Spring 2023 | Hill College Alumni Newsletter

Spring 2023 / Issue 6

In this Issue

Community Spotlight

Hill College Development Foundation President Lynn Gray

Alumni Spotlight

Heidi Delgado

Program Spotlight

Job Training and Workforce

Upcoming Events

Hill College Players

Hill College Rodeo

Band and Jazz Ensemble

Choir

Boots and Suits

Hill College Summit

Visual and Performing Arts

Commencement

In Other Hill College News

Hill College sophomore wins All-Around competition at Texas A&M Commerce Rodeo

Hill College softball team looks to build off last year's program, aiming for second consecutive conference tournament appearance

Hill College Development Foundation President Lynn Gray and his wife, Carolyn Pool Gray

Mr. Gray’s family has a long history with Hill College. His parents both attended Hillsboro Junior College in the 1920’s. His father was on the first Board of Regents for the reorganized college, Hill Junior College, which was established in 1962, until his death in 1970.

Mr. Gray received his associate’s degree from Hill College in 1966, and later went on to the University of Texas to receive his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1968. He then went on to join the National Guard and later joined the family business, Independent Oil Company—Dixie LP Gas.

He remained active with the college, running the clock for the basketball teams for nearly 30

years and was later elected to the Board of Regents in 1974 and served for 6 years.

In 1975, the Board of Regents set up the Hill Junior College Development Foundation to receive endowments for scholarships. In 1995, the Board of Regents set up the Hill College

Development Foundation to grow and invest the funds that the Hill Junior College Development Foundation had raised. Mr. Gray has been president of the Hill College Development Foundation since 1995.

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Alumni Spotlight: Heidi Delgado

Heidi Delgado, Hill College Graduate of 2021

“I discovered that I actually enjoyed getting my hands dirty and working on vehicles. I thought about my career choice for a few days and decided to switch my major to an Associates of Applied Science in Automotive Technology.”

Heidi Delgado graduated from Hill College in 2021 with an Associates of Applied Science in Automotive Technology. Heidi was raised by her mother, Christena Delgado, in Itasca, Texas. She graduated high school in 2018 with dreams of becoming a veterinarian. She was an honors graduate, FFA member, and athlete.

After taking online classes her senior year in high school, she planned to attend Hill College for her core classes and then hoped to transfer to Tarleton State to finish her degree and go on to vet school.

Her career path changed one evening. Her car broke down and she had to be at school and work the next morning.

“I decided to diagnose my vehicle on my own. A few YouTube videos later and beating on the alternator with a hammer, I discovered my alternator was bad. Once again, YouTube came to the rescue, and I was able to replace the alternator by myself.”

It was that event that changed Heidi’s path.

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Program Spotlight: Job and Workforce Training

Director of Job Training and Workforce Stephanie Adams

“This new venture takes Hill College in an innovative direction in its approach toward student success. We are committed to reimagining what higher education looks like to better identify the needs of our student body and community.”

In October 2022, Hill College announced the creation of the Job Training and Workforce Department. This new initiative is the result of a restructuring and rebranding of the

Continuing Education (CE) program, which was driven by the Continuing Education Task Force (a team of various staff members from across the college) in an effort to solidify the direction and sustainability of the CE programs with the intention of positioning Hill College to

strategically respond to the future workforce needs of current and future business partners.

The Job Training and Workforce Department was developed as part of a re-evaluation of how the college approaches its four Career Pathways—Arts and Humanities, Business and Industry, Health and Public Service, and STEM—to better align current and prospective students with their career goals. The idea is to provide students with a gateway to move from job training to more advanced technical and academic programs.

The leaders of this initiative are tasked with strengthening and building partnerships with local businesses; growing awareness in the community; reaching out to a broader audience, including traditional and nontraditional students; as well as providing job training guidelines and opportunities for employers.

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Upcoming Events & Updates

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