Article by Melinda Eddleman The numbers tell the story. Data from the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies indicates that by 2036 the state will have a deficit of nearly 56,400 registered nurses. Projections show that nearly 360,500 RNs will be needed but only about 304,100 will be available. A new initiative called Viking Voyage to Nursing between Del Mar College and London Independent School District will help address the Coastal Bend’s shortage. During London ISD’s State of the District today, April 30, both LISD and DMC leadership announced the first-of-its-kind regional initiative for London dual credit high school students to pursue a direct pathway into DMC’s highly competitive Registered Nurse Program after graduation. The initiative begins with the London ISD’s freshman class this fall semester. During their freshman year, students’ first steps are to apply to Del Mar College and its dual credit program and take the TSI (Texas Success Initiative ) test for placement. They should also review the college’s Registered Nurse Program admissions requirements (www.delmar.edu/rn) before pursuing the  Viking Voyage to Nursing pathway and the rigorous pre-requisite college-level coursework needed for acceptance into the program. Along with any core college coursework they may take, including recommended speech and philosophy classes, students must complete General Psychology, Anatomy & Physiology I and II and English Composition before applying to the program. Additionally, students must take the nurse education entrance test, called the Assessment Technologies Institute Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS) test, before formally applying to DMC’s Registered Nurse Program. Participants will complete the Registered Nurse Program’s competitive application process by Jan. 31 of their senior year; and if they have met all eligibility requirements, seniors will receive notification of acceptance and can then enter the program either in the summer or fall after high school graduation. Their first courses as RN majors will include Introduction to Health Care Concepts and Professional Nursing Concepts. A flowchart of students’ pathway into the Registered Nurse Program is provided/attached. Overall,  Viking Voyage to Nursing participants will complete 14 semester credit hours in pre-requisites before officially entering the college’s program. Del Mar College’s Registered Nurse Program is a two-year program with an optional exit point after three semesters if students choose to first practice as a licensed vocational nurse. After graduating from either the LVN or RN Program, students must then pass the NCLEX - PN to work as a licensed vocational nurse or NCLEX - RN to enter the workforce as a registered nurse. The college also offers another option. RN graduates can take their associate’s degrees further and pursue DMC’s first bachelor’s degree, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing or RN to BSN degree, which the Nurse Education Department first launched in fall 2021. Dr. Sramek added, “This partnership with London ISD creates a powerful, structured pathway that benefits students while directly strengthening the Coastal Bend’s health care workforce. By giving students, a clear, supported route from high school to a nursing degree, we are investing in local talent, supporting our health care industry and building a sustainable pipeline of nurses who are ready to serve our community.”    

Article by Richard Guerrero, Jr. Denim Day, observed each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of challenging harmful myths surrounding sexual violence. The movement began after an Italian Supreme Court ruling overturned a rape conviction based on the survivor’s clothing, sparking a global campaign to combat victim-blaming. Today, wearing denim symbolizes support for survivors and a commitment to advocacy. Del Mar College held its annual Denim Day event on April 29 in the outdoor breezeway between the White Library and the Music Building B on the Heritage Campus. The observance brought students, faculty and staff together in support of survivors who have experienced sexual violence while raising awareness and promoting access to resources. Shakira Barnes, Counselor II with the Counseling Center at DMC, says attendees saw decorated jeans displayed with messages of encouragement while blank jeans and art supplies will be available for participants to create their own messages supporting survivors. The space also featured posters, photo opportunities with large DMC letters, and a visit from the college mascot, Valdar. Students and community members were encouraged to wear denim with purpose as part of the observance. “Denim Day is important to the Del Mar College community because it breaks the stigma around sexual violence, challenges victim-blaming myths and shows solidarity with survivors,” Barnes said. “It reminds students they are not alone and connects them with meaningful support.” Barnes says local data underscores the importance of continued awareness efforts. According to recent Corpus Christi Police Department statistics featured in a KRIS TV 6 News report, there were 165 reported sexual assaults in 2024, following 176 in 2023 and 175 in 2022. Over the past five years, more than 1,200 rape offenses have been recorded in the area with a significantly smaller number of cases resulting in clearance. These figures highlight the ongoing need for education, prevention and survivor support services within the community. Several campus and community organizations set up information tables as part of the college’s Denim Day observance. The Purple Door domestic violence shelter provided information about its services and resources, and the American Association of University Women student organization distributed water, coloring pages, crayons and ribbons to encourage participation and support. Also, the college’s Counseling Center offered information about free and confidential services available to students, faculty and staff, which includes counseling sessions, consultations and referrals to local support networks. The DMC Title IX Office provides reporting options for those experiencing discrimination, harassment or sexual misconduct. Denim Day at Del Mar College relaunched in 2017 as an opportunity to connect the global movement for sexual assault awareness with our local campus community, according to Barnes. What began as a small initiative among faculty and staff soon expanded into a full campus-wide event the next year.

Article by Melinda Eddleman They haven’t packed their bags, yet, for the adventure that awaits them in France. The trip is  just a little more than a month away. Currently enrolled as Del Mar College (DMC) Baking/Pastry majors with the Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Department, Mazzy Tagliaferro and Tina Walsh were selected to represent Corpus Christi this summer through the Sister City Culinary Exchange that’s overseen by the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce. The two students will experience an immersive exchange in the city of Agen and throughout the surrounding area that builds on their current culinary skills. “Experiences like this broaden perspectives, build confidence and bring back knowledge that benefits our local economy and community,” Arreola adds. Corpus Christi’s Sister City Exchange Program also partners with four other cities––Keelung City (Taiwan), Toledo (Spain), Veracruz (Mexico) and Yokosuka (Japan)–– giving both high school and college participants the opportunity to see another part of the world. Guided by Sister Cities International, the program focuses on four pillars: Arts & Culture, Business & Trade, Community Development and Youth & Education. The nearly two-week exchange with a June 1arrival to and June 12 departure from Toulouse will immerse the two DMC students in the gastronomy, culinary traditions and agricultural heritage of the Lot-et-Garonne region of southwest France where Agen is located.. The exchange combines hands-on kitchen training with leading chefs, visits to local producers, educational presentations and cultural experiences organized by the Agen Sister City Committee. Tagliaferro is no stranger to the culinary world, having grown up around food with her father owning since 1987 the popular restaurant Island Italian located on Padre Island. And she has already earned associate’s degrees through the college’s Hospitality & Tourism Management and Culinary Arts Programs. Of her upcoming culinary exchange experience in Agen, she says, “It’s exciting. I’ve never left the country, and I never thought about going to France. We’re going to get to do a lot like working in actual French restaurants, visiting a cheese farm, attending agricultural-type classes and giving demos [featuring American food for both high school and elementary students],” In fact, highlights of Tagliaferro and Walsh’s experience will include: professional kitchen rotations at Restaurant Le Bistronome inAgen and Auberge LePrieuré in Moirax, visits to regional producers including vineyards, cheese makers, oyster farms and prune producers, cultural and historical visits in Agen, Bordeau, and the surrounding countryside, giving culinary demonstrations in local schools, and exchanges with members of the Agen Twinning Committee. Walsh , who plans to pursue her associate’s degree in Culinary Arts next, currently serves as the Culinary Arts Club  secretary. She says that the community-minded student organization engages in activities such as fundraisers, food drives and other events such as KEDT’s annual fundraising events, the  Food and Wine Classic and Classic Brew, with students serving culinary samples that club members have prepared.. She first had reservations about applying for the Sister City Culinary Exchange Program but then told herself, “No, I’m going to go for it!” Walsh notes that the process included submitting the online application, providing a video showing the preparation of a recipe, holding the required grade point average and then sitting through an in—person interview with the selection committee. Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Department Interim Chair Lisa Pollakis notes, “Del Mar College’s partnership with the Sister City Culinary Exchange Program celebrates more than food.––it celebrates cultural connection, an opportunity to learn global techniques and traditions and the power of hospitality to bring communities together across borders.” Pollakis adds, “The program shows current and future students what’s possible in our Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry, and Hospitality & Tourism Programs and elevates the educational experience while creating momentum and greater student interest and enrollment.” Del Mar College’s Culinary Arts and Baking/Pastry Programs are accredited as “Exemplary” by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission. The Culinary & Hospitality Department offers: Baking/Pastry: Associate of Arts degree Culinary Arts (Chef Training): Certificate and Associate of Applied Science degree Hospitality & Tourism Management: Certificate and Associate in Applied Science degree Interested individuals can also reach the main departmental office at 361-698-1856.    

Article by Richard Guerrero, Jr. For those who have visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., the emotional intensity of the moment is simply unforgettable. The scene often consists of visitors rubbing an etched name onto paper, hands touching the letters of a loved one’s name or the sound of quiet sobs as visitors work through raw emotions brought to the surface by such a visceral experience.  Many Americans simply cannot make that journey, whether past or present, so to share the healing influence of the memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund commissioned in 1996 the creation of a three-quarter scale replica named The Wall That Heals, which is designed to travel to communities all over the country.   The traveling exhibit honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, bearing the names of the 58,281 men and women who were killed in action or went missing in Vietnam The exhibit includes The Wall replica and a mobile Education Center.   But to reach its different destinations each year, organizers need assistance to transport the exhibit from one community to another, including this year’s 31 community tour with two in Texas––Del Rio (April 16-19) and Ranger (April 23-26). For a second year in a row, Del Mar College’s Transportation Training Servicers program took to the road, again, to transport the exhibit to Ranger on April 20. While steady rain affected plans to provide a send-off from the full campus community, a small group of DMC were on hand to send off the driving team. DMC Instructors and State Examiners Alvin Amador and Ralph Guerra left campus in a college rig with trailer in-tow for the roughly 385-mile trip to the small Eastland County community of about 2,300 residents, where they were greeted and participated in a parade on April 21. The exhibit opened to the public in Ranger on April 23. Last year, Transportation Training Services faculty transported The Wall That Heals to Laredo after its visit in Corpus Christi at Veterans Memorial High School March 27-30.  Tim Tetz, Director of Outreach for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, said that since the dedication of the replica in 1996, the traveling exhibit has visited more than 800 communities in 49 states and three countries. Accordingly, the organization relies heavily on a network of colleges and trucking schools to transport the exhibit from point to point – many of which are repeat volunteer teams who offer their services free of charge. Following The Wall That Heals time in Ranger, the exhibit will visit communities in Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, Montana and Connecticut, to name a few. See the full schedule at www.vvmf.org/The-Wall-That-Heals/2026-The-Wall-That-Heals-Tour-Schedule/.  Additional information about The Wall That Heals is also online at www.vvmf.org/The-Wall-That-Heals/.