At 54, Nichola Cotto is proving that there’s no deadline on pursuing your dreams. This fall, she’ll walk the stage at ACC’s Commencement Ceremony, joining more than 4,440 graduates at the H-E-B Center on Thursday, December 11.

Nichola enrolled in ACC’s Paralegal AAS program because, as she put it, “It offered the best degree program for me.” 

But getting started wasn’t easy. One of her biggest challenges was tuning out everyone who questioned her decision. “The noise of people asking me why I would want to go back to school in my 50s was something I had to push past.” 

Knowing she was making the right decision for herself, despite what others said, came almost immediately. 

“The very first class I took was on the road to getting here to the finish line next week,” Nichola says. From there, her confidence grew with every course. She took 4–5 classes each semester and surprised herself with how much she could take on: “I have pushed myself to learn new things and achieve greater things than I thought I could.”

Along the way, she found support at every turn. “Every time I had an issue, I could email, call, or visit a campus, and it was always taken care of.” She credits every faculty member she met: “All of them are unique and great in their own way. Their dedication to teaching is a blessing for me.”

After she crosses the graduation stage, she’s not slowing down. Nichola gets straight to work on her bachelor’s degree at Liberty University in January and plans to continue into law school.

For anyone hesitating to get started, Nichola’s message is simple and heartfelt:

“Don’t think you have to have it all figured out before you start. Just start — it will all get clearer and clearer the closer you get to your goals.”

Join us in celebrating Nichola and all of ACC’s Fall 2025 graduates by leaving them a message on our Congrats Grads Padlet Wall!

For more information, visit austincc.edu/commencement.

Tags: Congrats Grads, Fall 2025 Commencement, Fall 2025 Graduation, Paralegal