Melissa

The positive impact that ACC has had on my life has been enormous! I am living proof that you can accomplish anything you put your mind too even without much of a support system or money. I am the first in my family to receive a higher education. When I began attending ACC in 1998, I was a single mom of five. My family and friends did not understand why I was “wasting my time with school.” This is a comment I remember. Now, they see why. My educational determination has enhanced not only my life but also the lives of my children. My daughter Jessica is a freshman currently at TTU. She is the first in family to go to a university straight from high school and live in a dorm. I am so proud of her! Two of my boys aspire to attend UT and one states he “wants to go to any university that is far, far away from here.” I am just happy my children are growing up wanting and understanding they all have the opportunity for a higher education. Also I am blessed because they all know the benefits of knowledge. They experienced it personally. I graduated in 2001 with a certificate in nursing (LVN) and continued my education at ACC. I graduated again in 2003 with an associate in nursing (ADN) and continued my education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center through an online program. I graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) and continued my education with TTUHSC. I will graduate again in December of 2011 with a master’s in nursing and am a new faculty member in the Vocational Nursing Program here at ACC. And now I am in a position to give back. I want to be a mentor for students who do not have one and need someone to motivate them and believe in them. This is my next goal and to put the rest of my children through school.