It's been said that a community is fortunate if it has a college. In Grayson County, Texas, we are lucky enough to have two.
The original Grayson College was actually located in Whitewright, where it operated from 1887 until 1912.
One of the first things I remember about the then new Grayson College is they quickly became known for their very fine nursing program, Dr. Mary Moses who passed away in January at age 92 was instrumental in the success of that program. Today Grayson College offers a four-year degree in nursing, one of the few community colleges in the nation to do so.
I was at Grayson County College that first year; with so many students also there that I went to school with, it seemed very much like an extension of high school. One big difference was there were also many students there from around the county that I did not know and that turned out to be a good thing. In high school, naturally every student thinks their high school is the best and you pretty much ignore the other towns. After coming together and meeting students from other towns you discover there are nice kids throughout our county and beyond. Some students found out that someone who was once a rival was now their best friend. Not only has Grayson College given lots of students a good education they may have not been able to get otherwise, it has also helped create many long-lasting friendships.
In 2004 a major change took place at Grayson College when a south campus was added at Van Alstyne.
Also at Grayson College is the Center For Workplace Learning; this very popular program is where people from the area come to learn new skills or enhance existing ones. More information about this can be obtained by going to https://www.grayson.edu/CWL?index.html.
A recent program added at Grayson College is called GPS, it stands for Grayson Pathways to Success. It's a great program for helping students discover what they want to be and make sure they choose a pathway that will work for them. More information about this can be found by going to https://www.grayson.edu/news/2021/11/meet-corey-leird.html.
The costs are less at junior colleges compared with four-year colleges. Many students feel it is advantageous to begin at a junior college if they are still uncertain about just what they want to do with the rest of their life.
The late comedian Nipsey Russell advised young people to continue their education in a very unique way. He said "Play it cool, stay in school. If they can make penicillin out of moldy cheese, they can make something out of you."
With today's advancements in computers and the always-changing technology that goes along with it, a college degree is becoming more and more valuable with each passing year.
"HOPE" (Helping Others Pursue Education) is a scholarship that is available through the "Sherman Ex-Student's Association." It is for Sherman graduates who, although academically qualified to attend college or a trade school and want to do so, are financially unable to achieve that goal. That program is also just open to those students who don't already qualify for one of the other available scholarships such as a football scholarship, a music scholarship, etc.
Their were 1,479 students at Grayson that first year, this year there are 3,931 students enrolled. Most of the students come from many neighboring towns for class, however some students are online only and there are two dormitories at Grayson College for those who choose to live on campus.
Excellent professors and small class sizes are provided by both our colleges. Each one is serious about truly helping the students receive the best educational opportunities they can.
Austin College had its beginnings in Huntsville, Texas in 1849 before moving to Sherman in 1876. It is the oldest college in Texas still operating under its original charter. It is a four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Austin College didn't become co-educational until 1918. In 1930, Austin College merged with the all-female Texas Presbyterian College.
One major difference between Austin College and Grayson College is that the majority of Austin College students live on campus. Some people think of it almost like a separate town within the city limits of Sherman.
There are some differences between our nation's county community colleges and the four-year colleges. Many of the students at two-year community colleges live in the immediate area, whereas the majority of the students at our county's four-year colleges can be from almost any state and some foreign countries.
Below are the most recent figures for Austin College I had access to:
1,223 undergraduate students
49% male, 51% female
46% ethnic minority
More than 70 campus organizations provide opportunities for students to be involved in community service
Students are from 30 states and 13 countries
Students have more than 55 areas of study available to them
There is a wide variety of sports available for both men and women to play
75% of the students study internationally sometime during their years at Austin College
Approximately 75% of the freshmen were ranked in the Top 25% of their high school class
Also 75% of students receive merit-based scholarships; maybe there's something magical about the number 75.
Austin College regularly receives recognition for providing an exceptional college experience. A few of the many national publications where Austin College has been recognized are the Fiske Guide to Colleges, Forbes Magazine, Money Magazine, The Princeton Review, Time, USA Today, and U.S. News & World Report.
There is much more that could have been said about our two colleges, however to keep this column at a reasonable length I have just given some basics about each college as I know them, One thing area citizens can agree on is that both Austin College and Grayson College have been very beneficial to our county in a lot of ways. Many of Texas' 254 counties have no colleges, as I said before we are lucky enough to have two.
If you have any comments or questions my e-mail address is deh63shs@yahoo.com.