At 41 years old, Indiana native Tracey Thomas is pursuing an education in psychology at Hillsborough Community College.
Tracey has called Florida home since the summer of 2019 and having always wanted to finish a college degree, found that now was a better time than ever to pursue her dream.
She explains, “I decided to enroll at the Plant City Campus because I didn’t just need something local, but a school that would allow me to have a flexible schedule as a mother.”
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, she enrolled at HCC in the fall of 2020.
“A big pro for me was that I could do all my classes online,” she says. “After my first semester, I started to dip my toes in the water and enrolled in a hybrid course that was still online, but offered on-campus class time. This fall, I’ll actually be taking two classes in person.”
Last semester in spring 2021, Tracey was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) and was recently one of 207 members named a 2021 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
“The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps new Phi Theta Kappa members defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are encouraged to assume leadership roles by participating in society programs and are selected based on scholastic achievement, community service and leadership potential. More than 900 applications were received.”
“When I received the scholarship, I was surprised. I didn’t have a scope of how many students would be applying or even what the likelihood of being chosen would be. I tend to not give myself very much credit, and I’ll admit it was very nice to be recognized.”
She says, “I love being involved, helping others and getting to know the people around me. When I found out about Phi Theta Kappa, it seemed like a perfect opportunity, and so far everyone has been incredibly supportive.”
In the past few months, the Plant City Campus PTK chapter has been working on a community garden, and any produce grown in the HCC plot has been given away for free to students through farmer’s markets held on campus.
Tracey also serves on the Plant City Campus Student Government Association (SGA) executive board and holds the position of a leadership mentor.
“Being involved through SGA has been a very rewarding experience. Even though I’ve mainly been enrolled in online classes, SGA has been a way to bridge the gap between me and the students on campus.”
Speaking on her current success as a student, Tracey encourages other students to get involved and reach out to their peers. “If you’re feeling exhausted, lost in school or thinking ‘maybe this isn’t worth it,’ chances are others are feeling exactly the same way. You aren’t doing this by yourself, we all have the same end goal; you just have to find those who will listen, offer support and even advice on how they got through the obstacles.”
“At my age, it’s hard to know what to expect from the college experience. Thanks to Molly Coufal and Bonnie Nimmo (PTK advisor and SGA advisor, respectively) I felt accepted. They’ve both been some of my biggest support systems and made me felt heard at HCC.”
More recently, Tracey was accepted into the HCC Honors Program. She is expected to graduate from HCC with her associate in arts degree in the spring of 2023. Speaking on her future goals, she plans to pursue her master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology.