Success Reached: Hannah Cottrell

TCC’s tagline is Success Within Reach. Our latest graduates have reached that milestone in their educational journey at TCC. In this series, we want to introduce you to some of them.

After struggling for two years in college, Hannah Cottrell dropped out. “I had no sense of direction in my life,” she said. “After taking some time to think about who I wanted to be, I decided to start with some basics at TCC in the summer of 2021.”

When she enrolled at TCC, Hannah faced personal challenges. “I was dealing with a lot of problems.  I was processing my grandfather’s death, and I had bariatric surgery because I was almost 200 lbs. overweight,” she admits. “So, instead of letting my grief, anger and bitterness swallow me, I decided to be proactive. I decided to work my behind off to get the best grades I could possibly achieve.”

Her hard work paid off.  Not only is she graduating with an Associate of Arts in Teaching: Early Childhood through Grade 6, she helped establish the Student Government Association for TCC Connect, the campus she attended.  “I’m a huge advocate for students to have reliable, accessible resources. I believe every student should have a voice,” she said. “I’m glad that I got to be that role model for the future students to come.”

Following graduation, Hannah plans to pursue a degree in History at McMurry University.  Currently, she works at a tutoring center where she tutors in Math and English.

Ultimately, she wants to be a children’s therapist in a clinical setting.