Student Experience: Dale O. Taylor

“I’ll always be a minister; that’s my life’s calling. But I’m able to use my criminal justice courses in my ministry right now — what I’ve learned about law and the justice system has been a great benefit to me. I may also use my courses as a springboard to study law in the future. For the last 30 years, I’ve said I was going to go back to school and my wife said it was finally time to make good on that. 

“My experience at Dallas College has been great. The difference in college now and 30 years ago is amazing — when I graduated from college, we didn’t have laptops or cell phones. Believe it or not, one of my most enlightening classes has been Humanities. It taught me a whole new way to look at things from a different angle, to examine things more closely and realize that there’s more than one way to perceive something. And all my Criminal Justice professors have had experience in the real world. 

“To my way of thinking, life is meant to be progressive. When it stops being progressive, you get stagnant. Whatever your age, you should never stop growing, learning and expanding your knowledge — it helps you stay sharp and interesting. It also helps you look at life with a large degree of balance and not just from one perspective. Whatever you’re interested in, become at the best at what you can be.” 

Dale Taylor is earning an Associate in Arts degree with a field of study in Criminal Justice. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from East Texas Bible College in Tyler, Texas. An ordained non-denominational minister, he works with independent churches.

Read More