{"id":51433,"date":"2024-12-10T12:41:13","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T17:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=51433"},"modified":"2024-12-10T12:41:13","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T17:41:13","slug":"life-happens-to-throw-curveballs-meet-acc-fall-2024-graduate-helen-abraha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2024\/12\/10\/life-happens-to-throw-curveballs-meet-acc-fall-2024-graduate-helen-abraha\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cLife happens to throw curveballs\u201d: Meet ACC fall 2024 graduate Helen Abraha"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Austin Community College District (ACC) celebrates more than 3,900 graduates at its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.austincc.edu\/students\/graduation\/commencement-graduation-ceremony\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fall 2024 commencement ceremony<\/a>. Friends and family are invited to congratulate students at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park on Thursday, December 12.<\/p>\n<p>One of those students is 25-year-old Helen Abraha, who just completed her pre-health sciences degree.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hear more about her journey at ACC.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"840\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/12\/IMG_7921-1024x840.jpeg\" alt=\"photo of Helen in front of green hills\" class=\"wp-image-51434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/12\/IMG_7921-1024x840.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/12\/IMG_7921-300x246.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/12\/IMG_7921-768x630.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/12\/IMG_7921-150x123.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/12\/IMG_7921.jpeg 1271w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Why did you choose ACC?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I picked ACC because it allowed me to continue my education while staying close to home. The convenience, affordability, and strong programs made it the right choice for me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How does it feel to be graduating?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It has taken me some years to finally get here, as life happens to throw curveballs. It feels amazing to complete all that I&#8217;ve worked toward!<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was your favorite part of ACC?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My favorite part of ACC was the journey. It wasn\u2019t just about studying but about growing as a person. I made friends, learned from supportive professors, and got help from counselors. ACC provided resources like tutoring and workshops to help me succeed. There were also many opportunities to get involved, like student organizations, campus events, volunteer activities, and the volleyball club. The mentorship and leadership programs gave me a chance to develop important skills and connect with others. I often checked flyers and the student portal to find ways to get involved and grow. Each step of the journey helped me become a better version of myself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Any faculty or staff you want to recognize supporting you?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Big shout out to my professors and counselors, you\u2019ve all been amazing!<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s next for you?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m planning to transfer to Texas State University to earn my bachelor\u2019s degree in nursing. I\u2019m ready for this next step and excited for the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What would you tell someone considering applying to college?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Go for it! College is a journey of growth. It helps you discover who you are, try new things, and open doors to endless opportunities. Embrace the challenges, learn from them, and trust that each step shapes your future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anything else you\u2019d like to add?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I would like to say \u201cCongratulations!\u201d to all the graduates! And a huge thank you to the ACC faculty, professors, counselors, and classmates. I\u2019m so grateful for you and everything you\u2019ve done for me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Austin Community College District (ACC) celebrates more than 3,900 graduates at its fall 2024 commencement ceremony. Friends and family are invited to congratulate students at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park on Thursday, December 12. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2024\/12\/10\/life-happens-to-throw-curveballs-meet-acc-fall-2024-graduate-helen-abraha\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3930,"featured_media":51434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,15,17,19],"tags":[4078,4077,2104],"class_list":["post-51433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-students","category-facstaff-news","category-news-and-announcements","category-students-and-alumni","tag-fall-2024-commencement","tag-fall-2024-graduation","tag-health-science"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3930"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51433"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51433\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}