Recently, 30 motivated high school students from Boerne ISD earned their Occupational Skills Award (OSA). This significant academic achievement puts them on a fast track to a career in the high-demand field of cybersecurity. By completing dual credit courses and specialized technical training at Northwest Vista College (NVC), these students are already gaining the skills needed to succeed in a growing industry, all before they even graduate high school. The students - part of the P-TECH Early College program between NVC and Boerne ISD - were celebrated at a recognition ceremony attended by their families, faculty, and Boerne district officials, along with NVC President Dr. Amy Bosley. The event also served as a new student orientation, where incoming freshmen and their families witnessed what they can achieve through the program. P-TECH allows students an opportunity to receive both a high school diploma and a credential and/or an associate degree. The OSA is the first step toward an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. It gives students a valuable head start in their college and career journey. An additional 12 students are expected to complete their OSA by Spring 2026, further strengthening the talent pipeline for the cybersecurity industry. This upcoming spring will be a special moment for the program, as the inaugural cohort of high school students will graduate with both their associate degrees and industry certifications. In the spring of 2025, Annabella Parker and Irvin Jace Smith, former dual credit students from Boerne’s Champions High, graduated from high school and earned their associate degrees from Northwest Vista College at the same time. Omar Chavira, NVC College Coordinator of High School Programs, said that by earning industry-relevant certifications and a high school and associate degrees, students gain a critical head start in the workforce. “This opens doors to high-demand careers in cybersecurity and gives them a strong foundation for further education or immediate employment after graduation,” he added. “I'm incredibly proud to work alongside these dedicated students. At Northwest Vista College, we are here to change lives, create opportunity, and provide access for all students!"

Northwest Vista College is marking its 30th anniversary this year so we’ve decided to reconnect with a few of our graduates to learn what earning a degree from NVC has meant for their lives and careers. Among those graduates is Brandy Barksdale, who received an Associate of Arts in Business Administration in 2009. She continued her education at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities in 2012 and a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration in 2014. Barksdale said the supportive environment at NVC, and the dedicated faculty inspired her to pursue further education and leadership roles. “The experience shaped my values and commitment to student success, which continues to guide my work today.” The San Antonio native said Northwest Vista College provided a strong academic foundation that helped her develop the critical thinking and communication skills that she utilizes in her current job as the associate director for Student Success Programs at UTSA. As associate director, Barksdale supervises teams that work with students who have recently been dismissed and reinstated. She also oversees programs that help students who are conditionally admitted to UTSA as well as those on academic probation. During her 12 years at UTSA, she has worked for Student Success also serving as an academic advisor. Barksdale’s career choice is no coincidence; as an undergrad she had initially wanted to pursue a medical career but changed her mind after seeing the positive impact that Student Success had on students’ academic journey. Barksdale believes that her time as a NVC Wildcat has made it easier for her to assist transfer students from NVC. “When I was an advisor, I would know what classes they would need, and what their experience would be like and share my experience when there were no buildings at Vista, only portables,” said Barksdale. “I remember the beginning stages of the building up of the campus and well before the amazing water features.” Over the years, Barksdale has visited NVC for professional functions and said she has enjoyed seeing the growth of the campus as well as the success of the students. Her advice to current students is to take advantage of every opportunity to gain real-world experience, including short-term internships or volunteer roles. She also thinks it’s important for them to remember that everyone’s journey is different. “I tell my students everyone’s journey ends up in the same pot of gold, but your color may be different on the rainbow,” said Barksdale. “So, choose your color, ride your journey, and empower yourself to know that it’s yours and be your own self-author.” VISIT NVC'S 30 YEAR CELEBRATION WEBPAGE

Northwest Vista College's Career Experience team recently hosted and organized a Work-Study Connection Fair to help students secure on-campus employment that aligns with their academic and professional goals. The event, held at the Desert Willow Welcome Center, aimed to streamline the process for students interested in the Federal Work-Study program, a financial aid program that offers part-time jobs to eligible students. Corena Nash, NVC Career Experience Team Lead, said, "For many of our students, this experience represents their first opportunity to participate in an interview, secure a job, and begin developing transferable skills that will support their future career growth. We are excited to support their development and success in these roles." The fair, which was in partnership with Financial Aid and Human Resources, provided a one-stop shop for students to get personalized guidance on the work-study application process, review their financial aid packages, and explore available job openings. According to Eva T. Gaitan, Associate Director for Student Financial Aid, Federal Work Study for the Alamo Colleges District, Northwest Vista College has a total of 101 on-campus work-study positions allotted for 2025-2026 academic year. “About 40-50 placements are open and specifically available for new students looking for employment this academic year,” said Gaitan. “The other positions are those held by our returning students already placed in job positions across the college,” she added. During the fair, students also had an opportunity to change employment to another department. “Northwest Vista College is committed to helping students find meaningful work that not only helps them pay for school but also provides valuable professional experience,” said Cameron Schmoker, NVC’s Lead Financial Aid Advisor. “The Work-Study Connection Fair connects students with various departments across campus, offering a range of positions to match their skills and interests,” he added. Two more Work-Study Connection Fairs will be held in September on the following days: Thursday, September 4: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Wednesday, September 10: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Northwest Vista College (NVC) buzzed with energy on Thursday, Aug. 21, as it hosted its first Campus Connection Day. Hundreds of new and returning students flocked to the campus to prepare for the upcoming fall semester. The event aimed to familiarize students with the college environment, allowing them to meet faculty, locate their classrooms, connect with peers, and discover the vast array of resources available to support their academic journey. NVC leadership, faculty, and staff were providing information or directions to specific campus locations, and giving students a crash course in how to access the new ACES portal and the new Alamo Colleges Mobile app. Students came with their families and friends in droves, asking insightful questions such as where to find their classes in ACES, what supplies to bring for class, and how they could get laptops. This direct interaction aimed to ease any anxieties students might have about transitioning to college from high school or returning to the academic setting after years in the workforce. Vice President for Academic Success Dr. Sara Lozano said she couldn’t have dreamed of a better turnout for the event. “We want students to know that we are here for them, we believe in them, and that they belong at Vista,” she said. “Having this event before classes begin next week helps students build those connections and sets them on a path to success from the very first day.” A key focus of the event was to introduce students to the numerous support services offered by NVC. Representatives from advising, career services, financial aid, tutoring centers, the library, advocacy, disability, and veterans’ services were on hand to answer questions and provide valuable information. In Huisache Hall and throughout campus, information booths showcasing student clubs and organizations highlighted opportunities for involvement and engagement beyond the classroom. This Campus Connection Day underscores Northwest Vista College's commitment to student success and fostering a strong sense of community. A key sentiment voiced by students attending the event was that they felt the campus was welcoming and experienced a sense of belonging. Brennan High School graduates Maya Irby and Sophia Ponce have been friends since middle school and decided to begin their college journey together at NVC. Irby, who plans to study marketing, likes the fact that NVC is affordable and close to home. Ponce, an AlamoPROMISE student, wants to study kinesiology and become a physical therapist. “I am very happy to have been given the chance to not only be fully covered with AlamoPROMISE, but also to expand and get out of my comfort zone,” said Ponce. “I did expect to go to a university right off the bat, but this feels like almost the exact same experience. It’s a good community all around, so I’m very thankful.” Recent Taft High graduate, James Smith, is also an Alamo PROMISE student. Smith, who plans to study dance, learned about NVC’s dance program during a school field trip. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been dancing, and I want to make a career out of it,” Smith said. Returning student, Daniel Ramirez, who is also taking advantage of the AlamoPROMISE program, advises new students to get involved by joining a club. “People here are really friendly; try to find some time to get connected,” he said. “You’ll love it.” He is studying psychology, but said NVC is a great place for students who like learning but haven’t yet figured out what they want to do. “There are a lot of resources here to help you find what your niche is, where your strengths are,” Ramirez said. “This is a good place for that. You’re almost guaranteed not to fail.”

(2007-2010) Step back in time to an exciting era at NVC! Discover how groundbreaking expansions, prestigious national recognitions, and a surge in student enrollment transformed the campus from 2007 to 2010. From new buildings and a central lake to innovative parking solutions, learn how NVC laid the foundation for its remarkable growth and success. Earth Day 2007 was exciting at NVC – the college broke ground on Juniper Hall and Redbud Learning Center and pledged preservation alongside expansion. The northeast side of campus began changing daily, and NVC was getting ready to serve more students from Alamo Ranch and other new neighborhoods growing nearby. Recognitions Two significant recognitions for NVC that year included the Texas Award for Performance Excellence from the Quality Texas Foundation and a recognition for NVC’s development math program from the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE). At the time, NVC’s developmental math program was the only one in the nation to receive the NADE recognition at the Distinguished Level. In 2007, 96% of students surveyed said they would recommend NVC to others. This, along with other factors, may have helped the college with the Fall 2008 enrollment, which soared to 11,961. That was a 4% increase over the projected enrollment for 2015. A year later, NVC was recognized by Community College Week as one of the Top 100 associate degree producers. The publication ranked NVC 10th in the nation among those colleges that saw the biggest increase in students’ degree attainment between 2003 and 2007. This was based on data from the U.S. Department of Education Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, or IPEDS. Another college accolade came in 2009 when NVC was recognized for exemplary practices in integrating academic and career advising by the National Academic Advising Association, an organization that promotes quality academic advising in institutions of higher education. Expansion Through the collaborative work of NVC’s College Services and other departments, the college opened five new buildings in 2009: Redbud Learning Center, Juniper Hall, Live Oak Hall, Cypress Campus Center (now the Cypress Cultural Center), and the Palmetto Center for the Arts. This added 319,947 square feet to the existing campus. The lake, Lago Vista, in the heart of the campus, united the surrounding buildings and became a central point of campus life for employees, students, and visitors. As new buildings opened, the existing buildings were renamed for Texas native trees, while the parking lots were named for native flowers. The Learning Center became Manzanillo Hall, the Academic Building became Mountain Laurel Hall, the College Commons became Huisache Hall, the Community and Technology Center became Pecan Hall, and the physical plant became the Texas Persimmon Physical Plant. During this period of expansion, the Northwest Vista College community encountered considerable parking challenges. NVC leadership promptly addressed this by collaborating with neighboring SeaWorld San Antonio, securing a temporary parking lot and providing shuttle services for students, faculty, and staff. This effective solution remained in place until the Prickly Pear Parking Garage was completed a couple of years later. This growth mirrored NVC’s academic achievements: in 2009, students earned 827 associate degrees and certificates, a figure that surged to 1,289 just one year later. By Fall 2010, student enrollment climbed to 15,921. These impressive growth figures underscore NVC’s commitment to accommodating its expanding community while consistently elevating student success.  Watch for next month’s Retrospective: 2011 – 2014. Do you have a 30 Year story to share? Please send a short summary of your story idea to NVC-News@alamo.edu. We will contact you for more information. VISIT NVC'S 30 YEAR CELEBRATION WEBPAGE

A recent Northwest Vista College (NVC) workshop empowered faculty to transform courses for an enriched student experience. NVC faculty found that a well-designed Canvas course, interactive activities, and even a reduced first-week workload can make all the difference. Eleven brave faculty members this summer took on the challenge to redesign their Canvas course in an attempt to help students be more successful. The summer workshop was the first iteration of its kind from NVC’s new Center for Teaching and Learning. The course was co-facilitated by Chad Mueller and Sarah Ball, who are also co-directors of the new Center, located on the second floor of Manzanillo Hall. “I was blown away with what I saw,” said NVC President Dr. Amy Bosley at the Aug. 7 presentation event. “Think about what this will mean for the student experience? If we can just help three more students be successful in class, then this program was worth the investment.” Mueller said the new program was meant to give busy faculty a fresh look at their course from a compassionate lens. He added that faculty were encouraged to use a sleek new Canvas template, buttons, and navigation prompts to help students easily get through the course, along with a variety of technology tools to enhance learning. The course included expert speakers: Migdalia Garcia, Veronica Luna, Melinda Zepeda, and Alamo Colleges Online Instructional Designer Diana McCurtain-Talbert. For instance, English and reading instructor Britt Posey incorporated resources and links into her Canvas shell to help parenting students by connecting them with needed resources and sharing mentoring opportunities. She also incorporated compassionate language from a caring perspective. Hector Trevino said the summer workshop allowed him to focus on the student experience in his college algebra class, particularly on the students’ experience interacting with peers. To ease math anxiety, Trevino uses numerous videos and assigns no work during the first week of class.Yvette Uresti, a pre-calculus instructor, said redesigning her online course involved significantly shortening her syllabus and using AI to make the language more compassionate. She also appreciated using a modern, well-organized Canvas template. NVC Vice President for Academic Success Dr. Sara Lozano expressed her gratitude to the faculty who spent time in this workshop, noting their dedication to continuous improvement. “Even small changes make a big difference for students,” Lozano added. To learn more about this workshop, contact Sarah Ball or Chad Mueller.