17th ANNUAL BOOTS & SUITS
Thursday, April 7 | 6-8 PM
James Event Center in Joshua
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Businesses or individuals interested in supporting the annual Boots & Suits event have several partnership levels to choose from including: presenting partner for $7,500; gold buckle partner for $5,000; silver buckle partner for $2,500; bronze buckle partner for $1,000; and fund a future partners for $500. Individual tickets are available for $60 per person. |
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Alumna Spotlight: Pretti Bell-Love |
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Pretti Bell-Love,
Hill College 2014 Alumna
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Pretti Bell-Love receiving the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Student Citizen of the Year award during the 2014 Hill College commencement ceremony.
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"It was a joy to watch Pretti as she embraced every opportunity to learn, become involved, make new friends and lead. Her caring attitude and energy were evident to everyone who touched her life. I’m privileged to be just one of those people." - Shirley Erickson, former Hill College choir director |
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Hill College 2014 graduate Pretti Bell-Love has always loved teaching. But the moment she really knew she wanted to become a teacher was when she was in the fourth grade.
“The summer before that, my birth mom had passed away. When I met my fourth-grade teacher, she was so loving and understanding. She was just everything,” Bell-Love recalled. “I remember thinking that I wanted to be that for someone. I wanted to be just like her.”
Bell-Love was raised by her aunt and uncle in Cleburne where she attended Adams Elementary, Cleburne Intermediate, and Cleburne Middle schools before graduating from Cleburne High School in 2011. Her aunt, Latishia Cassanova, who she calls mom, created a strong family bond for Bell-Love that made her want to stay close to home when it was time to go to college. So, she chose Hill College’s Hill County campus.
“I knew I wanted to go to college, and I knew I wanted to go to the University of North Texas (UNT), but I was kind of a homebody and wanted to stay close to family,” said Bell-Love. “My family does everything together. So, I went to the Hillsboro campus because it was far enough away where I could have my own space but close enough that if I wanted to go home I could.”
Bell-Love, who currently teaches third-grade math at International Scholarship of Texas (ILTexas), Keller K-8 in Fort Worth, began her journey to becoming a teacher by majoring in academic studies. She quickly became involved in campus life and academic organizations at Hill College, but not without the encouragement of some staff and professors.
“All of the professors were very personable and down to earth,” she said. “You could talk to them because they were patient and kind. I really loved that.”
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Program Spotlight: Hill College Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2022 |
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Jim Bratsen, 1971-72 Hill College baseball player, was posthumously inducted into the Class of 2022. His wife and son accepted the award on his behalf from former Hill College basketball coach Ray Roberts (right). |
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Melvin Roman (right), 1990-91 Hill College baseball player, opened MDR Sports Management in 2006, the only baseball representation firm in Puerto Rico and Latin America representing Hispanic players. |
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Hill College Athletic Director and Rodeo Coach Paul Brown inducted four members of the 2000 women's rodeo team into the Hall of Fame. |
1988 and 1989 Hill College baseball player Kevin Madden (left) receives his Hall of Fame plaque from former Hill College basketball coach Ray Roberts. |
Dr. Bill Auvenshine (middle) served as Hill College's president from 1984 to 2004. He received his Hall of Fame plaque from former coach and current faculty member Gary Benton (left) and Hill College Athletic Director and Rodeo Coach Paul Brown. |
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In January, the Hill College Athletic Hall of Fame committee inducted nine members as its Class of 2022 during a ceremony at the Vara Martin Daniel Performing Arts Center at the Hill College Campus in Hillsboro.
The Hill College Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the achievements and prestige of Hill College athletics through their performance on athletic teams representing the college or by meritorious efforts in years after graduation. This is the fourth class the committee has inducted into the Hall of Fame since it was established in 2015.
“It is a great honor and privilege to recognize alumni who excelled as student athletes while attending Hill College,” said Hill College Athletic Director and rodeo teams coach, Paul Brown. “As a committee, the responsibility to narrow this honor down to a select few athletes is overwhelming and challenging. Athletics has been a vital part of the Hill College legacy, and we are attempting to preserve some of that history.”
Inductees included: 2000 women's rodeo team members Michelle Alley, Josey (Stubblefield) Armstrong, Kriston (Looper) McSpadden, and Tina (Alvarez) McKinley; 1995 women's soccer player Tara Kindel; 1971 baseball player Jim Bratsen; 1988 and 1989 men's basketball player Kevin Madden; 1990 baseball player Melvin Roman; and 1984-2004 Hill College President Dr. Bill Auvenshine.
Cade Fedor, a native of Grandview and current Hill College rodeo team member, was also presented with this year's Ray Roberts Award, which was presented by the award’s namesake.
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2022 spring, summer scholarship funds available through skilled worker grant |
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Hill College recently received a $499,800 Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Institutional Capacity grant from the Texas Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to support students impacted by COVID-19.
The grant will be used to quickly expand Hill College’s Welding, HVAC, and Industrial Maintenance programs through student scholarships and program related facility renovations and instructional equipment purchases.
Scholarship funds available through this grant total $15,000 and will be awarded to eligible students for the 2022 spring and summer semesters. To be eligible, applicants must: be a Texas resident eligible for in-state tuition; complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application; have financial need and/or meet eligibility for federal Title IV aid; enrolled/plan to enroll in the welding, HVAC or industrial maintenance programs; and can affirm they were affected by COVID-19.
For more information about grant eligibility requirements and how to apply, email [email protected].
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Upcoming Events & Updates |
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17th ANNUAL BOOTS & SUITS
Thursday, April 7 | 6-8 PM
James Event Center in Joshua
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Hill College opened new Athletic Center for Excellence facility
Hill College hosted a ribbon cutting and open house for its new Athletic Center for Excellence (ACE) facility in January. The new ACE facility is an upgrade from the college’s previous athletic training room and was expanded to include a dedicated Physical Education classroom that can also be used as a team meeting and film room, a one-bedroom apartment for assistant athletic staff, a student lounge area, and significantly more space for medical treatment of student athletes.
“Although the previous athletic training room was adequate, the available square footage was not near enough to handle the daily flow of athletes through the athletic training room, which in turn caused many athletes to skip seeking the resources available to them as they would have to wait for space to come available,” said Hill College Athletic Trainer, Allan Dinsmore II. “We now have a premiere athletic training healthcare facility that, in my opinion, would parallel that of many larger university athletic programs.”
The facility will serve as a one-stop destination for student athletes to have all their medical needs addressed including illnesses, injuries, and day-to-day recovery for athletic participation. The student lounge area provides additional space for teams or individual athletes to socialize and study.
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