Category: Student Issues

Congrats to NVC’s National Society of Leadership & Success

Posted on by NVC PR

Northwest Vista College’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership & Success earned the prestigious Founder’s List Award, as well as the President’s Volunteer Service Award – Gold Level.

The Founder’s List is one of the highest honors of NSLS’s Pillar Program. This is reserved for chapters who successfully complete eight of 10 pillars in the administration of their chapters. The National Office developed the program to help set each chapter up for long-term success. The NSLS is the nation’s largest leadership honor society. With 648 chapters, the organization currently has 876,911 members nationwide, and many of its members say being in NSLS impacted their likelihood of landing their desired future job.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is the premier volunteer awards program. It encourages citizens to live a life of service through presidential gratitude and national recognition. The NVC Chapter earned the Gold Level Award for members contributing over 1,000 hours of community service.

To learn more about NVC organizations, go here: www.alamo.edu/nvc/experience-nvc/campus-life/student-life/

 

NSLS Volunteering

 

Follow Your Passion to a Degree

Posted on by NVC PR

College can be intimidating no matter how old you are. I tried attending school twice before and life just got in the way. Now, I am 26 years old with school age kids, working full-time and planning a wedding. I decided to go back to school in December of 2017, because after two failed attempts at school, I finally know what I want to be when I grow up!

I listened to other people on what I should get my degree in. You can never go wrong with a business degree, they said. I didn’t actually stop to think about what I was interested in or passionate about. Just what would make me the most money, or land me a job. So, I tried pursuing my degree in Business Management with the intent to transfer to a university. I had amazing professors, but I just was not interested in the classes so I fell behind.

After talking to many friends, family, colleagues and by passers, it seems that this is more common than I thought. So many of us get caught up in the money we can possibly make in the future, rather than what will make us happy. I’ve realized that if you love something, whether it be art, fitness, literature or whatever, there is always a way to make money off of your passions. This is why I’m now choosing to pursue an associates degree in Digital Media at Northwest Vista. I would never have guessed that my hobby of playing on Adobe Photoshop would be able to make me money one day. The classes feel like a breeze because I’m engaged with the material, rather than another boring class I have no interest in.

For those of you just starting out, or maybe you are considering school again, I would suggest to make sure you are truly pursuing your passions. One degree might not sound as important as another, but they all matter.

By NVC student Viviana Smith

Finding a Purpose Helping Veterans

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Just 10 days after graduating from high school, Albert “Bert” Jimenez was in a grueling U.S. Marines boot camp in San Diego. Three weeks after that, he found himself in Iraq at the age of 18.

Four years later and two deployments to Iraq, Bert left the Marines with a heavy toll. PTSD and the trauma of seeing close friends die in a war zone impacted his mental and physical health. He didn’t know how to pick up his life after the Marines and turned to heavy drinking.

While all the mental demons are not totally gone, Bert has found a new life through exercise, attending Northwest Vista College, and slowly dropping about 115 pounds. This past fall, Bert completed the Boston Marathon with a group of other veterans and is also on course to earn his associate degree from NVC after this summer.

He said Vista was his first shot at college and he wasn’t sure if he could handle it.

“For me, it’s still kind of scary because I don’t do too well with crowds, but college has helped me to be a better person and get me out of my comfort zone,” Bert said.

Now, he wants to help other veterans through psychology. He has been accepted to UTSA this fall and he hopes to get a bachelor’s and master’s degree to work in a clinical setting to counsel veterans.

He says often times it’s hard to relate to psychologists or counselors because while they may be book smart, they don’t have that experience of watching a friend die in a foreign country or the aftermath that veterans face after being deployed multiple times. He believes he can bring that missing element to help counsel veterans.

In fact, Bert is getting his psychology field experience now through the San Antonio chapter of 22 Until None, which has the mission of ending suicide among veterans. The group’s website says 8,030 veterans commit suicide a year; and after military service, the chances of veterans committing suicide goes up 200 percent. Even worse, 1 in 5 suicide deaths are veterans, according to the site.

Bert says it’s not uncommon for him to get phone calls from veterans daily or even at 3 am because a former soldier needs help in order to make it to the next day.

Along with 22 Until None, Bert is also a fitness coach with Rise Above Hardship, which is a local nonprofit started by fellow NVC student Jose Luis Sanchez. R.A.H’s mission is to help veterans and the community through fitness. Bert can be found motivating others to do squats, run or do pushups Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at local parks around the city. Many of the people who go to R.A.H. classes are veterans with missing limbs, wives of veterans or just regular community members who need a coach’s motivation to push through a tough workout.

In the meantime while Bert is finishing up classes at NVC, he will be training to do his first triathlon in San Marcos this summer and will head to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon in October.

Failures and Successes

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

As I get closer to the completion of my final semester for my associate degree, I have experienced a few downfalls that I see as failures. But I have also seen successes.

I was extremely disappointed that two of my classes didn’t pan out to be what I expected. I had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from these two classes and drop down to part-time hours. Many might not make a big deal, but for me, I saw it as failure. I was disappointed in myself for not pushing to finish and being satisfied with “just getting by.”  It has taken a lot for me to swallow those two failures, despite the encouragement from friends and family.

Looking on the brighter side, I have been happy and proud to say that I was also recognized in the Awards Ceremony for having a 4.0 grade point average, as well as being inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. I have gained experienced in writing for The Pulse, which is Palo Alto College’s newspaper; and I have written several published blog posts for Northwest Vista College.

These accomplishments have made me realize that along with failure comes success. Sometimes you can’t have one without the other. I have been able to look at the positives in this college experience and not be down about the negatives. I can now look at my life and see that I have come a long way. This 44-year old wife and mother has come back to school after a long break, works a job and has church involvement, all while going to school full time. I think I’ve done well, and I am proud to know that on May 19, I will joyfully walk the stage to receive my associate degree. This will be a huge stepping stone to finishing my bachelor’s degree and pursuing my career in Communications

By NVC Student Monica Lopez

Dropping a Course to Balance School and Life

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Online Summer Classes BannerI feel like I have been challenged this semester in balancing life and school, or really just balancing my classes in general.

I didn’t have too much of an issue at the beginning of the semester until I started a very advanced flex class. It was a Interactive Web Elements course where we were learning how to make WordPress templates from scratch.

I learned it was the straw that broke the camel’s back–like when you have a tower of cards, and everything is okay and nice until you put on that one card that makes the tower crumble. Maybe I’m being too dramatic – just a little.

But this class was very hard, and required a lot of my attention. Inevitably, I had to drop it this semester. I do feel a load off my shoulders…even if I do get a W and I felt bad about dropping my first class.

Dropping a class has also been a learning experience–I now know what I can and cannot handle. I would definitely love to take this class when I have more time to focus on it since it will be helpful for my career. Here are a couple things to remember, if you ever decide you want to take a flex course:

1. What kind of course is it? Is it advanced?
2. With your current classes, can you add on a fast-paced class?
3. Do you have the skillset to take this class or would it be best to wait until later?

Here’s to continuing to balance everything in my life, including my classes!

By NVC Student Sarah Hegstrom

College Life

Important Lesson to Learn

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Being an older, non-traditional student, I needed to have flexibility with my schedule; so I decided to take most of my classes online.

Online classes were much better for me because I was already disciplined to work from home with my job. It wasn’t a hard transition to take online classes and still meet deadlines and keep up with assignments.  However, one of my biggest mistakes was not understanding the difference between ACES email and Canvas email.

I had a strict Spanish teacher who would not accept late work no matter what.  We had a paper that we had to write, but we had to get her approval on the subject first.  Without her approval, she would not accept our work.  Well I emailed her through ACES and gave her my idea.  When I hadn’t heard back, I sent another email, and still no response.  With the due date getting closer, I went ahead and began working on my paper anyway so that I’d at least have it ready once she gave her approval.  I sent a third email and still didn’t get a response.  I finally just turned in the paper anyway.

I was shocked and angry when I received my grade for my paper.  Let me add that I missed out on a weekend trip with my family just to stay home and write this paper.  I received a ZERO!  She didn’t give me credit for the assignment because I didn’t get her approval.  I explained that I had emailed her several times.  Then she realized that I used my ACES email and didn’t go through Canvas.  I was so confused!  But I was also upset that she wouldn’t give me a break and realize it was a simple mistake and not that I didn’t do the work.  She stood by keeping the zero as my grade.  Five of us made that mistake, and we all received a zero.

From that point on, I have always used Canvas email for any communication between myself and professors or other students.  That was a huge lesson learned.  That one zero made me work really hard the rest of the semester, including extra credit.  I was able to get a high “B,” but I really should have had an “A” in that class.

By NVC Student Monica Lopez

Balancing Everything

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Part of the challenges of college is that you are now an adult with more responsibilities. Many college students have to hold a job while going to school in order to pay for school and other bills.

I had to figure out a way to balance school with working, family, heavy involvement at church, and any other thing that comes up. I’m a married woman with four teenagers at home, and I definitely play the full-time role of a mother in every way. I do most of the cooking and cleaning inside of the home.

Going back to school has made my family more aware of the role that I have played all these years. They have now had to step up and start helping more. It’s also made me realize that I had to teach my kids to have more responsibility and not do everything for them, especially at their age.

I have had to make difficult sacrifices. I have had to miss out on some big things, such as a weekend road trip to one of our favorite spots and then a week-long trip to Florida last summer. They both landed during a time when I had finals during my summer session. I hated missing out, but I had to prioritize.

One of the things that helps me to organize my schedule is keeping a planner. I write all of my assignments and due dates as soon as I have my syllabus for each class. This helps me plan around things throughout the semester. I love how Canvas is laid out as well. It gives a “To Do” list and a calendar to see what’s coming up.

Being an older student has given me more focus and determination to finish than when I was younger. I took the privilege of a college education for granted, which I now see as a priceless gift.

By NVC Student Monica Lopez

Being the Older One….on a School Field Trip

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

As I started back to school in August 2016, I tried hard to only take online classes. The intimidation that I had in being a non-traditional student had really set in my mind. However, there was one class that was not available online, so I had to take it at the campus.

To my surprise, the class was not very interactive. I didn’t feel as intimidated as I thought I would be because everyone stayed to themselves. I really only talked to one other person in that class, and it was only to discuss upcoming assignments, homework, and tests. 

A year-and-a-half later, I am taking my third class on campus – an Editing and Layout class. This class is extremely hands-on and very interactive. In this last year, I actually have felt like I have formed better relationships with my classmates, even if it’s just there in class and occasional texting.

Just last week, I went on a trip to Dallas with my Editing class. I was able to have a great experience as I learned so much from the workshops in my field. But what I enjoyed most was the unity and friendships formed on this trip. I was able to get to know everyone on a more personal level, and I was able to share more about my own story.

Being a 44-year old on a trip with mostly 20-something-year-olds, I definitely felt like the “mother hen.” I was always looking around, making sure everyone was taken care of. But the absolute best part of my trip was the very end when my husband and I were giving someone else a ride home. She told me that she and the rest of the class really liked me a lot. She said that she and some of the other girls were talking about me and saying how much they liked me and looked up to me.

This trip just gave me the confidence I needed to reassure myself that my age doesn’t matter. No one is ever too old to continue learning or to start a new career path. These younger adults helped make me feel young, appreciated, and admired. They made me put all those insecurities about being the older one to the side…because in reality, age is just a number. It’s all what’s in your heart!

By NVC Student Monica Lopez

Don’t Worry About Other’s Success. Stay Focused

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Going back to school can be a challenge for individuals who put school on hold to pursue other things. Most of the time we try and rush through our goals, looking to the future instead of dealing with current issues – especially when you look to social media and see others you went to school with or served in the military with, getting degrees or promotions and just living life to the fullest.

It’s great to get motivated or encouraged from other’s success, as long as you stay hungry and keep your eyes on your prize and not let anyone’s success interrupt your path.

Balancing life after returning to school can seem like a piece of cake until things don’t go the way you planned. Pray for the best and plan for the worst is the best advice one can give when it comes to college.

We all have our own lives to live. A few things to consider before returning to school after some time off!

  • Daycare– If you have children or most important, if you don’t have a daycare provider established this may be on the top of your list. It’s important to leave our children with the best available sitters possible that are affordable.
  • Time management– This is vital also if you have to leave early to drop children off at a daycare. Traffic and construction is something that may be avoided if caught early. GPS can be a time saver.
  • Stay in YOUR lane– This depends on You! Stop worrying about others and their success. Remember your goals and the people relying on you. Take the classes that you feel comfortable with and remember there is no race. No point in taking classes you’re going to fail, plus it’s just wasted money

By NVC Digital Video Student Jacob Aragon

Tackling Fear – Going Back to School Years Later

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

In August 1992, I was an 18-year old getting ready to start a new chapter as a freshman in college at UTSA.

I was nervous, yet excited about seeking my independence and taking steps toward my goal of getting my degree. But life obstacles hit me, and I wound up not returning to school the following year. As the years rolled by, marriage and motherhood all took priority in my life for the next 24 years.

In August of 2016 and at the age of 42, I realized that there was an opportunity for me to use my husband’s veteran benefits and to return to school. I was nervous and so scared of failure once again, but I decided to take the plunge and go back for my degree.

I decided that for my associate’s degree and getting all of my core classes completed, I would take as many of these classes online. It helped me not to feel so inadequate around other students, who I knew could be my own children.

One of the hardest parts of going back to school has been taking a few classes that I have to take on campus. This is when I feel the most intimidated. I am surrounded by people, most who are half my age. Stay tuned on my journey as I share with you how hard it has been to be the “oldest” student in my classes.

By NVC Student Monica Lopez