Several times each month, Arapahoe Community College President Dr. Diana Doyle embarks upon her “plunking” rounds; heading out amongst the students to talk with them about their paths to ACC, experiences at the College, and aspirations for the future. 
What a great start we’ve had to the new academic year. One of the enjoyable aspects of beginning a new year is getting to meet some of the first-time students at ACC. They come to us from diverse backgrounds, with varied goals for attending our college. What they do have in common is a desire to attain their career goals, increase their personal development, and improve their future lives. I always admire their enthusiasm, dedication and tenacity to be successful. It’s my pleasure to share just a sampling of some of the inspiring new students at ACC. Susan, in her mid-30s, is attending college for the first time. Having had her children early in life, she says they are now all in school so it’s time for her to attend school, too! She wants to serve as a positive role model for them by completing an associate degree and then going on for a bachelor’s degree, hopefully in one of the business areas. Jim is an 18-year-old skateboarder from Parker who is the first in his family to attend college. He hopes to start his own business someday and knows that he has a lot to learn about how to get there successfully. A social guy, he likes that ACC already has had some student activities and events this term. Sarina took a year off after graduating high school to work in a clothing store. She quickly realized that she wants more for herself in the future, and is excited to be enrolled at ACC. She exclaims, “It’s a new beginning for me!” Byron describes himself as “just an average guy who is an average student”. He knows that in order to reach his goal of becoming a scientist, he needs to be a better student – and that’s why he came to ACC. All students at ACC, whether new or returning, have a compelling story about where they’ve come from and where they hope to be someday. Each of them has individual reasons for selecting ACC as the college to help them with that journey. by Diana M. Doyle, Ph.D., President, Arapahoe Community College
