[Editor’s note: This interview was held on Sept. 9 at 4:30 p.m. to submit as an assignment for a media writing class.]
NW Campus president Zarina Blankenbaker discussed the 50th anniversary of the campus opening. She also spoke on how her new position as vice chancellor for student success fits into her current responsibilities as campus president.
Q: With NW Campus celebrating its 50th anniversary, there is an event coming up this month. Could you tell me about that?
A: The event will be a reflection regarding those who have brought us to this juncture. When I say brought us, I mean those who have made an impact on our students, taught our students and helped build the original campus and redevelop the campus.
We’re hoping the event will be the beginning of a yearlong celebration.
We previously unveiled the time capsule at the May 2026 end-ofyear celebration.
Q: In terms of the NW time capsule, there was a letter from the NW Campus president in 1976 addressed to the current president. Could you tell me more?
A: The letter was written by Michael Saenz, who was the inaugural founding president at NW Campus. He served from 1976 through 2006.
The letter was typewritten and kind of yellowish because it was buried in concrete. It was very positive and spoke of the joy that he and his leadership team had in selecting the capsule’s contents.
He said he hoped that we would also experience joy in opening the capsule and wished us well for many years to come.
Q: The Tarrant County Commissioners Court awarded NW Campus a proclamation this year. Could you tell me about this recognition and what it means to the college?
A: It is a proclamation for the 50th anniversary of the campus. We feel privileged to receive recognition. It was initiated by Commissioner Manny Ramirez, who represents our area of Tarrant County. It spoke about the impact that the campus made on the community in being the regional provider of the range of programs that we offer.
Q: What are some of the ways NW is prepared to support student success for this year and the years to come?
A: For every program that we’re offering, we want to be sure that we have sufficient full-time and adjunct faculty.
Each year, we analyze the number of enrollments we have in each program to make sure that we have the appropriate number of faculty members.
Through hiring, orientation and continued professional development and support, we support students because we want to be sure that our faculty are prepared when they enter the classroom.
That includes providing training on technology because we have newer buildings.
Q: In terms of new technology and buildings, how has this shifted the culture at NW?
A: We used a principle from our prior strategic plan to ensure that student learning was aligned with the learning environment as well as other tools that faculty and students could use. This way, students are better prepared for the 21st century work environment.
We told ourselves that we didn’t want students to just be workready, but that we also wanted them to be world ready.
Q: What has the transition been like for your recent promotion to vice chancellor for student success especially with you remaining the president of NW?
A: As campus president for eight years, I was quite familiar with TCC’s prior mission and vision. I see this position as an opportunity. It is different from the prior vice chancellor and provost position.
This position involves both academic and student affairs and is about the success of the student journey. This position oversees the operational and strategic functions, from admissions to completion and the support that a student needs outside the classroom, which includes student engagement and leadership.
It’s a bit more than what a provost would be doing. The emphasis is to make sure that the community understands that it is about the holistic, operational and strategic advancement of the students’ learning.
Q: Circling back to the anniversary, how do you feel NW has evolved since its 1976 opening?
A: We started out with some programs from South Campus. We also started programs that have transitioned to other campuses.
We now have a healthy portfolio of programs, and our goal is to continue to be relevant to the community and have programs that are resilient and robust.
Students come to us with hopes and aspirations. It’s up to us to learn what their passion is and to align with that passion. We want to make NW a stop on their journey onto something else.
Q: You’ve talked about how NW has evolved over 50 years, but what about the 100th anniversary? How would you like to see NW grow over the next 50 years?
A: I hope that our programs will be different because we want to continue to evolve with the community. I hope that we are forwardthinking. I encourage faculty and staff to plan and prepare so that when the opportunity arises, we can innovate. If we don’t, we’ll miss that opportunity.
So, I hope that 50 years from now we will have taken advantage of every opportunity that has come our way because we were prepared.
Q: How would you like to be remembered as president?
A: I’ve always believed that the work that I do is larger than myself. I would like to be remembered as someone who has humility, shows up for the community and understands the vital role that TCC and NW Campus play.
I hope the future will show that I have worked to help TCC make an impact in the community.
