Austin Community College District (ACC) celebrates more than 2,740 graduates at its spring 2023 commencement ceremony. This commencement ceremony marks the college’s 50th anniversary.

Friends and family are invited to congratulate students Friday, May 12, at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park.

One of those students is Magdalene Kweshe. Magdalene, originally from Cameroon, is a married mother with four kids between the ages of 11 and 4. After moving to the U.S. in July 2014, Magdalene began at ACC in fall 2018. She will be graduating as a registered nurse. Hear more about her story below.

Written by: Magdalene Kweshe

Tell me about your time at ACC: I started at ACC by taking the TSI, and I didn’t pass the math part of it. So, I had to take developmental math. At first, I was frustrated, but that laid a strong foundation for me— I didn’t have any problems with pharmacology and dosage calculations. After my prerequisite, I applied to the nursing program in December 2020 but wasn’t accepted. That felt horrible, especially because I had everything planned out. I was sad for a while but while waiting for the next application, I decided to take some BSN classes. And as God may have it, with the next application, there was the opportunity for the Accelerated Nursing Track program (ANT), which is 18 months. I applied for it and was accepted, and here I am, graduating in May after 18 months. Was it an easy journey for me? I will say no because it was fast, and having kids under 10 years and doing this wasn’t easy, but ACC offers many resources that helped me navigate through successfully.
How does it feel to be graduating: It feels surreal! I am so happy that I didn’t give up and that my dreams are becoming real.
What was your favorite part of ACC: My favorite part was hospital clinicals, where we got to help provide care to real patients, unlike simulations. And so many times, these patients are thankful and offer words of encouragement — just the environment to help prepare me for when I become a nurse.
Any faculty or staff you want to recognize supporting you: I would like to recognize Sarah Garcia-Portillo, the academic tutor in the Nursing department. She helped me so much with how to study, answer NCLEX-style questions, and use resources; her encouragement was uplifting. You don’t have to be failing to meet with her. She is the go-to person if you need tips to succeed in nursing school.
What is next for you: Start making the money, haha. I am also considering getting my BSN, and as I said earlier, I have already taken some of the courses.
What would you tell someone considering applying for college: I would tell the person to go for it. The first step is starting, and once you start, before you know it, you are done. There are a lot of resources available to help you navigate through college. There is Capital Idea that not only pays for all your school needs but also helps out with some of your financial burdens, and ACC has many resources, from financial aid to food pantries, academic tutors, and more.

Tags: commencement, graduation, Spring 2023 Graduation, spring commencement