Dallas College Newsroom

There isn’t a drop of oil anywhere. There isn’t one tool out of place. Dallas College alum Christopher Manning keeps his work area at the Mercedes-Benz of Plano service center as pristine as the cars in the showroom. He’s driven to end the old “dirty mechanic” stereotype as he has become a leading voice in the industry.

Elisa Ramos reflects on graduation. "I think my parents will be overjoyed, especially since I’m the first in the family to pursue college here," she said. "It’s my dad’s dream to have professionals in the family, and I will be the first of my siblings to reach that goal. My dad is my biggest inspiration to keep studying. Since I was a little girl, he always encouraged me to follow my dreams."

The Erin Tierney Kramp Encouragement Endowed Scholarship is just one of many scholarships available for Dallas College students to pursue. Meet two 2024 Kramp scholars.

Elijah Harrington earned an associate degree through Dallas College's Dual Credit Program at age 17 and later completed a bachelor's degree in psychology, graduating at just 20 years old. He credits Dallas College with teaching him perseverance, adaptability, and the value of hard work, skills that helped him overcome academic and personal challenges.

Faviola Cecena describes her journey to Dallas College from the RN program to later earn her bachelor's of nursing. She describes the support and knowledge Dallas College gave her as a first-generation college student.

Raven Furlough, a graduate of Dallas College's inaugural bachelor's degree in education, is now a kindergarten teacher who creates an engaging and supportive classroom environment for her students. She credits Dallas College's knowledgeable instructors and coursework with helping prepare her for the realities of teaching and bringing her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher to life.

Maris Rodriguez was a high school dropout and didn’t think she had much of a future. Because of Dallas College and the STEM Institute, Maris has been rejuvenated with life and is now pursuing a dream of working for NASA. Maris recently was part of the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program at the Ames Research Center in California.

Dr. An Lu grew up with no electricity in a small village in Vietnam. Her family chased a better life, coming to the United States in 2003. At the time, An was a 14-year-old who spoke no English and struggled with other cultural barriers. But she always knew she wanted to become a doctor and took her studies seriously in high school. A high school teacher pointed her toward Dallas College’s Eastfield Campus to continue her studies.

Kristen Bradford describes her journey leading to Dallas College. She hopes to empower others and make a difference through her nonprofit 4TheGirls Social.

Ngai Ning's journey took him from Myanmar to Malaysia and eventually to Dallas as a refugee, where he overcame language and barriers and cultural differences with the support of his family and teachers. After enrolling at Dallas College, he switched from engineering to business and discovered a passion for photography and videography, leading to freelance work and an internship with FC Dallas.

Carmesia Washington started her educational journey at Dallas College in 1998, attending classes at the Mountain View Campus. However, she started a family and had a successful career working in IT, which put college on the back burner. Then, one day her high school-aged daughter pushed Washington to pursue her dreams of becoming a teacher.

Tiffiya Samuel moved from India to the United States as a middle school student and had to go through language and cultural obstacles before coming to Dallas College. Through the Student Government Association, Tiffiya found mentorship, became vice president, and developed a passion for helping other students succeed. Tiffiya is pursuing a nursing degree from her desire of wanting to serve others and to meet a promise with her grandfather, working to break barriers across campus.

Jaime Resendez overcame economic hardship and military service in Iraq to build a successful career, crediting Dallas College with giving him the confidence and foundation to pursue higher education. He earned degrees from Dallas College, UNT Dallas, and the University of Texas, eventually becoming an attorney and Dallas City Council Member. Resendez now advocates for greater education access and encourages students to stay persistent, work hard, and keep opportunities open through education.

Dr. Meagan Pollock knows what it feels like to be the only woman in the classroom, or the conference room. She lived it as one of a handful of women, at the time, who pursued a career in computer science and engineering. That’s why Pollock has pivoted from her engineering career to become an educator and advocate for all, including women and people of color, to pursue STEM careers.

Dallas College music professor Victor Soto has taken the role of a piano restoration technician, using his background as a concert pianist and advanced training from piano manufacturers across the world. He recently completed the restoration of an 1865 C. Bechstein piano and now operates a piano restoration business while teaching.