Jason Porter, Audio Engineering, AAS, Central Campus
Jason articulated that the Internship Recording Arts Technology/Technician was his favorite class “because it was very hands-on, [because he] was working in media, not just sound.” He related that his most valuable lesson learned was when Professor Lester Williams brought in a friend, Wayne Watson. Mr. Watson advised the students “to invest in others, they may need something you have to offer, and you may need something they have to offer. Relationships require humility.” Jason currently has his sights set on the University of Houston-Clear Lake, with his long-term plans to work in a Christian music space. Jason credits God, his family, and Professor Les as his motivation to earn his degree. His advice to future graduates is to ”stick with it, relax and enjoy the ride.”
LaTaysha Ruffin, RN to BSN Transition – Nursing Program, Central Campus
LaTyasha’s favorite course during her time attending San Jac was the Community Health course. She stated that her most important lesson learned was ”to stay confident in myself and my work.” LaTaysha plans to pursue pediatric registered nursing after graduation. She noted that her “trust in God” is what helped her most with her degree. Her final advice for future graduates is “To keep moving forward, it’s never too late to start again, and that starting over doesn’t mean going backwards. It’s just a new beginning.”
Jose Cabrera Ontiveros, Art and Design, AAS, South Campus
Throughout his attendance at San Jac, Jose’s favorite course was Basic Animation & Drawing I due to his interest in “creating animations and drawing images.” Jose’s biggest lesson was the “ welcoming and friendly learning environment for all students” at San Jac. For his next steps, Jose plans to search for a job after graduating from San Jac in “art, animation, or graphic design.” Eventually, he would like to pursue further education at “Full Sail University or Southern New Hampshire University online.” Jose expressed that his family, teachers, and counselors were the greatest help in him earning his degree. His piece of advice to future graduates would be to take advantage of the accommodation requests provided by San Jac.
Brian Rios De Leon, Natural Sciences, Central Campus
Brian’s favorite class was the course on nutrition. He verbalized the biggest lesson he learned while at San Jac was that “Life challenges don’t shape your limits; they ignite the determination to reach your goals.” Brian plans to pursue a “Bachelor’s in Nursing at UT Cizik Nursing School and become a Family Nurse Practitioner down the road.” His family support was the main factor that allowed him to study. Brian’s advice to future San Jac students is to “take it one day at a time and practice discipline with a gentle heart.
Tymon Franke, Communications AA, Central Campus
His favorite course was Dr. Lakeysha Lowery’s Introduction to Mass Communications class that he took during the Spring 2025 semester. His biggest takeaway from his time as San Jacinto Community College has been time management with balancing school and a job along with other responsibilities. He is currently planning on moving in the spring to College Station where he hopes to attend Texas A&M University continuing down the route of Strategic Communications. Ty stated that the thing that helped him the most was to be open to collaborating with his classmates. The best advice Ty can give to any current or future student is to stay on top of the assignments and to schedule out the week to accommodate for any assignments due dates.
