Del Mar College Board of Regents approves Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver, College launching new pilot program in fall 2025
04
March
2025
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19:54 PM
Europe/Amsterdam
New three-year contract commitment initiative to expedite qualifying students’ associate degree completion; first-in funding covering waiver to allow students’ use of financial aid and scholarships to cover living costs and more focus on studies
Article by Melinda Eddleman
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While other community colleges, such as Austin Community College, have similar programs, Del Mar College's Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver sets us apart. We’re using revenue generated from the state’s new funding model to cover these expenses first. As a vast majority of our students stay in the Coastal Bend, Del Mar College is investing in our region’s future, enhancing accessibility to workforce training and higher education as students pursue career paths that strengthen the Coastal Bend's vitality.
Carol A. Scott, Del Mar College Board of Regents Chair
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Del Mar College is prepared to provide our first cohort with the support they need to stay on-track with the commitment they make to the College but most importantly to themselves. We know that with the right support and diligent follow-up with each student during their journey at Del Mar College, they remain persistent in completing their degrees, and our Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver pilot program will set a precedence across the state as we continue to focus on student success and increased outcomes with students leaving the College in a shorter amount of time with their credentials in-hand.
Lenora Keas, Del Mar College Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
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About Del Mar College
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.
Latest DMC News
- Del Mar College alumnus and Texas Standard Digital Producer Raul Alonzo set to give talk about Texas Farm Workers Union on March 17Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. Just a few short years ago, Raul Alonzo was a managing editor for The Foghorn, where he assigned stories to student reporters and also wrote news stories about campus events and life at Del Mar College. Today, he’s a digital producer with the statewide public radio daily news magazine, Texas Standard, which airs locally on KEDT 90.3 FM at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Alonzo is returning to one of his alma maters to give a free guest lecture, “Searching for the History of the Texas Farm Workers Union,” which is hosted by Del Mar College’s Social Sciences Department beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, March 17, in Room 100 in the Venters Building on Heritage Campus. His enlightening lecture is based on the series he wrote years after an inspiring interview that was conducted during his time as a student journalist. On the Texas Standard website, Alonzo writes, “This series has been a dream project I’ve had in mind ever since I interviewed someone who first told me about the Texas Farm Workers Union years ago […] It’s a story of epic strikes and marches, but also one that occasionally brushes up against controversy.” The series on the Texas Standard site can be found at www.texasstandard.org/texas-farm-workers-union-tfwu-history/. Alonzo joined Texas Standard in September 2022 after working several years in design and copy editing for the USA Today Network’s Design Center, the GateHouse Media Center for News and Design, Journal Media Group and the E.W. Scripps Company. Alonzo initially pursued a history degree at Del Mar College before switching to journalism. “Upon switching to Journalism, I got involved with the campus paper, the Foghorn, where I eventually became a Digital Editor and later a Managing Editor for the paper. During my time on the Foghorn staff, I was able to interview such notable figures as author Gary Soto, talk show host Tavis Smiley, and iconic labor organizer Dolores Huerta,” he says. “I was also able to attend the College Media Advisors conference in New York and Chicago during this time.” He also competed and won several awards in Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) annual conferences, including: 1st Place, Newspaper Division 2, General Column 2015 1st Place, Literary Magazine Feature Story 2014 1st Place, TV Advertising (on-site live contest) 2014 3rd Place, General Column 2014 After attending Del Mar College, the Corpus Christi native graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in media arts and a minor in digital journalism from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC). Alonzo made the Dean’s List every semester he was a student at TAMU-CC and was the recipient of two School of Arts, Media, and Communication awards: Outstanding Journalism Student and Outstanding Media Studies Scholar. He was also inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society. Alonzo became a staff member of the Island Waves, a student-produced newspaper at TAMU-CC, in fall 2018, and won first place in editorial writing at the 2019 TIPA conference. Alonzo says he’s looking forward to visiting with faculty and staff at the College, which is where he began his educational journey in 2009. “I was really humbled and excited to be asked to come down for this lecture. The story I'll be talking about actually very much starts at Del Mar for me, so to be able to share it at my old stomping grounds is kind of a full-circle moment,” he says. Alonzo’s lecture is open to the public. Details: Monday, March 17, 6 p.m., Guest Lecture by Raul Alonzo, DMC Alumnus and Digital Producer with The Standard. Location: Room 100, Venters Building, Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map. Cost: Free. Questions? Contact Associate Professor of History Dr. Dawson Barrett at dbarrett2@delmar.edu or the DMC Social Sciences Department at 361-698-1228.
- DMC Board of Regents holding workshop and regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 4Article by DMC College Relations Office Tuesday, March 4, the Del Mar College (DMC) Board of Regents will hold a workshop at 10 a.m. and their regular monthly meeting beginning at 1 p.m. in Room 106 of the College’s Center for Economic Development at 3209 S. Staples (78411). Get online directions and map. The regular meeting also will be livestreamed. Community members may access the meeting by going to the online video link at www.delmar.edu/webcast/ by 12:55 p.m. Copies of the Agenda Notices and Board Packets are available online as follows: • 10 a.m. Workshop: https://www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/agendas/workshop-3-4-25-final-packet.pdf • 1 p.m. Regular Meeting: https://www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/agendas/regular-agenda-3-4-25-final-packet.pdf Meeting agendas and other resources are also available on the DMC Board of Regents web page at www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/index.html. The health and safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors are a priority for Del Mar College. To view the College’s COVID-19 guidelines, visit www.delmar.edu/rtc/index.html.
- DMC hosting first day of People’s Literary Festival, kicking-off three-day event with keynote by acclaimed Holy City author Henry Wise on March 6Article by Melinda Eddleman For anyone who loves writing, reading or both, the People’s Literary Festival offers something for everyone during this free collaborative celebration that supports both new and seasoned writers by bridging literary borders and genres. Marking its 10th year, the three-day festival is scheduled next Thursday through Saturday, March 6-8, at different venues across Corpus Christi and will bring together writers and readers for dialogue that honors self-expression and creativity. Six locations will offer a variety of sessions, activities and book fairs, including previous hosts Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and All Saints’ Episcopal Church, along with three new venues: the Downtown Corpus Christi Management District’s First Friday Artwalk, House of Rock and Jazz Room Corpus Christi. Along with the additional venues, Leza noted that by increasing the number of authors, publishers and booksellers traveling to Corpus Christi from acoss Texas and other locations to participate during the festival, organizers have much more to offer this year. To kick-off the festival, Del Mar College will host the first day of sessions next Thursday, March 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the newly renovated William F. White, Jr. Library on the Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map. Activities are open to both the campus community and the public. Dr. Andrea Elizondo, an Assistant Instructor and Reading and ESOL Lab Coordinator with the college’s Department of Communications, Languages and Reading, said, “Words ignite worlds. At this festival, we celebrate the power of stories, the voices of authors and the dreams of future writers.” Elizondo added that Del Mar College values the collaboration shared between the festival's founders and successive organizers during the past several years. “Not only has our campus community benefitted from the festival but also the general community, and we’re delighted to host another opening day to celebrate the literary world and all that it offers.” • 11 a.m.: Welcome Remarks • 11:15 a.m.: Session 1: Kick-off Keynote with acclaimed Holy City author Henry Wise for a debut novelist reading and discussion. Holy City (Grove Atlantic, 2024) examines the intersections of labor, racial justice and environmental concerns in rural America’s forgotten communities. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Mississippi’s Master of Fine Arts program, Wise is a writer across multiple genres. His poetry has been published in Shenandoah, Radar Poetry, Clackamas, Nixes Mate Revie, and elsewhere. His nonfiction and photography have appeared in Southern Cultures. Holy City is his first novel. Wise’s visit to Corpus Christi is sponsored by Del Mar College’s Cultural Programs Committee. • 12:15 p.m.: Networking Lunch sponsored by H-E-B • 12:45 p.m.: Session 2 (two concurrent presentations): a) How to Get Published: Cultural & Community Leadership - panel presentation covering editing magazines, journals and books b) Professional Development Workshop – covering research and resources for writing • 1:30 p.m.: Del Mar College Heritage Campus Tour • 2 p.m.: Session 3 (two concurrent presentations): a) How to Get Published: Self-Publishing - The Lived Human Experience in Self-Publishing b) Free speech on campus: Why is it important? - The First Amendment and (Texas) College Campuses Remaining Day 1 programming moves to All Saints’ Episcopal Church (3026 Staples St., 78404) with activities beginning at 7 p.m. with a Corpus Christi Poet Laureate Panel followed by an induction ceremony, Poet Laureate Reading, a 10th Anniversary Commemoration led by co-founders Tom Murphy and retired DMC Librarian and Professor Alan Berecka and presentation of the Robb and Vanesa Jackson Award for High School Poets. The festival moves to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s University Center (6300 Ocean Dr., 78412) on Friday, March 7, with sponsorship of event participation during the First Friday Artwalk in Downtown Corpus Christi by Alamo Drafthouse and readings and other activities at the House of Rock (511 Starr St., 78401). On Saturday, March 8, the festival concludes at All Saints’ Episcopal Church with a book fair and sessions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a live jazz fundraiser at Jazz Room Corpus Christi (1314 Ayers St., 78404) from 7 to 9 p.m. Visit the People’s Literary Festival website for more information about all scheduling, session descriptions, other planned activities and book fairs at several venues at peoplesliteraryfestival.com/. T Questions? For information about Day 1 festival activities at Del Mar College, contact Dr. Andrea Elizondo with the Department of Communications, Languages and Reading at 361-698-1952 or aelezondo43@delmar.edu or People’s Literary Festival Chair J.D. Leza at 206-817-8452 or chair@peoplesliteraryfestival.com.
- Del Mar College Music Department unveiling new Music Honors Wall connecting decades of excellence before annual Honors Recital on Monday, March 3Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. For select Del Mar College (DMC) music majors, inclusion is an honor that has continued to build on its legacy for more than seven decades. And now there’s a new bold and contemporary way to see all that history. What is it? It’s the new Music Honors Wall, a stunning display that features the names of more than 300 DMC Music Department alumni dating back to 1959, which can now be seen by all on the third floor of Building A of the General Academic & Music Building (GAMBII) on the Heritage Campus. The new addition builds on the existing GAMBII second-floor display, which features portraits of the most recent Honors Recital performers for the past five years. On Monday, March 3, the Music Department will commemorate new and past outstanding musicians who have shaped Del Mar College’s musical landscape and beyond with an official unveiling of the new Music Honors Wall at 6 p.m. followed by the 73rd Annual Music Honors Recital featuring the six newest inductees at 7:30 p.m. in Wolfe Recital Hall. Cynthia Longoria, Professor and DMC Music Department Chair, says that she’s excited to reveal the new Honor Wall with not only the campus community but also with Coastal Bend community members as well. “We are looking forward to connecting the past to the present by unveiling the Honors Wall to current and past students, the DMC faculty and staff and the community to celebrate the college’s 90th anniversary and to recognize and honor the achievements of our alumni and current music students,” she says. Here are a few key details about the project: Material: Aluminum composite material Dimensions: 11 feet, 8 inches wide (all four panels) x 6 feet, 2 inches tall (tallest panel) Location: Third floor of Building A of the General Academic and Music Building Design: Four panels representing 1959 to 2024 with a LED wave above them Additional Feature: A vinyl wall cling displaying “Music Honors Wall” with illustrative musical notes Both the Music Honors Wall unveiling and Honors Recital are free and open to the public with both events on the Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map. Questions may be directed to the DMC Music Office at 361-698-1214 or music@delmar.edu. During the unveiling, Longoria and alumnus Dr. Scott Elliff, a 1980 Music Honors Wall inductee, will give remarks as part of the event. Longoria notes that while she wants to preserve the element of surprise for guests who attend the unveiling ceremony next Monday night, she was willing to share that the new display includes significant elements of the Music Honors Wall in the old building now known as Viking Hall. “The new display features a more modern and beautiful design that still allows us to continue 73 years of tradition where we have recognized our music students who achieved a high level of performance in their instrument,” Longoria says. “With this design, these students will continue to line our halls with musical excellence as we remember and recognize them for their achievement for many years to come.” Following the unveiling, the annual Honors Recital will provide the six selected DMC music majors center stage in Wolfe Recital Hall. This year’s recital is designed to be truly special with a brass fanfare opening performed by DMC Music faculty. Additionally, the program will showcase the six student performances and then conclude with a memorable collaboration by Mary Grace Galvan Carroll (1979 honoree) and Alexandra Flint (2019 honoree), who will perform a stunning, four-hand piano piece together. Mary Grace, a member of Corpus Christi’s renowned Galvan family, pursued her doctorate in piano and has had a distinguished teaching career, including serving as piano faculty at the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications & Fine Arts. Alexandra, currently completing her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, represents the next generation of musical excellence. The Honors Recital features the following 2025 Music Honors Wall inductees (three of which are music majors who also performed in the 2024 Honors Recital: Benjamin Aldana, Michael Hinojosa and Oscar Rivera): Benjamin Aldana, trombone, who attended Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, playing Concert Piece for Trombone and Piano by Paul Véronge de la Nux, Malaki Cardenas, guitar, who attended Mary Carroll High School, playing Prelude No. 1 in E minor by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Angel Garza, flute, who attended Robstown High School, playing Image for Solo Flute by Eugene Bozza, Michael Hinojosa, clarinet, who attended Calallen High School, playing Solo de Concours by Henri Rabaud, Robert Naranjo, alto saxophone, who attended Alice High School, playing “Oodles of Noodles” by Jimmy Dorsey, and Oscar Rivera, piano, a homeschooled and DMC Dual Enrollment student, playing Etude Op. 25, No. 10 in B minor by Fédéric Chopin. The Honors Recital is an annual spring recital that consists of current music majors who have auditioned and were selected to perform. The tradition goes back to 1959; and to commemorate the event each year, portraits of Honors Recital performers were added to the walls in the halls of the original Music Building.
- Scouts converge on DMC’s Windward Campus on Feb. 15 to take part in “Merit Badge College”Article by: Melinda Eddleman and Photos by Richard Guerrero, Jr. It was an opportunity to “learn and earn.” We’re talking about Scouting and the 2025 Merit Badge College, which took place on Feb. 15. Once a year, Del Mar College (DMC) hosts the Merit Badge College for Scouts from troops with the South Texas Council Scouting America (STCSA), formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America. Approximately 186 Scouts attended the one-day event that consisted of activities held all over the Windward Campus and took part in classes taught by more than 50 volunteer DMC faculty and staff to earn those coveted Merit Badges for their sashes. The 11- to 17-year-olds, along with their parents and unit leaders, were able to choose from 27 different classes featuring quality programming, including the opportunity to complete rare and hard-to-find Merit Badge classes not found elsewhere. Among the classes that were offered that day were Architecture, Aviation, Camping, Citizenship in Society, Communication, Cooking, Crime Prevention, Dentistry, Digital Technology, Drafting, Electricity, Entrepreneurship, Fingerprinting, Fire Safety, First Aid, Geology, Health Care Professions, Indian Lore, Law, Personal Management, Public Speaking, Traffic Safety, Truck Transportation, Welding and Woodwork. Overall, Scouting America offers 138 Merit Badges that Scouts can earn. For Merit Badge College, participants had the option to choose either an all-day session or two half-day activities from the classes offered that not only touch on life lessons but also potential career paths the Scouts may pursue later on … even at Del Mar College. Revitalized two years ago after a five-year absence, the annual Merit Badge College also gives participants exposure to a college campus. Additionally, DMC will also host the Council Coordinated Meeting, which includes leaders of the South Texas Council and Units from all levels of Scouting, including Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Explorers and Sea Scouts. The South Texas Council operates Scouting America programs in 17 counties in this part of the state. The Merit Badge College is open to Scouts, including boys and girls, and their Troop Leaders. To learn more about the STCSA, visit https://www.southtexasscouting.org/.
- DMC’s long-running “Speech on the Beach” Tournament brings forensic competitors to Heritage Campus Feb. 7-9Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. Competition put at least 50 university and college students to the test as they met Feb. 7-9 to demonstrate their skills in public speaking, debate and oral interpretation events. Competitors from eight institutions vied for tournament places in their categories during the 15th annual “Speech on the Beach” collegiate forensics tournament held by the Speech Program with Del Mar College’s Department of Communications, Languages and Reading on the Heritage Campus in the Solomon M. Coles Classroom Building. This year’s competition drew students from Bellevue College (Bellevue, Washington), The University of Texas-Austin, Texas State University, San Antonio College, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Lone Star College-North Harris. DMC’s Vocal Vikings forensics team, which includes Team Captain Chloe Castillo, Lauren Cavada, Bella Mendez, Natalie Palacios and Elyda Vasquez, also competed in various events. DMC’s Vocal Vikings didn’t end the competition empty-handed, winning four awards at the event. Here are the team results: DEBATE (International Public Debate Association style) Chloe Castillo – Second Place – IPDA, Second Place - Top Speaker in Debate PROGRAM ORAL INTERPRETATION (POI) Natalie Palacios – Third Place – POI - Saturday; Fifth Place - POI - Sunday Elyda Vasquez – Fourth Place – POI - Saturday; First Place - POI - Sunday Events included Extemporaneous Speaking, Persuasive Speaking, Communication Analysis, After Dinner Speaking, Poetry Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation and Program Oral Interpretation, to name a few. Sarah Contreras, DMC Professor of Speech Communication and Director of Forensics, said oral discourse has long been a staple of American society, and since COVID, the need for better communication skills has become even more apparent. “By participating in Speech activities like the ‘Speech on the Beach’ Tournament, students not only learn to organize their thoughts and support their opinions with research but also learn the value of teamwork and supportive competition,” Contreras said. She added, “If a student is in Debate, they learn to see and argue for all sides of an issue. If a student participates in Public Address, they learn to organize their thoughts and communicate them in a clear way. If a student participates in Oral Interpretation, they learn empathy for characters and their stories. And by being on a team, the students learn not only to support their own teammates, but to take criticism to improve themselves and to rejoice in any winner from any school. It is truly a wonderful activity for college students.”
