June 2022 | Hill College Alumni Newsletter

June 2022 | Issue 5

Hill College president bids farewell after 41-year career

In May, Hill College President Dr. Pam Boehm officially retired after a 41-year career at Hill College. Search for the college’s next president is currently underway.

Boehm’s first role at Hill College was as the administrative assistant to the dean of instruction in 1978. Nearly 20 years later, she stepped up as the dean of students and then vice president of student services. Her passion for helping students succeed led her into the classroom 10 years later to teach behavioral sciences, a program she eventually became coordinator of. Boehm also taught psychology and served as a crisis counselor during this time. In 2014, she was named Hill College’s 10^th president.

Boehm’s successful tenure as the college’s president was shaped not only from her professional experiences through her various administrative and support roles the prior 36 years, but also from her own personal and educational experiences.

“Having been a non-traditional student with children helped me relate to students who had the sense that they could not achieve college at their age,” Boehm said. “It helped me share my experiences and let students know how to keep persisting. I would caution them to not overload themselves and encourage them to go part-time if that helped them juggle working, going to school, and raising a family.”

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Alumni Spotlight: A family affair

From left to right:

Tom Hargrave, Class of 1988; Keylin Hargrave Roberts, Class of 2022;

Brandi Boley, Class of 2009

"My original plans in life were vastly different, but looking back, I’ve accomplished far more than I could have ever imagined because of Hill College.” - Brandi Boley, Hill College Alumna

In May, Keylin Hargrave Roberts became the third member of her family to graduate from Hill College.

Roberts, who graduated with a liberal arts degree, follows in her mother’s and her grandfather’s footsteps, who graduated in 2009 and 1988, respectively.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment to me,” Roberts said of her graduation from Hill College. “My family has always been my biggest support system, and knowing that I followed in their footsteps means something to me.”

Roberts plans to pursue a church membership and enroll in ministry school, which she says Hill College helped her prepare to do.

“I had instructors who went beyond what they were supposed to teach and actually made the material meaningful and applicable,” she said. “I got a lot of great advice from my instructors.”

Roberts’ mother, Brandi Boley, didn’t have a typical college experience, much like many other Hill College students. She was a single mom more than a decade out of high school with a couple of college attempts under her belt who was looking for a career change.

It wasn’t until 2008 when she began working at Hill College’s Johnson County Campus as the business office cashier and enrollment management specialist, that Boley was finally able to give college another—more successful—shot.

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Program Spotlight: Health & Public Services Pathway

The Hill College Health & Public Services Pathway features a variety of degree programs for students interested in serving their communities.

New hybrid ADN Transition program

This summer marks the start of the new hybrid program for the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) and Paramedic Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Transition programs. The first cohort

began June 6 and will wrap up in August.

The college was recently approved to offer the program in a hybrid format to offer more flexibility for its students and is only one of few hybrid programs offered statewide. The only face-to-face requirements for students include completing major exams in a Hill College testing center and 12 hours of training each week at a clinical facility. The traditional face-to-face program is still being offered as well.

New cohorts will be offered each June. For questions or additional information, call 817-760-5921 or 254-659-7920.

Vascular Technology – Enhanced Skills Certificate

Hill College recently added the Vascular Technology – Enhanced Skills Certificate as an option in its Echocardiography program to help students meet workforce demands.

“Vascular studies is a large part of the normal work day of a cardiac sonographer,” said Hill College Echocardiography Program Director, Darla Whitehead. “If one looks at job postings, they see a large majority want vascular along with cardiac.”

Whitehead said facilities have started on-the-job training as a result, but the trainee doesn’t receive everything they need to be successful.

“Trainees must pass a registry exam, and they lack the skills to do so,” she said. “Formal classes will help them prepare for this.”

To enroll, students must have an associate of applied science degree and be registered in Echocardiography and/or Diagnostic Medical Sonography (RCS,or RDCS, or RDMS). The next cohort will begin in summer 2023. For more information, contact Whitehead at (817) 760-5933.

Fall 2022 Cohorts

The Health & Public Services Pathway also has program cohorts beginning this fall, including nursing, EMS, criminal justice, fire protection technology, and cosmetology. Hill College’s fall classes for 16-week and 1st-8-week sessions begin Aug. 22, and 2nd-8-week sessions begin Oct. 17. Click the button below for more information about fall cohorts.

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TTU at Hill College program adds new degree options

Bret Baze, TTU at Hill College Admissions Counselor

The Texas Tech University (TTU) at Hill College program is offering more opportunities for Hill College students and alumni to earn four-year degrees.

Current and former students can apply their completed Hill College credits toward a bachelor’s degree from TTU through the program, which now features 14 degree options, up from 10 last year. Three of the newest programs are through TTU’s TechTeach program in its College of Education, and the first education cohort will start in the fall.

“Through our education programs, students work in the classrooms of our partnering school district, Burleson ISD, to gain on-the-job knowledge,” said TTU at Hill College’s admissions counselor, Bret Baze.

Baze was hired last year to support the program’s degree expansion and anticipated enrollment increases for the 2022-2023 academic year and is stationed full-time at the Johnson County Campus.

“This allows us to work with more students while they are preparing to transfer to the university level,” Baze said of his position. “Having local advising options allows us to give our students a better personalized level of service.”

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Annual Boots and Suits event raises over $41,000, honors retiring president

The 17^th annual Hill College Boots and Suits fundraising event held on April 7 raised over $41,000 to benefit Hill College students.

Nearly $37,000 of the proceeds will go directly to student scholarships. Funds raised from event activities and donations made during the event, a total of $3,900, will support the college’s student resource rooms.

“A new initiative was included in the year’s event, which was to raise funds throughout the evening for our food pantries that are housed on our campuses,” said Hill College President Dr. Pam Boehm. “Many students come to college with very little funds for toiletries, necessities, supplies and snacks. We have seen an increase in student use of the pantries since the pandemic.”

Boehm, who is retiring at the end of the year after 41 years of service to Hill College, was also honored with the announcement of the creation of the Dr. Pam Boehm Student Emergency Aid Grant. The grant will provide funding to help students with emergency financial needs (not tuition and fees), and students will not be required to repay funds they receive. Gala attendees made the first donations to the fund during the event, raising nearly $1,000.

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