When Lauren Sepulvador enrolled in TCC as a high school senior, she did so reluctantly. “To be honest, I wanted to go straight to a four-year university like the rest of my friends, but little did I know how much TCC had to offer,” she said. “I ended up attending TCC due to financial reasons. Still, I ended up being grateful for my time there due to the small class size, organizations on campus, a study abroad opportunity, and amazing quality education. As college continues to be increasingly out of reach for many, community college is an amazing opportunity for those who want to start higher education without setting them back financially.”
Even after graduating with her associate degree and transferring to a four-year university, she continued to take classes at TCC “for a fraction of the price, fewer students and more flexible scheduling around work.”
Lauren says TCC positively impacted her success through her involvement with the Student Government Association (SGA) at TCC Northwest. She served as vice president her freshman year and president as a sophomore. “I met some of the most-hardworking and brilliant students that I still look up to today,” she said. “I gained leadership skills I would not have straight out of high school.”
While part of the SGA, Lauren says her group worked with Student Activities to assist other clubs. They also partnered with the administration to improve lighting in the parking lot, construct speed bumps and add No Texting signs near the crosswalks. They discussed current bills related to students with state legislators during Community College Day. Additionally, she was interviewed by the Star-Telegram regarding her thoughts on the price and accessibility of community college as part of their story on President Obama’s proposal to make community college free.
Another opportunity Lauren experienced while attending TCC was to study abroad in Salzburg, Austria with the Salzburg Global Seminar. “This is just one example of amazing programs that people have no idea exist at TCC until they start to explore resources,” she said. “I am forever grateful because I would not have been able to study abroad if it were not for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
After receiving her associate degree at TCC, Lauren transferred to the University of North Texas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration in public relations and a minor in psychology. That minor was inspired by TCC instructor Jay Green, who Lauren considers one of the best instructors she has had out of the three schools she attended for higher education. She said Green also inspired her to ultimately go to graduate school, which she did. “During COVID, I decided to go to graduate school at Texas Woman’s University and recently graduated with my master’s in counseling and development with an emphasis in mental health counseling.”
While in graduate school, Lauren began hosting the “Connections Chat” podcast, which features weekly guests who work in mental health to help fight stigma and provide resources. “The podcast just reached 5,000 downloads!” she shared.
Connections Wellness Group Podcast | Mental Health Podcast
Lauren is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-A) and currently serves as a program therapist working with young adults and college students. “I have come full circle and often think back to my time at TCC and try to instill in my clients what TCC taught me—life is what you make it,” she said. “Without my experience at TCC, I may have never learned the leadership skills and gained the determination to create a meaningful career for myself. I am here to help others in my work, and TCC was the stepping stone for that.”
Are you experiencing Success at Work thanks to your time at TCC? If so, please let us know. We love hearing about the success of our graduates! Contact us at PR.Marketing@tccd.edu, and we’ll be in touch.