Reader strikes gold

Editor:

Your article titled “Additional financial aid available” came right on time for me. Besides being a college student, I am also a mother of two. I am currently unemployed so any funds I do receive go toward continuing my education and taking care of my family.

At the point when the article came out, my household was in financial distress, and we weren’t really too sure how things were going to work out.

Luckily, I like to get a dose of campus news every Friday from The Ranger.

When I picked up the issue on Oct. 9, I nearly jumped out of my seat at the sight of the offering of free money.

Those two words have to be my most favorite words in the world: free and money!

The National Center for Education Statistics indicates that 50 percent of all college grads have an average of $10,000 or more to pay back on their college loans (http://www.financialaidfinder.com/real-cost-of-student-loans.html), so the fact that this was a grant that I wouldn’t have to pay back was appealing to me as well.

The following Tuesday, I rushed to my high school (Sam Houston) and requested my transcript.

Wednesday, I was able to stop at the financial aid office where I was able to talk with Madeline Lester.

She was very friendly and helpful, informing me that my check would be coming sooner than I had actually anticipated.

I walked into that office a little apprehensive about the idea of free money and how easy everything would be, and walked out with a huge weight lifted from my shoulders.

The fact that reading an article had such a big impact on my life prompted me to encourage others to read The Ranger and inform them about the additional financial aid that had become available.

Just as it has helped me, I am hoping that someone else will be liberated from the strongholds of finances.

Knowing that I will have money coming soon has eased my mind and helped me to stay focused on my studies rather than worrying about my money situation at home.

I appreciate The Ranger for being there to “hit the nail on the head” and deliver the news that will have a positive impact on its readers.

Tamara Sayles

Journalism Freshman

 

Biology missing at majors fair

Editor:

I am a student here at San Antonio College, and I was very excited yesterday. It was Veterans Day, and I happen to be a veteran. I also planned to go to Meet the Majors in Loftin Student Center. I had many questions to ask about my major, which is biology. I drove 40 miles just to meet the majors.

I got there a little after 9 a.m. and there were a lot of people there. I walked around for 10 minutes looking for my major, but I couldn’t find it. It wasn’t there! Every other department had a booth and people representing each booth, but not the biology department. This amazed me because kids in grade school know how to set up a booth for projects and the entire collegiate biology department couldn’t even show up.

Needless to say, I was very angry and disappointed. I had just driven 40 miles to check out the biology department. Do they not care about the students here at San Antonio College? What kind of example are they setting for the future students of SAC? How are we supposed to excel in science when the biology department doesn’t even bother to be proactive in the pursuit of knowledge?

I am now questioning whether or not I am coming to the right college.

Carolyn Baker

Biology Freshman