NW Campus commemorated its 50th anniversary with a ceremony and a guided campus tour with student performances on Sept. 18.
NW president Zarina Blankenbaker was one of many dignitaries who came to honor the campus. She stepped onto the stage with a smile on her face and congratulated everyone who helped make the campus what it is today.
“When TCC Northwest opened its doors in 1976, it did so knowing that a higher education campus should be accessible, affordable and connected to opportunity,” Blankenbaker said. “A place where students can build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. Now that vision has become an extraordinary reality.”
The ceremony opened with a musical rendition of Brian Kennedy’s “You Raise Me Up,” sung by music adjunct instructor Jung-An Chou.
Faculty, students, administration and local elected officials took to the podium and shared about the history and the legacy of the campus.
“Coming from a four-year university, I’ve seen both sides of higher education, and so it’s really taught me the value of TCC and going to community college,” NW student government president Joe Daniel Serrato said.
Serrato transferred from Texas Tech and has attended TCC for over a year now. During his time at community college, he has ascended to a leadership position and changed his major under the guidance of his advisers and faculty.
“My adviser, she’s taught me to believe in myself,” he said. “I remember the first meeting with her. I was like ‘I don’t know what I’m gonna do.’ I was studying engineering at the time, and so she was like ‘Maybe it’s not for you.’ And I’m really grateful she did that.”
Serrato is now majoring in urban planning, which is the development and design of urban infrastructure such as a city or town’s land use, transportation, accessibility and more.
“It’s what I’m passionate about — serving people and serving my community, making sure that the resources are equal across the board for everyone,” he said.
Chancellor Elva LeBlanc spoke about the recent campus renovations.
“As this campus was being redeveloped and it was scaffolding, buildings coming down, noisy, mud everywhere, students wearing mud boots to get from their car, which would have been several miles away, to their location — the students never left,” LeBlanc said. “What does that tell you? It’s because the faculty and staff here meant that much to them, and they were not going to leave. “
Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez and Fort Worth city councilmember Carlos Flores spoke at the event, congratulating TCC for its accomplishments.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker sent a video addressing the audience as she was unable to attend the event, Flores said. Other elected officials such as Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and Saginaw Mayor Todd Flippo were in attendance as well.
After the ceremony, guided tours of the campus were offered with accompanying student performances. The drama department performed an excerpt from its upcoming production of “The Wind in the Willows,” showing Oct. 8-10. The dance department performed modern dance, and student art was showcased in a new exhibit.
One of the dancers, Audrey Derbyshire, recently returned to TCC after taking a break from her education. She said that without the support of her teachers she wouldn’t have reached the milestones she has today.
“They’ve really just poured into my life and my dance career and have given me experiences that I wouldn’t have had by myself,” Derbyshire said. “It’s been amazing. It’s definitely made me who I am today.”
