Collin College Students are Wylie Bound

By Heather Darrow

As a young boy, Wylie resident Edward de la Rosa Mendez loved to draw. He took art classes in grade school and earned second or third place in drawing contests at Smith Elementary School. He even selected art as an elective in high school. But until recently he believed it was just a hobby.

“Now I think of it as a career,” said de la Rosa Mendez, a Wylie East High School graduate.

“I’ve been at Collin College for one semester, and I like the Collin College experience. The classes are small, and there is more engagement among professors and students.”

Taking visual arts classes at the college has solidified Edward’s decision to become a graphic designer. He is working hard to achieve his dream to transfer to the University of Texas at Arlington and earn a bachelor’s degree in visual arts. In addition to studying, that effort includes a long commute to the college’s Plano Campus (Spring Creek).

“I have to take Parker Road, and it is always under construction, so I leave an hour ahead of time,” he said.

That situation will change when the Wylie Campus opens this fall.

“It will probably only take me 10 minutes to get to the Wylie Campus, and I will know more people there,” said de la Rosa Mendez. “It will be an easier commute for students in cities that are around Wylie, too, like Josephine, Lavon, Nevada, and Murphy.” Wylie Campus Student Center

28 • TheCONNECTION • February/March 2020 Photo courtesy of Skanska USA and rendering courtesy of Page Southerland Page.

What de la Rosa Mendez may not know is that art students will have the opportunity to take their easels outside on a terrace at the Wylie Campus because art professors were consulted in the design phase and shared their expertise. He might also be surprised to find out about the art history classroom that utilizes multiple image projections, allowing students to immerse themselves in panoramic artistic masterpieces from around the world without ever leaving the classroom.

Nevada resident Liliana Rios said she cannot wait to attend the Wylie Campus. Like de la Rosa Mendez, her commute will be at least 30 minutes shorter.

“I will save gas money, and it will not be as stressful to drive to classes because I won’t have the construction that I have now,” said Rios, who graduated from Community High School in 2018. “I will also have extra time and will probably get more hours in at work and be able to save more money to transfer to a university.”

Rios hopes to earn a degree in history and become a high school teacher or college professor.

“I go to the library in Wylie to see my new campus being built,” Rios said. “When I was growing up in Wylie it was pretty small compared to what it is now. Wylie has always been a great city and having the campus there just makes it better.”

For more information about Collin College, visit www. collin.edu. •