Tag: NVC

NVC Cross Country Team Perform Well at HEB Run

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

 

The Northwest Vista Cross Country Team had a great showing at the HEB Alamo RunFest on Feb. 20.

We had 4 runners in the half marathon. The first finisher for the Vista Wildcats was Rhea Migdalski coming in 2nd in her age group & 79th overall with a time of 1:46:04. Aaron Beattie followed closely behind with a time of 1:47:51, placing him 2nd in his age group. Vienna Garcia, also received a medal placing third in her age group, finishing with a time of 1:47:54. Rounding out the half marathoners, was Lauraly Wade finishing right at 2 hours. She finished 6th in her age group.

The Wildcat 5kers also did great! Finishing first for Northwest Vista was Micah Florence with a time of 19:53. He placed first in his age group & 7th overall. Adam Soto was next finishing 3rd in his age group with a time of 20:28. Right on his heels was our first female finisher Karla Presa. She was the first overall female, first in her age group & 12th overall male and females. She finished with a time of 20:29. Hector Sandival finished with a time of 21:43, placing him 4th in his age group. New comers Rober Dreamkowski & Esther Lucio also ran great times finishing in 26:55 & 27:56 respectively.

NVC Cross Country Team

 

 

NVC Cross Country Team

Working Smarter as a Student

Posted on by NVC Public Relations
NVC Student Mary Oakes
NVC Student Mary Oakes

Being a working student is one of the best choices I could have ever made. When I first went back to school it was a challenge to balance the two workloads but in time I became a master of multi-tasking. I changed the way I looked at homework. Now, not only am I learning skills for my chosen field but I actually get to put those skills to use immediately and hone them.

How did I manage to do this? Moving away from jobs that had nothing to do with the career field I planned to be in after graduation, I began carving out a way to work in my field. It started with small jobs I did for free while working as a substitute teacher on a flexible schedule. Gradually, I developed a small portfolio of design and photography, establishing myself as a paid, budget friendly resource for fledgling entrepreneurs and families. I took on small design jobs for logos and business cards and began photographing portraits, ever growing my work load in this area. As my paid work load increased, I let go of the substitute teaching.

I also began optimizing my class efforts, often using client work as applicable homework. This often halves the time spent doing either and allows me more time for family. The added benefit has become being my own boss, setting my own hours and paycheck. It means by the time I do finish school, I will be a fully established independent photographic designer vs. looking around for a job.

By NVC Student Mary Oakes
To read more posts from Mary, here’s her blog

NVC Students Selected to Visit NASA this October

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Jonathan Mendoza, Jose Vazquez, and Jorge Vazquez Campero – all from Northwest Vista College – have been selected to travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center this spring to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars project (NCAS).

Picture from NASAJonathan, Jose and Jorge all have been selected as one of 160 community college students from across the U.S. to be part of NCAS.

The five-week scholars program culminates with a four-day on-site event at Johnson Space Center and offers students the opportunity to interact with NASA engineers and others as they learn more about careers in science and engineering. While on site, students form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each team is responsible for developing and testing a prototype rover, forming a company infrastructure, managing a budget, and developing communications and outreach.

The on-site experience includes a tour of facilities and briefings by NASA subject matter experts.

NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars is a project funded in part by the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP, which is committed to the recruitment of underrepresented and underserved students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to sustain a diverse workforce.

NVC Male Students Get Valuable Advice

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

The mission of the NVC Male Success Initiative program is to encourage leadership, character, and brotherhood among the male students at NVC.

 

The program focuses on several key character traits to include integrity, discipline, humility, confidence, respect and self-control. It is believed that instilling these traits and building on them makes a strong foundation for our male students’ success.

On May 8, MSI hosted a Leadership Luncheon for NVC male students. The luncheon consisted of male professionals that came to give advice on different topics such as balancing commitments, education after NVC, character and choosing the right career.

Participants expressed that they enjoyed the events and learned a lot from 18 plus male professionals and members of a similar male organization from Trinity University. The male professionals gave great advice to the students and they genuinely showed compassion for the success of the male students.

MSI will be recruiting new members in the fall and encourages faculty and staff to bring awareness of this program to male students who would like to enhance their leadership skills, become engaged with the campus and community and network with professionals.
To learn more about MSI, go here.
NVC Male Students

Male Success Initiative Helping Men to Succeed

Posted on by NVC Public Relations
H. Stillwater; J. Rosas; K. Washington; E. Alvear; M.Uresti
H. Stillwater; J. Rosas; K. Washington; E. Alvear; M.Uresti

Juan Rosas knows what it takes to make it. He knows what he is up against and he knows how to arm himself with the best possible weapon to fight what confronts him. What confronts him is failure.

Society and statistics say that Juan, as a man of color in college, will fail. Men of color earn community college degrees and certificates at disproportionately lower rates. Ironically, community colleges enroll more men of color than any other type of higher learning institution. Mr. Rosas has a plan though. His plan is being there for other men of color who are, statistically, going to fail through the Male Success Initiatve or MSI. His goal is to support men who are in community colleges and want positive influences to help guide them through the mind field of life.

PrintIn San Antonio, only 9.3 percent of the population has an associate’s degree while only 24.6 percent has a bachelor’s degree. These stats only show what both genders have earned but men are not going to be the ones that boosted those meager numbers up by a lot. This is where MSI comes in to assist those on the edge, if only those on the edge would reach out instead of taking what is voluntarily given to them.

All you have to do is sign up, go to a meeting and see for yourself what positivity is. That positivity will translate on the road to success and towards earning a degree, which will translate so much more in a man’s life. This is the focus of the Male Success Initiative – how to be a better man.

Most men in community colleges need guidance and, believe it or n

Recent MSI event where male students talked with faculty, staff, community leaders
Recent MSI event where male students talked with faculty, staff, community leaders

ot, high expectations. Mr. Rosas and the MSI members cannot help with high expectations but they can help with guidance and positive influence. Juan exudes positivity and it’s genuine. His enthusiasm is derived from actually caring and knowing that he, and those around him, need each other to guide them onto that path of success and that path starts at Northwest Vista.

That path also starts with a man’s outlook on life and how focused they are towards their goals and achieving those goals. Those things are not easy. Yet, surrounding yourself with positive people who want to see you succeed, who want to see you grasp your goals and surmount your aspirations will give young men that extra push to make it.

While both men and women could always use a little motivation, men of color are the ones that have the most to lose and the most to gain when they succeed. The Male Success Initiative is a great starting point to make that difference. To learn more about MSI, visit this link.

By NVC Student Emiliano Saldana

Finding My Niche

Posted on by NVC Public Relations
fbcover nvcsign
Northwest Vista College

I am an adult learner, returning to school after completing a bachelor’s degree, raising a family and having over 20 years of work experience.

I want an associate’s degree from NVC in order to build upon my skill set and to make myself more marketable for a career. When I graduated from college 15 years ago, experience was the most important trait employers looked for.

Today, employers are caught up in the letters and numbers following your name. They want to see degrees and certifications. While I want an associates from NVC, I have to pay for the entire degree out of my own pocket because there is not any financial aid for going backwards in school degree levels.

I returned to school, beginning with a certificate at NVC, in order to determine what would be my best route for continuing my education. While a master’s degree seems like the logical next step for someone who holds a bachelors degree, it isn’t always feasible. Graduate school is expensive. In the science fields, a master’s degree is often a stepping stone to a doctorate, but it it often does not help a person increase their salary value. Who wants to spend two years of their life and thousands of dollars to be worth the same rate they were worth with a bachelor’s degree?

Then there is determining which degree to pursue. Do I want to be a medical doctor, a pharmacist, a nurse, a professor or teach at a two-year school like NVC? Do I want to continue being a research scientist or administrator? Do I want a MBA? The questions are numerous.

I have taken multiple aptitude tests over the years. One skill that regularly appeared was working with computers. I was raised by computer engineers and software programmers. I have considered computers my evil step siblings.

NVC offered a Web Design course and I enrolled in it. I decided I might as well prove I was either good with computers or rule out that idea. Guess what? I fell for it. Web design is challenging and very rewarding when I create a properly functioning and aesthetically pleasing website. Then I took a programming class. Wow. This fully allowed me to get very technical and very specific. Programming is control! My lifelong love of building puzzles has now been translated into a skill set I can utilize for a rewarding career. The drawback to discovering computers after completing my bachelor’s degree is that many jobs, and most advanced degree programs, require a bachelor’s degree in computer science. I am not interesting in reinventing the wheel for my career.

Now, I finally have a much more finite focus. I am very well versed in the science of biology and healthcare. I have over four years of professional medical research experience. This is a skill set that I want to build upon. I have finally found a program that combines all of my career interests and a decent salary when completed. I am applying for a Master of Public Health program that focuses on Public Health Informatics. This is where I can see myself being happy and productive, applying my skill set to a field that helps many people live healthier and more productive lives. I am grateful for NVC being available and affordable enough for me to sort through my interests and discover my marketable talents, even after I completed my associates degree.

By NVC Student C. Kalyn Reim

NVC Sports Teams Sustain Winning Streak

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

NVC Sports Teams 2014

Go Wildcats! The NVC sports teams – women’s and men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and the cross country team have ended the fall semester on a high note.

The current team rankings to end the fall semester are:

  • The men’s basketball team are undefeated at 7-0
  • The women’s basketball team are 6-1
  • The women’s volleyball team are 6-2
  • Ten members of the Co-ed cross country team competed in the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon on Dec. 6.

Support your Wildcat Sport teams at their next 2015 spring semester home games.

  • Men’s basketball, Jan. 28,  Our Lady of the Lake Univ @ 8pm
  • Women’s basketball, Jan 28, Palo Alto College @ 6pm
  • Women’s volleyball, Feb 12, Univ. of Incarnate Word @ 7pm

Tryouts are open for the women’s basketball team starting Monday, Dec. 15 to Thursday, Dec. 18 at 4:30 p.m. You must have taken 9 credit hours and have a 2.5 GPA and available for practice on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 4:30 p.m. Games are typically on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Coach Daniel Johnson at 486-4003 or [email protected]

To learn more about the sports teams, visit http://www.alamo.edu/nvc/current-students/sports/Wildcats/

3 Tips to Balance College & Work Life

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GradHats_1

As a returning college student, I have been struggling with figuring out how exactly to get through the semester with a 4.0 while still maintaining my home and work life.

The hardest part of this balancing act is keeping from drowning and giving up completely. I had a bit of a meltdown recently and that is when I decided to figure something out. The following tips are what I feel are the most helpful tips I have received from family, friends, and my experiences:

  • Organize, organize, organize – In order to keep your life together, it is imperative that you are organized. You should have a planner. Every week, write down all of the assignments, exams, quizzes, projects, etc. that are due that week and look at that planner EVERY day, twice a day. When you are organized with your school work, it is less likely that you will forget to complete something.
  • Make sure you give yourself at least one ENTIRE day off from everything – For me, this day is Saturday. Saturdays are my no-work, no-school, ALL PLAY days! I make sure that anything I have due on Saturday is completed a day in advance so I don’t have to log on, go in, or do anything for school or work. I use my Saturdays for relaxation and family.
  • Remind yourself every day that this is only temporary and it will all be worth it in the end. On the days when I feel like giving up or I am feeling guilty for not giving my daughter the attention she needs, I remind myself that this is only a temporary struggle. I think about the end of the road, when I am walking across the stage at graduation and seeing my daughter’s face smiling at me. I remind myself that I am doing this so she will be proud of me and so she can have everything she deserves in life.

We are all going to experience some sort of struggle in our college careers, but just remember – in order to get to the goal, you have to get through some struggles. That is what life is all about and that is how we become stronger in the end.

By NVC Student Christina Garcia

Alamo Colleges Students Volunteer At Morgan’s Wonderland

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By NVC Sophomore Dawn Thomas

On Saturday, April 9, the Student Leadership Institute students, led by Rodell Asher and instructors of the Alamo Colleges, descended on Morgan’s Wonderland eager to learn how they could serve and become volunteers of this extraordinary place that is the only park in the world designed with special needs in mind.

Volunteer coordinator Jere Delano greeted the students with a warm and energetic smile. After a short training session with Jere, whose name tag reads simply “Jere – Loves his grandkids,” the students participated in a ribbon cutting that was held in honor of the park’s 1st birthday celebration where General Manager Dave Force and Founder Gordon Hartman each spoke. The inspiration for Morgan’s Wonderland is 17-year-old Morgan Hartman, who grew up as a special-needs child. Morgan danced around in the background during the ceremony and greeted everyone with her contagious smile as well as handshakes and hugs.

The SLI students and instructors were given their assignments in the park and sent out for what would become a life-changing day for all included. Students volunteered at the park’s many different attractions such as the fully accessible Carousel, Sensory Village, Off-Road Adventure Ride, Wonderland Express & Depot, and The Wharf. To see pictures of the students, click here.

Jere reminded the student volunteers that this park was not only designed for the special needs visitors, but for all to come and play together.

“This is a place where families come for a rest from the daily routine,” explained Jere, “they know they can come here and not get the strange looks and stares that they receive out in the world because people do not know what to say or how to react to those with special needs.”

In the year since the park has opened, there have been visitors from 48 states and over 15 countries. Many visitors on that Saturday were there for the first time such as Tonya Sprowl who is from New York, but is stationed in San Antonio in the military. She and her husband have two daughters, ages 13 & 7. Their 13 year old is in a beautiful purple wheelchair and playing on the Butterfly Playground with her little sister as I spoke to her mother.

Mrs. Sprowl described her family’s experience as “Amazing. We are able to play as a whole family. My daughters are able to play together and do the same activities.”

The park has a huge impact on its volunteers as well. When asked what she hoped her SLI students would get out of the volunteer experience, instructor Veronica Rosas- Tatum from Palo-Alto College said, “My only desire is for all of the SLI students to experience the inclusiveness of this environment and gain an appreciation of how easy it is to interact with a special needs individual.”

My own personal experience at this magical place was something that I will never forget. I met so many lovely people like my new friend Renessa and her 11-year-old son Robert, and Clara, and Alice – our Duchess of Dance for our parade. My new friends all have a special place inside my heart now as do their parents and family members that I got to visit with. Their infectious smiles and sweet spirits will stay with me forever.

I must also include the park staff in my list of new friends as well. They all set fabulous examples and were so helpful and grateful for all of the volunteers there. As a matter of fact, I was so moved by my experience at Morgan’s Wonderland as a volunteer that I have cleared several dates on my calendar so that I can go back and volunteer again.

At the end of our long day, Park Director Peter Albarian, whose name tag reads “Hippie Bus Lover,” thanked the SLI student volunteers and the instructors for their time and hard work. He had warned us earlier that morning that we would leave with a different perspective.

“Outside these gates is the real world,” said Albarian. “In here is a wonderland where miracles happen every day.”

Please visit www.morganswonderland.com for info on how you can get involved and volunteer.

Dawn Thomas is also an NVC College Ambassador and in SLI Student-Tier I

Diversity Conversation This Friday

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by Brianna Luna

Diversity Conversation is an open seminar for NVC students. Dr. Jackie Claunch, president of Northwest Vista College will be attending the March 11 campus event. NVC students have a special opportunity to have a professional conversation with the president, and their peers about how to improve diverse communities.

Diversity is a broad term that can mean a variety of things, but the fun of this seminar is that students have the freedom to talk about anything. They might want to discuss opportunities to improve students’ lives and how to make a difference in the NVC community.  

 “Diversity Conversation is an open, new technology to create latitude for people to find their passion and communicate with the president, the dean and students,” said Sabrina Carey, event coordinator for Northwest Vista College.

 This seminar will allow students to think outside the box on diversity topics, and may even help build leadership skills.

“The idea is to be uncensored AND professional,” Carey said.

After the event, Dr. Claunch and the diversity team will review all the diversity topics with an eye to develop solutions.

This event can help students to be more involved in the NVC community and make a difference in themselves and fellow students. Join us Friday March 11 from 9:00am-12:30pm in the Cypress Campus Center Lago Vista room 121-122.

Brianna Luna is a Northwest Vista College Student