Today marks my last day at Northwest Vista College. In a couple of days, I will be among the 1,000 plus students walking the stage at NVC’s graduation ceremony. I realize it’s not the most momentous occasion in the world, but it means a lot to me, and for that I want to extend my personal thank you to NVC.

I began taking classes here in 2008 at age 16 as a dual credit student. I didn’t think much of it at the time, and almost didn’t want to because the classes I took were online which initially scared me, but in the end I’m grateful I was a part of the Dual Credit program at NVC. Because of it, I learned critical thinking skills at a young age, so by the time I enrolled full time in 2009, I already knew what to expect in college.

In a way I can say I’ve literally grown with the college. I remember when MZH was the CCC. Wow, I hadn’t realized I have been here this long! It has been an amazing journey though, and one I’ll never forget.

My first year seems as though it flew by fast. The first semester at NVC, I remember feeling a bit nervous and apprehensive because I was afraid I’d be alone, as many of my friends from high school went to different colleges and universities. That changed the first few days when I met up with many old friends and rekindled old friendships while developing new ones. Along the way, I also took classes with the best teachers who really shaped me to where I am today.

My second year, I was blessed to be a part of a student leadership program, also known as College Ambassadors (it’s one of the reasons I’m writing this blog J ). The ambassador experience has truly been a wonderful one. I’ve gained much leadership experience and worked with amazing people. Our ambassador group truly is like a second family to me. Our ambassador supervisor, Darryl Nettles, has encouraged us all to reach towards our potential and made volunteer work around campus a blast! Special thanks to Darryl and also Kelly Blanco for giving me opportunities to gain ambassador hours while working with the Cat Crew as well.

With all the leadership experience and education I’ve gained, as well as the friendships and memories made here at Northwest Vista, these past two years truly have been some of the best of my life. Whoever said that the best years of your life are in high school obviously never took advantage of the college experience. Thank you Northwest Vista for making my first college experience a great one!

Marisa Luna
NVC Ambassador
Class of 2011