Teresa Pinion

 

It's never too late to go to school

 

Teresa Pinon works full-time as the administrative assistant in the admissions office at the Hastings Campus. She enrolled part-time at CCC-Hastings in 2010 as an academic transfer major and graduated in December 2016.

Pinon was a nontraditional student who graduated from Hastings High School in 1997 and married soon after and had two daughters. When she returned to school, she said she had quite a lot of concerns attending class with people who were so much younger than she was.

“It was intimidating, but I feel like I had great support and great instructors,” said Pinon.

Originally from Mexico, Pinon was the only Hispanic member of her graduating class at Hastings High School. She said she is encouraged by seeing more Hispanic people in the community and enrolling in higher education.

“The numbers are increasing each year, and not just from Hastings. Spanish speakers are coming from other cities to CCC-Hastings,” Pinon said. “I really like seeing more Spanish speakers going to school and having a better education and a better future.”

Because of the support she received and the great experience she had at the Hastings Campus, Pinon said she enjoys helping all potential students, especially adults, discover the amenities of a two-year institution.

“I feel like CCC has great opportunities for adults,” said Pinon. “I always tell them, ‘You’re not going to feel out of place because we have students of all ages. You can be taking a class with an 18-year-old, a 40-year-old and even a 60-year-old. There’s always great support and great instructors.’”

Pinon said she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree, although when and what to study is up in the air. She said one thing is for certain.

“It’s never too late to go to school,” Pinon said.