Doña Ana Community College students get ready

Chloe Sanchez, 22, has so many interests, she isn’t sure yet what she wants to study when she begins her first semester at Doña Ana Community College, which begins August 20.

That’s why the Las Cruces resident attended, along with her mother Leslie Sanchez, Doña Ana Community College’s Parent Night, an event designed to help parents and students navigate the beginning of the school semester.

The event was held on July 16 at the East Mesa Campus, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd.

Geraldine Martinez, administrative director for the college, told the Bulletin that the community college holds these events every year in the hope that it helps students “be successful in their educational journey.”

Martinez said the event on Tuesday was the largest turnout in years.

Chloe Sanchez said she attended because she is seeking an advisor to help her navigate what classes to take. She is interested in psychology, social studies, criminal justice, but also, she is interested in the arts and in culinary.

Chloe said she is both a baker who likes to experiment in the kitchen and a painter who likes to work in traditional mediums, such as oil paints and pencil, but she is interested in branching out into studying digital art.

She said she is excited and “very nervous.”

“I don’t have my classes yet,” she said.

Leslie Sanchez, Chloe’s mother, said she encouraged her daughter to consider taking classes at Doña Ana Community College because she began her educational journey while working for the Las Cruces-based campus and now has three degrees.

“I bleed crimson,” Leslie joked.

Leslie, who started by obtaining an EMS degree, now has an MPA in Public Administration from New Mexico State University and is a contractor for NASA.

“You can change your mind and study anything you’re interested in. You’ve just got to get in there and do it,” she said.

Martinez said that while many of Doña Ana Community College students are from Las Cruces, the campus sees students come from around the area, including Lordsburg and Alamogordo.

Martinez said that what sets Doña Ana Community College a part is the one-on-one with students.

She said the student to teacher ratio is 28 to 1.

“It’s really easy to get that one-on-one with that ratio,” Martinez said.

Martinez said she’s seen a change in dynamic recently with more parent involvement with incoming freshmen’s educational journey.

Martinez said that for people considering Doña Ana Community College, financial issues don’t have to be a barrier. New Mexico students are eligible for the Opportunity Scholarship, the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship and other forms of financial aid, which include Pell Grants and veteran benefits. In addition, a student who starts with DACC can transfer credits to NMSU.

Martinez said DACC is affordable and, with seven campuses, accessible.

“And we care about our students,” Martinez said.

Martinez said some of the more popular majors include Health, Creative Media, Culinary, Criminal Justice and EMS.

Leslie Sanchez said she is proud of her daughter.

“She went through working a lot of fast-food jobs. She made the decision on her own that this isn’t that bad. She just had to be ready,” Leslie said.