Shining Bright:

Photo by Nick Young

Facing the Future Together

By Heather Darrow

Navigating the waters of the ever-changing pandemic has been challenging for the entire world. While collectively we struggle to find our sea legs from one wave of change to the next, in Collin County we have activated a beacon of light – an extensive, resilient partnership between residents, business and industry, educational institutions, and community leaders. Together, we addressed issues utilizing a wireless network and are leaving a wake of innovative solutions.

According to Dr. Neil Matkin, Collin College District president, the college was in a good position prior to the pandemic because it has continually invested in technology and offers an e-learning center to assist professors with moving classes online. This foundation served the college well as it transitioned all of its spring class offerings to a virtual format.

“We plan to open a new virtual campus in the near future and moving our classes and services to an online format provided us with an unexpected opportunity to be better prepared for doing so,” Matkin said. “From the beginning, our Board of Trustees and leadership, professors, staff, industry, and business partners stepped up and worked together. This extraordinary team navigated each new challenge with amazing tenacity, creativity, and enthusiasm. One visible example of this diligence is our new Wylie Campus. Our construction crew and college team kept moving forward to make sure this campus would be ready for students this fall.”

From sharing respiratory supplies with area hospitals to accelerating energy-saving upgrades on campuses while students learned from home, the college continued to look for opportunities to make positive changes as thepandemic unfolded. When it became evident that internet access was an issue, the college partnered with area school districts to offer hot spots for their IT departments and created new “Wi-Fi Drive-Ins” (external hotspots) for students without internet access. To ease the transition from high school to college, the college also held Collin College Bound virtual events for Wylie ISD graduating seniors. Approximately 120 individuals learned about registration, financial aid, and other student resources at Collin College.

“One of the most wonderful aspects of Collin College is that it is nimble and can quickly adapt to changing situations, markets, and industry needs,” said Dr. Bob Collins, Collin College chair and founding board of trustees member. “That serves us well on a daily basis, but in a crisis situation that element enables us to continue to offer exceptional service to our students and our community.”

Students are always the top priority at Collin College which is why the college recently celebrated future health care heroes with recognition parades for more than 140 nursing and allied health students.

No one knows what the future holds, but one thing is certain.

“We have an incredible team of partners in our community,” Matkin said. “At Collin College, we are committed to our students and to our communities. We will continue to offer excellent education at affordable prices today and in the future, and we cannot wait to safely open the doors of our Wylie Campus.” For more information about Collin College’s Wylie Campus, visit www.collin.edu/campuses/wylie. •