Coming Full Circle

She first set foot on a Tarrant County College campus more than 30 years ago. In May, Teresa Ayala returned: this time, as the newest member of TCC’s Board of Trustees.

Ayala and fellow TCC alumnus Josh Barber vied for the District 1 position previously held by Robyn Medina Winnett. Ayala received 3,555 votes to Barber’s 2,454, winning election to the board in May 2015 with 59 percent of the vote.

“Serving my community and cultivating relationships is something I observed in my parents and it was instilled in me at a young age that we can all help others. Observing those values firsthand and growing up in a family of educators, I realize that education enlightens, empowers and transforms individuals, families and neighborhoods.”

Louise Appleman, TCC Board of Trustees president, welcomed Ayala to the board.

“As a life-long resident of District 1, she brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the interests and needs of the community,” Appleman said. “As she campaigned, walking door-to-door and attending meetings and gatherings, she gleaned an even wider and deeper perspective of other areas in the District.”

Ayala’s first introduction to TCC came through a summer reading program in 1978.

“I was so excited about attending a college campus and I still have my certificate of completion,” she said.

After graduating from high school, Ayala returned to TCC in 1983, drawn by the small classes, one-on-one attention from professors and an institution that provided an affordable, quality education.

“Transitioning from a smaller high school where many of us grew up together, it was important for me to have a strong support system and I knew I would find that at TCC,” she said.

After earning her Bachelor of General Studies and Master of Liberal Arts degrees from Texas Christian University, Ayala returned to TCC as an adjunct instructor. She currently works for HP Enterprise Services as a contract manager.

Ayala plans to use her educational and professional experience to strengthen TCC in three areas. She would like to see students keep on the path to completion, further partnerships for workforce development and put the best technology in classrooms for effective learning.

To help students complete their education, she believes incoming students should be assessed for college readiness and then placed in appropriate classes. To do that, the students would need proper counseling and officials must make data-driven decisions.

The second part of helping students succeed stems from the positive influence of caregivers, whether parents, grandparents or others.

“I was truly blessed to have parents who valued education,” Ayala said. “We must collaborate with elementary, middle and high school pyramids to implement parent-university programs that provide families with effective tools to help them grow through education.”