Transfer
Students

Many transfer students from Amarillo College have found their home in the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication, citing reasons such as a great on-campus atmosphere, an exceptional program, and abundant scholarship opportunities.

Todd Chambers, associate dean for undergraduate affairs in CoMC, said transfer students have always been an important part of the student population within the college.

“They come into our courses well prepared and typically jump right into opportunities such as MCTV, KTXT-FM, The Hub and 'Double T Insider'," Chambers said. “This year, we had the opportunity to visit the program at Amarillo College and see first-hand the outstanding educational opportunities students receive in their media and communication programs.”

Julia Heard-Witt, CoMC’s director of advising, said the college is working with Amarillo College to develop an agreement that will make it easier for students in communication majors to transfer to Texas Tech.

“Transfer students are a very valuable population of students at the College of Media & Communication and bring unique skills, leadership and maturity to the classroom,” Heard-Witt said. “We are currently in partnership with Amarillo College to help make transfer easier for their students, and we’re developing articulation agreements to help assist in the process.”

Hoz Fierro (BA public relations, 2016) transferred to Texas Tech in Fall 2013. He said that while he enjoyed his experience at Amarillo College, he knew coming to Texas Tech was the next step.

“I chose Texas Tech because the moment I was on campus it felt like a family here,” Fierro said. “The scholarship opportunities were also really great because I had no idea how I would pay for college, but Tech made it possible. Every time I come across students from junior colleges, I tell them about how amazing it is to transfer to Texas Tech.”

Amanda Castro-Crist transferred to Texas Tech in Fall 2015 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in journalism after breaking school records and receiving multiple individual awards as the editor-in-chief of Amarillo College’s student newspaper.

“I set a record with nine individual awards,” Castro-Crist said. “We also won Journalist of the Year and Reporter of the Year and I was awarded Editor of the Year. We were later awarded Outstanding Student Organization of the Year at Amarillo College.”

When she arrived at Texas Tech, Castro-Crist said she started working for the university student newspaper, the Daily Toreador, and then decided to explore radio by working with CoMC’s student-run radio station, The Raider 88.1 FM.

Castro-Crist said her time in CoMC has sparked in her an interest in pursuing a master’s degree in mass communications, and she said she hopes to teach at the collegiate level one day.

Quintin Marquez, a junior communication studies major from Amarillo, also transferred from Amarillo College to Texas Tech in Fall 2015.

“I picked Texas Tech because of the reputation it has as being one of the best schools in Texas, and it was just far enough from home that I can still go visit without having to fly every time something goes on with my family,” Marquez said.

During his time at Texas Tech, Marquez said he has enjoyed engaging in the university’s traditions while working with the Daily Toreador and RaiderVision All-Access.

“I was a reporter for the Daily Toreador, and I got to cover the soccer team all the way to their Big 12 championship. And as part of RaiderVision, I was able to attend all the home football games while earning money,” Marquez said. “From hanging out with Raider Red to hearing the Matador Song with my guns up, Tech has made me proud to be a Red Raider.”

Emily Balke, recruitment and retention specialist for CoMC, said working with Amarillo College throughout the transfer process is wonderful because faculty there excel at preparing their students for a four-year institution.

“We are lucky to have students coming from Amarillo College because they bring a unique perspective to our college,” Balke said.

Russell Lowery-Hart, president of Amarillo College, said that about 60 percent of students plan to transfer to a four-year university, and the college works to clear pathways for students and the university of their choice.

“While they are at Amarillo College, we work to give our students practical experience to support the classroom theory,” Lowery-Hart said. “We hope all students have a success story. And if transferring to university is their goal, we will do everything we can to help them achieve it.”

(Rachel Blevins is a junior journalism major from Mineral Wells, Texas.)