By Colt Langley/reporter

A South Campus counselor at a Women In New Roles Network meeting said the group should work as a guide throughout a college career.

“Let the WINR program be your GPS device,” Suzanne Carranza said.

Carranza spoke to about 50 people who attended the group’s regular meeting earlier this month at Billy Miner’s restaurant in Fort Worth.

She described her personal struggles and victories while attending college as a working mother and offered tips to succeed in college and pursue a career.

“Students who are coming back and feel intimidated need intensive and intrusive advising,” she said. “This is exactly what the WINR program offers.”

Carranza attended Dallas Baptist University and spent 14 years earning her first degree, she said. Prior to college, she worked as a nurse’s assistant. She received course credit from her work experience to help her earn her degree.

Carranza recalled her life as a busy mom who had to merge school and family life with her husband and children to make things work.

She always studied or worked on a class project, which kept her from doing such things as making dinner for her family, she said.

“There were many nights where we had KFC and Pizza Hut for dinner,” she said.

One tip Carranza offered to help women add school to a busy life was to go to school in small chunks.

“If you work full time, 40 hours or more a week, then just take two classes at a time,” she said.

Carranza told the women to properly manage their school and study schedule.

“For every hour you spend in the class, you should spend two hours at home studying,” she said.

Like Carranza, many women in WINR are students with families and are starting college later in life.

“Women can be really nervous coming back to school,” said Cheryl Taylor-West, a NE WINR instructor.

Taylor-West recalled seeing one student stand in a hallway for 20 minutes before her first day of class because she was nervous. She said the WINR program helps women deal with such issues.

“It’s a good program to get re-established in college and for career help and help them make decisions,” she said.

Terona Bowden has been involved with the WINR program since 2002. She said she has seen many success stories come out of the program.

“Over the years, I have seen the network grow at Billy Miner’s and have witnessed women complete their degrees and start up their own business,” she said.

For more information on WINR, contact Triesha Light at triesha.light@tccd.edu or 817-515-4740.