Kaitlyn Jeter earned admission to several schools across the state, but chose to accept the admissions offer from Texas Southmost College because deciding to study local would be the best way to begin her college career.
“I knew that I could get a quality education, close to home at TSC without breaking the bank,” said Jeter. “Not qualifying for financial aid added to my family’s financial struggle, but TSC allowed me to take my first step in starting and continuing my college education.”
Although the Laguna Vista native said it has taken her longer than normal to get through college, she was able to earn an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies from TSC in 2019.
Now she’s pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at a local four-year university.
“TSC is affordable for students like me who don’t qualify for financial aid and have to pay out of pocket,” said Jeter. “I had to be smart with my money and TSC made it easy. I really was only able to continue my education because of the money I saved at TSC.”
Being the second oldest of five siblings, there were times when the 22-year-old had to drop down to one class a semester so she could work and help her family pay bills and pay for school.
“Sometimes, it has been difficult to keep going,” said Jeter. “But I have a dream of starting a good-paying career and helping my family, and that’s what motivates me to move forward.”
Jeter is studying to become a math teacher, a career she realized she wanted to pursue in high school after being inspired by her math educators.
It was her TSC mathematics professors that solidified her career choice.
“My mathematics professors at TSC were so inspiring and supportive about my career choice,” she said. “They were helpful, always present and made me feel like I had a purpose. This is what I found to be unique about TSC and rarely found anywhere else.”
Jeter said she hopes everything she has accomplished so far serves as an example for her younger siblings.
“I’m working hard and overcoming obstacles because I want them to see that anything is possible,” she said. “I want them to see that financial issues do not need to be an obstacle. We may have to work harder, but our dreams can become reality.”
Her goal is to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in May 2022, earn her teaching certification to teach eighth through 12th grade math, continue her education to earn a master’s degree and someday become a college professor.
“I plan on paying it forward as a teacher for all the times others believed in me and motivated me to move forward with my education and career,” said Jeter. “TSC made it possible for me to get where I am today and to believe in my dreams. It was the stepping stone I needed.”
For more information about academic programs offered at TSC, visit tsc.edu.
Registration for spring 2021 is underway. Classes begin Jan. 18.