Jaime Salazar, a 41-year-old Mathematics major who will be moving on to the University of Texas at San Antonio, said, “I liked it because the classrooms are smaller so you have more one-on-one with the instructors.”

The helpful faculty and staff are what Karen Garcia likes the most about Palo Alto. Garcia, a 24-year-old Psychology major who will also be moving on to UTSA, said, “The people are great. The staff is very friendly. All you have to do is ask for help and someone on the staff will help you or refer you to someone who will.”

Moving on to a university after attending a community college can be intimidating if a student is not adequately prepared. However, that is not the case with these graduates.

Donna McDaniel, a 45-year-old Criminal Justice major and a Criminology major at Texas A&M on campus, credits professors such as Alfred Alvarez and Diane Beechinor in helping her prepare for her success.

“I was very bad at Math. He (Alvarez) sent me home with tapes and CDs. Anything that would help. If it hadn’t been for Beechinor, I would have never made it through Biology,” said McDaniel.

Michael Perez, a 29-year-old Elementary Education major who will be graduating from the University of Incarnate Word in May 2005, enjoyed the teaching style of first-year Literature professor David Rushman.

Rebecca Contreras, a 27-year-old History major who will be moving on to Our Lady of the Lake University, said, “If I would have started anywhere else, I don’t think I would have been as comfortable to move on.”

Like most of her peers, Contreras feels a sense of accomplishment when she thinks about the upcoming commencement ceremony that will begin at 7 p.m. on May 7, 2004, at Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium. Dr. J. Terence Kelly, Chancellor of the Alamo Community College District, will give the keynote address. An estimated 350 students will graduate this year, but the final count will not become official until after the Spring semester grades are submitted on May 13, 2004.

It took me a long time. I have two boys, and it was really hard being a single mother for awhile,” said Contreras.

Contreras would begin each semester enrolled with 15 hours. However, because she was working so much, she was always forced to drop some classes.

“It’s been a struggle. It’s taken me awhile, but I’m finally here. This is a big accomplishment,” she said.

While this kind of sentiment is present in many students, for some it took some heartening words from loved ones to realize the importance of this day.

Elaine Salazar is a 23-year-old Computer Information Systems major who admits that she was hesitant to participate in the ceremony in the first place.
“Truthfully, I wasn’t that enthusiastic but my father was the one that said, “‘You did this. You accomplished a lot, and I want to see you cross that stage.’”

Even with the feeling of accomplishment, there are still some small regrets that students wished they had learned sooner.

“I can look back now, and the only thing I regret is I wished I had finished a lot sooner,” said 42-year-old History major Louisa Vallejo. “I wish I had known what I wanted right after high school.”

It has taken Vallejo 20 years to get where she is today. She changed her major a few times over the course of her college career..

While students are reminiscing about the past, enjoying the feeling of accomplishment, or wishing away old regrets, one thing is certain, the first Friday in May 2004 will be a day they will never forget.