By Foster Conner
Page Editor
When Samantha Wilhelm first started taking classes at Amarillo College, she seriously considered giving up, and now she’s preparing to give a commencement speech for the 7 p.m. graduation on May 9. “I never did online classes as a homeschooler and told my mom the second week of school that I wanted to drop out because I was freaking out on how to use Blackboard.”
Originally an agriculture business major, Wilhelm is graduating with an A.S. in general studies. “I think going to AC is going to change the trajectory of my time at a four-year university,” she said.
Even though Wilhelm faced some challenges when she first started college, she said she eventually figured it out with the help of some of her instructors. “I had a lot of anxiety about starting school, but my first professor, Lesley Ingham, made me feel so comfortable and made me feel that I was going to thrive,” Wilhelm said.
Honors Program Coordinator Lesley Ingham first met Wilhelm in her public speaking class and said she recruited her to the Presidential Scholars after she gave her first speech. Ingham said she considers Wilhelm a natural choice for being one of this year’s commencement speakers.
“You know exactly what you are getting with Sam Wilhelm,” Ingham said. “You know when she gives a presentation, it is top notch, it’s going to put the audience at ease and its going to smile and feel inspired for this generation of students.” Ingham nominated Wilhelm for commencement speaker. “She is a very kindhearted and genuine person. She’s intelligent and she is a public speaking powerhouse,” Ingham said.
After finding a welcoming community at AC, Wilhelm said she hopes students are able to overcome their challenges as well. “We are going to have these moments where we feel we can’t do this,” Wilhelm said. “But I think they become less frequent throughout the journey.” Wilhelm is continuing her education at West Texas A&M University and said she will take what she learned at AC with her. “Be confident, but when you have those moments of doubt, surround yourself with people that are going to encourage you,” Wilhelm said.
After surviving a rare and aggressive cancer diagnosis in her early twenties, Ester Perez will take the stage at 3 p.m. as one of Amarillo College’s Spring 2025 commencement speakers, sharing how her health battle shaped her calling in nuclear medicine. “When I was 21 I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. The oncologist said it was a rare cancer because it was mixed with both types,” Perez said.
At that time, Perez said she was pursuing a nursing degree and had to drop out due to her declining health. “The chemo and radiation exhausted me mentally and physically but I knew I still wanted to help people,” Perez said.
Perez said the scariest parts of dealing with a cancer diagnosis were the scans, but the scans are exactly why she became interested in her career. “When I came back to Amarillo College, I wanted to be in the field of scanners and diagnostic imaging, nuclear Medicine was my clear path,” Perez said. “You have no idea the impact a few minutes of love can have on someone scared, lonely and confused. I have been there. Now I get to pass it on,” Perez said.
The Director for Nuclear Medicine, Tamra Rocsko, nominated Perez as commencement speaker because of her compassion. “The patients always loved her, and she is really good at patient care,” she said. Perez earned a certificate in phlebotomy at AC a few years ago. “She created her own travel business where she goes around drawing blood for patients who could not get out to do so,” Rocsko said.
While on the road as a traveling phlebotomist, Perez said she started her prerequisite classes online in some pretty remote locations. “It was difficult because I was living in a camper with bad wifi,” Perez said.
After graduation, Perez said she hopes to attend either the University of Arkansas or Midwestern Texas University to continue her education as a Radiology Assistant. Perez said she attributes her success to AC. “Amarillo College took me from nobody to somebody. I don’t mean in just a career. I mean Amarillo College gave me confidence, knowledge, friendships, happiness, purpose. The amount that I owe Amarillo College is incalculable,” Perez said.
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