other things instead of waiting in Cypress until they call my name.

Meeting an advisor to apply for graduation was short and simple. My advisor made sure all my classes aligned with the degree plan. I was confident that I followed my degree plan thanks to Alamo GPS in ACES which allowed me to keep tabs on my progress. There was one small discrepancy, but the advisor corrected it. Once he did the degree audit, we verified personal information (updated address, phone number, etc.). That’s it! It’s that simple!

If you have 45+ hours, I recommend you meet with an advisor. They will be able to tell you if you are on the right path to completion or if you are eligible to apply for graduation. The advising and application for Spring graduation begins November 15^th and ends March 20, 2015. Go ahead… meet with an advisor… get your degree… and I’ll see you at graduation!

By Gerona Nylander
NVC Student and Public Relations Administrative Assistant