Posts by Ashley Thornton
For Many MCC/TSTC Students a Strong Start is Crucial for Success. FastTrack to College Can help.
By Janet Phelps A lack of knowledge and basic skills can have devastating effects on adults who want to go to college. Just ask Amber*, a 20-something student who came into my office at McLennan Community College last week and told me she wanted to go back to school. Amber had recently lost her job…
Read MoreYouth Mental Health First Aid: How can I help?
By Georgie Price Three years ago, I began my professional career after college working as a case manager for children and adolescents struggling with mental health or behavioral challenges. I had little idea of what mental health was or how it impacted anyone in the community. I was naïve to the prevalence of mental health…
Read MoreThe aftermath…
By Ashley Bean Thornton So, I ran for city council and I lost. It’s been two weeks. I spent the first week taking naps, binge-watching “House of Cards” and eating ice cream and chips for dinner every night. (Really Blue Bell? You had to pick this year to have your big melt down?) Now, with…
Read MoreAVATAR in the Heart of Texas
(The Heart of Texas P-20 Council includes representatives from K-12 education, higher education and employers. They meet regularly to help coordinate efforts to launch our young people into productive lives as workers and citizens. This post is one in a monthly series of posts intended to share information about the work of this important group…
Read MoreGetting to the Heart of Things at the Farmer’s Market
By Katie Grovatt Waco: I came here as a Baylor student not knowing what to expect from the city where my school is located. My quest: to go out and discover what my new home city has to offer. What I found: the Waco Downtown Farmer’s Market, a place where I can be part of…
Read MoreOpen Mic : On why holding space matters
by Jenuine Poetess “It is easy to feel lost and betrayed in a world of increasing alienation, where greed, injustice, and dull materialism obscure the underlying dream of life. There is a path the soul would have us take and a unique way of seeing the world it would have us awaken to. There is…
Read MoreWhispered Wounds
by Liz Ligawa Her name is Olivia. And six years ago, she was expected to be born this month. I was finally enjoying a stress-free day. After just wrapping up classes for this semester, I allowed myself to enjoy some respite from academic rigor by scrolling, unthinkingly, through my Facebook newsfeed. As I scrolled, I…
Read MoreWhat is Prosper Waco? Who is Prosper Waco?
By Matthew Polk This is an exciting time to live in Waco. Downtown revitalization, Baylor football in McLane Stadium, Fixer Upper, food trucks…the list of great things about Waco is long and growing. There is a refreshing energy that comes from living in a place that is growing and seeing success. Everyone wants to be…
Read MoreMEND: Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!
by Crystal Melton Four weeks ago I welcomed baby number four into my arms and into the world. I’m biased, but this little person that I’ve been given the privilege to raise is absolutely perfect. However, I realize that feeling is universal among parents. We gaze in awe at the unblemished miracle we’ve been given,…
Read MoreGrandparents as Parents: Local Heroes
by Sara Beth Stoltzfus Being a parent can be tough. Returning to the role of parent as a 65 year old can be exhausting. Now, I do not know this from personal experience. I am a 28 year old childless woman. I know this from what I have seen and heard from the grandmas and…
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