The Road to Success
Ariel Peaks
I am a 22-year-old graduate of Tarrant County College and a current senior at Texas
Wesleyan University. I am majoring in Elementary Education with ESL (English as a
Second Language) and will graduate in December 2016. I am currently earning my master’s
degree as a reading specialist. Let me take you through my educational journey.
I graduated from Keller High School in June 2012. Before graduating, I had trouble finding a school that complemented me. My parents could afford a four-year university, but I did not want them to waste any money. I did not find the perfect college for myself until two years after graduating high school. TCC allowed me to save money and avoid debt after college. While at TCC, I was given the chance to grow into the student that I have become today. The College taught me how to be humble, and to not be afraid to speak up or strive for success.
While at TCC, I did an exceptional job with my academics. I was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi. The professors and staff at TCC are stellar. I received an email from Texas Wesleyan and was very interested in attending. I met with a counselor in the TCC Transfer Center to obtain information about Texas Wesleyan.
Approximately one week later my dad and I visited Texas Wesleyan. I instantly fell in love with the campus. The staff at the admissions house was very friendly. When I met with my admissions counselor and the dean of the School of Education, Carlos Martinez, I knew that Wesleyan was my new home. Even though Wesleyan is small, I felt like the entire staff truly cared about their students. This is the same care that was shown at Tarrant County College.
My first semester at Texas Wesleyan was in fall 2014. My parents have been my biggest supporters. It has been a blessing to have them motivate and encourage me through my college career. I am actively involved in the Texas State Teachers Association, Tau Sigma, Kappa Delta Pi and Student Government. My education classes are truly preparing me for my future classroom.
To me, TCC is a blessing in disguise. Students should try a two-year college before going to a four-year university. The teachers at TCC are extremely well-rounded individuals and undoubtedly care for their students.
My advice to any college student is to consider attending a community college. Two-year colleges prepare students just as well as four-year institutions.
School can be challenging at times, but never give up, keep persevering and believe in yourself. All students have a bright future and we all have a plan for our lives.
I thank God for guiding me through my college career. Work hard to reach your full potential and you will assuredly see the reward in the end. Your bright future is within reach!
Brenda Luna
I was born in Mexico and at the age of six, I moved to the United States. My family
and I entered America on a tourist visa. Six months later, my parents made the decision
to stay in America for a better future and, of course, the American dream.
Life has not been easy for us. After six months our visa expired, and we became illegal immigrants. I remember a lot of moving. There was no stability for the first 15 years of my life. At the age of 17, I had my son and three years later I became a single parent.
The road was not easy and I remember going to school while I was pregnant with him. When I became a single parent, I had no choice but to get a job. Six years later my second child, a daughter, was born. I was still a single parent.
I moved to Texas in 2009, working from one job to another. I convinced myself to get my high school diploma and then continue on to college. This is where my journey in higher education began. I began attending Tarrant County College in summer 2013. Initially, I worked full-time, while raising two children and attending college on a part-time basis. I am proud to say my current GPA at TCC is a 3.5.
As a single parent, my children help motivate me to improve my quality of life by attending college and working toward my personal and educational goals.
Brenda Bolling-Bentley, my counselor, has led me through my educational path and other
life obstacles. When I was laid off after working two years,
she guided me through becoming a full-time student at TCC.
Thanks to her, I was introduced to the Chancellor’s Emerging Leaders Program, an additional incentive to remain in college (see page 24). This program prepared me for the coaching and learning that never ends. Through the program, I acquired leadership skills and tutoring resources. I graduated from the program and now serve as an alumna.
I am a member of C.O.M.P.A.S.S., a women’s mentoring program at the Trinity River Campus. I can share my experiences and help other young mothers on their journeys. I am also proud to be a member of Phi Theta Kappa. Additionally, I was selected to receive the Chancellor’s Emerging Leaders Program Scholarship for 2015-2016 and was a recipient of the Mary I. Gourley Scholarship.
I am appreciative of the assistance given from staff at the Trinity River Campus. I will be graduating in fall 2016 and transferring to a university. I have received numerous blessings as a single mother with two children. I never believed I could accomplish what I have on my own, thanks to TCC and the astonishing staff. I am endlessly gratified that God placed these remarkable individuals in my life.
Although my journey was difficult and filled with many obstacles, my advice to others would be to never give up. There will be days that are very tough. Trust me when I say you will want to give up, but do not.
Stay close to those who see the best in you because they will be the ones to pull you through and make you see how far you have come. I will be the first college graduate in my family as a single parent. I am a leader, a stronger mother and woman—and an example to my family of where determination and perseverance can lead!