There comes a time in most people’s lives when they must decide whether to attend college.
Some choose to move off to a big, busy college town to go to a four-year university.
Others decide to stay close to home and start their higher education at a two-year community school such as Amarillo College.
Students fresh out of high school and those who come back to school later on in life to get, or finish, their degree can find their place at AC.
As a two-year college, AC offers several degree plans that students use as a springboard for their education that allows them to continue at a four-year university.
“I wanted to get my basics done and then transfer to a university,” said sports and exercise sciences major Emily Humphrey.
“AC is a good place to start, and I’m glad I chose to start here.”
Though some students plan to stay in Texas after starting at AC, others talked about pursuing their dreams elsewhere.
Seth Brogdon, a music major, said he plans to move to Arizona to attend the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences.
“It is one of the few schools with a decent program,” he said, adding that the shorter program will allow him a quicker route to his career.
While a head start on a four-year degree convinced some students to enroll at AC, students such as psychology major Brenda Patterson said sometimes the choice to become a Badger was influenced by the people around them.
“Friends and sons and daughters-in-laws took most of their classes here, even though they were considered West Texas A&M students,” Patterson said.
There also are those who choose AC for the chance to teach in the world of higher education.
Government instructor Gary Douglass said his decision to work at AC was a simple one.
“They needed someone to teach government, and I had government students to teach,” he said.
From government courses to math courses and beyond, staff members said there’s always somebody around to assist students in whatever way they can.
“I love helping students, and I love to see them succeed,” said Math Testing Center supervisor and part-time instructor Christina Gonzales. “I’m just a people person, and I’m caring and motivating. I’ve been here for 20 years, and that’s just what I love to do.”
Instructors and professors aren’t the only ones who have found a home at AC.
Cashier Linda Banks works at the bookstore on the Washington Street Campus and said she enjoys working with the students.
“Being around the younger people, it keeps me young,” Banks said.
“Basically, it gives me a reason to get up in the morning.”
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