Austin Community College District (ACC) will honor more than 3,700 graduates at its Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 14, at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park. Family, friends, and supporters are invited to cheer on students as they cross the stage and step into their next chapter.
Among them is 19-year-old Laila Atlas. The Free Tuition graduate started at ACC in fall 2024. She will earn her Associate of Applied Science in General Studies of Science, Biology, and Pre-Health Sciences. During her time, Laila stayed busy working, volunteering, and participating in the Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa.
Read more about her path to graduation below.
Why did you choose ACC?
Flexibility + Free Tuition. I was able to work full-time while attending classes full-time. I chose ACC because when I graduated from high school a year early, my path looked different from a lot of other students. I declared graduation at the very end of my junior year, so most university application deadlines had already passed, and at that point, ACC became the most realistic option for me, but it also became much more than that. It gave me a way to keep moving forward instead of waiting. I wanted to begin working toward a career that could help me support my family financially, and ACC gave me the opportunity to continue my education while still being able to balance out everything else in my life.
What challenge did you overcome on your way to graduation?
I overcame financial burdens and family obligations, but the biggest challenge was doubt. I would always hear others telling me that what I was doing or planning to do seemed impossible, and I ended up accomplishing much more. I am sure that my schedule looked impossible to anyone viewing it from the outside, and honestly, it almost always felt impossible. But I had hope and confidence in my abilities to quickly learn and adapt. I was working full-time as a medical assistant in pediatric and adult neurosurgery while also taking full-time classes, even during the summer. I took exams during lunch breaks, completed a lot of coursework during any break I could get, attended Saturday classes, and often stayed up through the night trying to catch up with the impossible schedule I chose. As a first-generation Syrian student, family responsibility was and always has been part of my life. I was born and raised in Damascus, Syria, lived in Malaysia due to war, before moving to Austin, Texas, in 2017, where my family became my only family in the United States. Because of that, financial, health, and family obligations were never something I could ignore. I had to learn how to carry everything at once and still keep going.
The moment you knew you were on the right path:
The moment I knew I was on the right path was when I looked at my degree progress and realized I had enough credits to graduate by the following semester. For the longest time, I felt like I was putting in so much work without seeing any results or accomplishments, but then I realized that there was a pattern— I was almost always the youngest person in every room. I wasn’t planning on graduating, even as early as this semester. I was mainly focused on transferring, so I didn’t realize how much progress I had already made. Then, eventually and suddenly, I saw that all of those long days, late nights, and difficult choices had actually built something real.
How did ACC support you?
ACC supported me in many different ways, advising, mentoring, tutoring, and just so much support from faculty and staff. ACC’s Continuing Education Division was able to provide me with a certification for medical assisting. The Free Tuition program made a major difference because it allowed me to continue my education while still helping my family. Without that support, I may have been stuck working full-time without knowing when, or if, I could invest in school. My advisor, Ms. Erika Gupta, also supported me in many ways. Whenever I first started attending ACC, she never doubted me or my ability. Her support has meant a lot throughout my time at ACC because it reminded me that I was not moving through my life or education alone.
What are you most proud of from your time here?
I am most proud of maintaining my academic excellence while balancing work, school, and family obligations. I completed 68 credits by this graduation while working in a medical field that confirmed my goal of becoming a physician. I am proud that I kept going even when I felt like doors were being slammed in my face.
What’s next for you?
At the moment, I’m waiting to hear back from different universities for transfer admissions, both in-state and out-of-state. I want to pursue neuroscience in the fall and continue preparing for medical school. I also want to continue gaining clinical experience, surgical shadowing, volunteering, and research experience within the next couple of years. Working in pediatric and adult neurosurgery has already shown me the kind of field I want to be part of, and I hope to keep building toward a future in medicine.
What advice would you give someone considering college?
The impossible is always within reach. For every locked door you encounter, a key exists. You simply have to be the one to find it, as long as it may take and as difficult as it may be. Your age and situation do not define how far you can go, so do not let the idea of a perfect path stop you from taking the path that is available to you– it might be the best decision you’ll ever make.
Tags: biology, Free Tuition, General Studies, Pre-Health Science, Spring 2026 Commencement, Spring 2026 Graduation
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