Record details
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Someone once told me that if you stay in the same place too long, you can never be successful. Personally, I’ve been doing the same thing for 54 years and working for the same employer for 56 years, and I see success around me every day.
That’s largely because of my very best friend, Tyler Junior College.
As a counselor at Van High School, I do a lot of personal counseling with students, but one of my main roles is to advise students on future plans, find out what they’re interested in doing and where they might go to college.
I always say to students it doesn’t matter where you start college, it only matters where you end up, so save that money and go to TJC.This year we increased our emphasis to students on the importance of going to college. We held our first College Signing Day with a theme of “After High School Comes College.” The two other counselors and I are proud to report that 81 percent of our senior class has made a commitment to attend college next year. In addition, we have a few juniors who are graduating early and they’re all planning to continue their education.
Of that graduating student body, about 60 students are planning to attend TJC. It’s probably the largest contingent we’ve sent to TJC.
It’s affordable, the people are interested in helping the students, the class sizes are small and it’s just a great campus and a great place to learn.
We had a student just last year who graduated and went off to UT Austin and they wound up transferring back to TJC. In one class at UT Austin the student was in a class of 300; at TJC, the same class, he was in a class of 15. You can very well get lost in the larger schools.
Something else we encourage strongly is for our students to take dual credit classes through TJC, either in academics or in the technical fields such as automotive and welding. There are great jobs in those fields and getting dual credit in high school can pave the way to a rewarding career.
Now, TJC is rolling out a Promise Scholarship so that any student from their tax district schools can go to college. I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened! It’s a no-brainer, in my view - you jump on board, and we’re on board and excited.
Texas has a number of great colleges and universities, but I could never ask for a better partner than Tyler Junior College. I think I’ve worked with every president that’s ever been at the school, and they have been remarkable to Van High School.
If I need something, I just call and we get it. I can’t even single out people at TJC because I’ve never worked with anyone who wasn’t as nice as they can be.
I’ll continue to promote Tyler Junior College as long as I’m doing what I’m doing, and I love my job, so I expect to be here a couple more years, giving that good advice to future students.
- Biography
- Following college, TJC Hero and Friend Bill Giles taught two years at Van High School, then was appointed as counselor, a position he has held for 54 years. He and his wife, Judy, have been married 53 years, and for the past 30 years the couple has traveled to Brazil each summer. They have two children and three grandchildren, and they have helped raise six foreign exchange students. His wife graduated from TJC and their daughter, Paige, was a TJC Apache Belle, and their son, Joe also attended TJC. In addition, one of the foreign exchange students also graduated from TJC and became a naturalized US citizen. Giles is active in his community and was recently presented a Community Builder Award by the Masonic Lodge.
