Record details
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If there ever was anyone more reluctant to attend Tyler Junior College than me, I don’t know who it could be. First, my mom works at TJC and mom plus most of my relatives attended TJC where they participated in Band, Belles, nursing school, and sports. I heard about it all my life and I was determined not to go to TJC!
Second, I had done lots of special things while living in my home town. In high school, I played the trumpet in our band, earned high grades and participated in church activities. I was also chosen as the Rose Growers Duchess for the Texas Rose Festival, which carried on the tradition for our family of rose growers. My trumpet playing in the band was even good enough to be offered a scholarship at TJC, which I turned down. Most of my friends were going off to major universities that were prestigious and located in interesting places, and I was ready to be away from here. I couldn’t think of anything exciting or special about going to TJC!
Going four years to a private university is a huge financial strain, and when I couldn’t get much financial aid, it became clear we couldn’t afford my top choice, so I applied to another college. I had my course schedule, roommate and everything set but it just didn’t feel right. The week before school, I announced that I would just sit out a semester, work full-time, and then enroll in the college of my choice. My parents let me know that staying home was not an option but that TJC was. It seemed like a trap was closing on me and I was miserable.
My dad had played trombone in a band with (TJC Band Director) Tom Mensch in previous years, so he decided to give him a call. Even though I had already turned down that TJC band scholarship and band week started that Monday, Tom told my dad that he’d still be glad to have me. My father thought I’d be excited, but I cried all weekend. I went to enroll that Monday, and cried while I waited in every line. When I went for my I.D. picture, I had to wait 30 minutes to compose myself so I could take a decent photo.
Now I laugh with family about how I would come to mom’s office between classes and lay my head on her desk crying during those first three weeks at TJC. Her boss would come out of his office and see me crying. Later, he’d offer words of encouragement to mom saying “it’ll be all right. Just give her time.” After two weeks of tears, even he started to wonder if it really would be all right. Even Mr. Mensch told mom and dad that my face said it all. My parents promised me that if I could get through the semester, I could transfer to another college in spring.
By the third week of school, my mom and her boss, and everyone else was seeing less of their drama queen. I liked my professors, enjoyed being in the band, and had made new friends. Rather than transfer right away, I decided I’d wait and finish out the spring semester, too. After my first year, I decided I wanted to stay another year because, in spite of myself, black and gold were becoming my favorite colors! I took rigorous courses that would all transfer, earning almost straight A’s, so scholarship offers started coming my way. I made great new friends, had a wonderful time performing in the TJC Band and became Band President.
During those two years, friends that I had envied for being able to go away to what seemed like more prestigious colleges were already back home. Many hadn’t been ready to cope with a big university environment, or with being so far away from home, or even having a clear direction as to what their major was going to be.
My family teases me that even with all the tears at the start, I shed my biggest tears when I finally had to leave TJC. Not only did I get a solid foundation there, I spent two of the best years of my life and made forever friends.
Baylor University, which had always been my dream, offered me a generous scholarship based upon my grades as an honors graduate of TJC. Baylor accepted 62 TJC credit hours, which made me a junior. I only needed two required religion courses and I would be a second semester junior. I soon discovered that the solid preparation at TJC put me ahead of many classmates.
Last year, mom was diagnosed with cancer and I’m so glad I spent those two years at TJC. I got to be around my family members, plus my TJC scholarships helped ease our financial burdens.
Some people may be like I was and have a negative opinion of a community college, even if they never went to one. Regardless of any preconceived stereotypes, I discovered (albeit unwillingly) that TJC is not JUST a community college. It is so much more. Anyone trying to compare TJC to a community college in their area would find out that there is no comparison!
Building on the success I experienced at TJC helped me be a better and stronger Baylor student. Although Baylor is academically challenging, the strong foundation from TJC has helped me earn a place on the Dean’s list.
Baylor is a great university with a rich history and I’m very proud that I will be fulfilling my dream of becoming an alumnus of Baylor. And even though TJC wasn’t my dream college at the start, I’m also a very proud TJC Apache alum. TJC fulfilled the steps needed to achieve my dream!
- Biography
- TJC Hero and Friend Elizabeth Horton will graduate from Baylor in December with a degree in Sports and Recreation Management. She is a member of the Baylor University Golden Wave Band and Courtside Players. Her mom, who has been battling cancer during Elizabeth’s time at Baylor, is also going strong and getting stronger, making her TJC colleagues very thankful. Elizabeth, Starla and Ken, and other members of the family agree that TJC is a “diamond in a gold setting” for a community college.