More than once in a while, a web alert tells me about a former student who has moved on and is doing well. I should share these stories more often.
Class ferments brewery
For example, you never know when what is learned at FRCC will blossom. Matt Cutter took an entrepreneurship class at FRCC in 1996. Fast forward (or maybe not so fast), and The Boulder Weekly features Matt and his Upslope Brewery.
Student leader to bioengineering student
Not as much time flew by for Rachelle Walter, who is a student in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado-Denver. It wasn’t that long ago that Rachelle was the president of the Student Government Association at FRCC’s Boulder County Campus.
Not a month goes without someone at FRCC receiving a thank-you email. Here’s a sample that crossed my desk in January.
Marine veteran to student to entrepreneur
Remember Nate Saam? He found FRCC to be a beacon of hope. Now he’s an entrepreneur.
From FRCC to Art Institute of Chicago
Someone who was last a student at FRCC in 1988 is now a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. “A student’s college environment and classroom experience are an important part of their preparation for the transfer process, and play a valuable role in helping us determine who will be offered a place in our incoming class,” a dean wrote to us. “We know that the guidance your institution provided has been a key factor in (this student’s) transferring and current success. You can be proud that your alum is attending ‘America’s most influential art school’.”
That may have been a pro forma letter. Students write from the heart.
Between Stanford and Georgia Tech, FRCC
A Stanford University alumnus who is pursuing a master’s degree in computer engineering from Georgia Tech: “My time at FRCC Community College was central to being selected for this opportunity, and I am grateful for all the school did for me. I particularly want to commend my professor, Greg Chiarella from whom I took two crucial classes in C++ programming. I will always be grateful he was willing to take his evenings to assist me and all the other students in the classes.”
A new student’s fantastic experience
“This was my first semester at FRCC and it was a fantastic experience. The professors are dedicated to their students’ success, and it is a wonderful feeling to have the support one needs to succeed. Specifically I would like to thank Colleen Burton, Wyatt Fisher, Jennifer Loseke, and Stephen Patterson. Through their caring support I thrived in my first semester, setting me up for success in my future educational endeavors. Thank you for making this semester so interesting, challenging and successful. Thank you for laying the foundation for my academic success.”
Career possibility
“I took microbiology. Dr. Anjali Vaidya is outstanding. From her class, I improved my critical thinking, and I began to be interested with microbiology. I began to think about my career with microbiology.”
A new beginning
“It was a surprise to me that everyone was so friendly and that there were a lot of people that had the same issues as I do working in the Early Childhood Education field. I was surprised that Mernie Rosenberg was so open and so friendly. I feel more equipped than I did two months ago. I have tried multiple concepts in my classroom, and they all seem to work. This class was amazing, and I have decided to go back to school. It’s funny because when I met with the advisor at the beginning I kept telling her that I want to get my class and be done. Now I want to be here! Hello to a new beginning.”
These are just some of the examples of how FRCC lives its mission: We enrich lives through learning.
