Three Rivers College opened its doors to students for the 2022-2023 school year on Monday, and after months of preparation, staff are ready to serve its 2,600 students.
“I am excited to see students succeed and fulfill their education goals,” said Heather King, coordinator of admissions and recruitment.
She added the first day of classes was always hectic, but the overall feeling on campus was positive.
This sentiment was echoed by other staff, including ACHIEVE Coordinator Hattie Shepherd. The program serves first-generation, low-income and disabled students. Shepherd worked for ACHIEVE as a student and was thrilled to be back as a graduate.
“I’m super excited, loving it,” she said. “I’m excited for students to start coming into the program.”
Across campus, the housing department staff operate a one-stop shop for maintenance, deciphering class schedules, meal plans and student living, said Director of Housing CJ Jameson. New department staff this year are bringing in new ideas and energy into the office, like a fitness commitment called the Mt. Everest Challenge, where students climb stairs and local peaks until they’ve covered Everest’s 29,032 feet. Resident assistants are also planning a concert-scale lip sync battle and weekly trivia contests.
“There’s a lot of potential coming into this year,” Jameson said.
The new assistant director of housing, Shae Dixon, joined TRC last year and transferred to the housing department this year. She said 85% of students in housing are athletes, but her goal is to plan events all students can enjoy.
“The student life, the events, they’re fun,” she said.
Even as the year begins, Jameson looks forward to commencement. It is an emotional experience, she said, to look at her students and realize, “I’ve been there from the moment you walked through the doors and now you’re waking across that stage.”