The Stage is Set: Alamo Grads

Advice for students considering the Alamo Colleges

Alobaiteri: Take advantage of dual credit. I have seen it where students graduate within a year or two. I also want to tell them to sign up for their classes as early as possible and don’t procrastinate.

Sullivan: The opportunities are endless. The education experience here is really tailored for you and the classes are too. It’s all about what works best for you and what will get you to graduation. I would also say get involved with student organizations on campus because there is a place for everyone.

Hernandez: I really want to emphasize that it is really important to become involved. I can say that from personal experience, you will find the people to keep you going and you will be able to network. My second advice would be that it's really important to get an internship or a work study job because you need experience once you graduate and get a degree.

Chiquito: There’s a taboo around community colleges. I think it’s the best route for students to pursue a higher education. Enrolling at the Alamo Colleges is financially smart as many people now are graduating with a lot of debt. So why not grow at the Alamo Colleges, which is much more accessible and can give you an excellent education at the same time?

Carson: I decided to attend St. Philip’s College because it's an HBCU and all the opportunities they had to offer to students from guidance to scholarships. My advice to other incoming college students would be to take pride in setting and accomplishing goals and always believe in yourself. You're capable of anything you put your mind to.

How the Alamo Colleges has prepared our graduates for the future

Dr. Mahler: The biggest thing is it doesn’t matter where you start your journey, it’s all about where you land.

Sullivan: It has broadened my view of the educational landscape from the local, state and national level. I had the opportunity to speak to people of all different backgrounds, including legislators, and the one united principle throughout all our differences is how we valued education. I really got to see how community college infuses with the community and how the Alamo Colleges District partners with local players and government officials and also how we partner with international partners, like Google.

Alobaiteri: I had a lot of resources provided by Northwest Vista College such as scholarships and the advocacy center. I applied for summer momentum and got some of my classes in the summer done. That helped me a lot in completing my associate's degree.

Hernandez: My goal is to be an attorney one day. So I just feel like the harder I work and the more I become connected, I just feel like I’m getting closer to my goal. It makes me happy as a first-generation student to be able to represent my family and Palo Alto College and the Alamo Colleges.

Chiquito: This right now is my proudest moment, to be able to graduate from a college here in the U.S. and especially as a first-generation college student.

Carson: I loved being a part of many organizations, each and every organization I was in broadened my horizon. My greatest accomplishment was being able to excel in school while being involved in many leadership roles at St. Philip’s College.

How Promise-to-Promise is positioning one student for higher education

Hernandez: When I first heard about it, I started to tear up because I was so excited. I was actually stressed about how I was going to provide for my education after finishing up here at Palo Alto College. I’m just happy that there are people out there, like the Alamo Colleges District that believes and invests in students.