MC math instructor sets the bar high for her students, even higher for herself

By Nancy Brown

The education of Connie Sanchez was a family effort. When her kids got out of school during the day, they accompanied her to night classes at UTPB so she could finish her bachelor's degree. "We took a rolling bag with their snacks and they did their homework in the halls outside of my class. Many nights we did not get home until 10:30," Connie said. Her children witnessed, and were part of, Connie's commitment to getting an education. "They also saw how getting a degree has changed our lives. Our quality of life has continued to improve. I was able to get this wonderful job and we're no longer living on just Ramen Noodles!" she added.

Connie's wonderful job is being a math instructor at Midland College, where she has been employed full-time since 2007. She has come a great distance from where she was in 2001: as a new resident in Midland, she was so depressed that she sat on the couch holding the remote control unable to even turn on the television. She started taking classes at MC and found an amazing support system that led her to discover her gifts with math. "The faculty here is so amazing; they were so supportive, so encouraging ... they have been with me every step of the way, guiding me through, even while I was at UTPB," she said.

By 2002 Connie was fulfilling the core requirements for her associate degree and tutoring in the MC Math Lab with fellow-tutor, Judy Madison. Connie was in the midst of financial straits, and Judy gave her a gift of money with the words, "When you graduate, when you get that good job, pay it forward." That small gesture made a huge impact in Connie's life. "It's something I'll never forget. Now when I meet someone who is struggling, I give them a gift from Judy Madison 'Pay it Forward' Scholarship!" she said.

By 2005, Connie had earned her Bachelor of Science in Math from UTPB. And, this past December, she completed her Master's in Educational Leadership and experienced the unique joy of walking across the stage with her daughter, Emily, who graduated with her bachelor's degree. "The bachelor's was for my family. The master's degree was for me. I wanted to know for myself that I could achieve more," Connie said.

Achievement  was imprinted upon Connie from a young age by her parents. Her mother dropped out of the eleventh grade, and her father did not complete junior high school. Her father, Felix Trujillo, would show Connie his report card with failing grades. "Then he would say, 'Don't be like me,'" Connie said. Because they could not achieve their educational goals, Connie's parents had very high expectations for her. "If I cam home with an A-minus, that wasn't good enough. 'You are smart. You can do better,' they would say to me," Connie said. "They set the bar very high for me."

During her workdays, Connie enjoys paying it forward with MC developmental math students. "I am a better cheerleader for them now. Where they are, I have been, and I try to use my life as much as possible as an example for them, and I tell them, 'You've got to find it in you to continue!'" Connie has the reward of seeing the smiles on their faces as they graduate, and she knows they will go on for their bachelors' degrees.

At night, Connie is taking graduate level math classes. She will take another 18 hours beyond her master's degree to certify her to teach transfer students college algebra and trigonometry. After that? She's seriously considering a Ph.D. Her son, Fernando--who will graduate from Lee High School next May and attend MC for his first two years--says, "Well mom, you just moved the bar up again, didn't you?"