Elizabeth Patterson, NTCC Class of 1993, earned an Associate degree in Accounting and a Computer Specialist Certificate. Her college journey began by chance in 1990, when she was a stay-at-home mom in Avinger with her husband and two kids. A neighbor invited her to NTCC to drop off paperwork, and while waiting on campus, a staff member asked if she needed help. When she said she wasn’t a student, they asked, “Would you like to be?” Minutes later, she filled out an application. That fall, at age 32, Elizabeth started college.
She later earned her BBA in Accounting from UT Tyler and worked in the field before retiring. Now a proud grandmother of eight, she still lives in Avinger with her husband, Jeff. Her connection to NTCC continues—her oldest grandchild recently began her own college journey at NTCC last fall!
Elizabeth offers this advice: “The advice I have for students at NTCC today, whether they are 18 or 80, is this: do your best—your best, not someone else’s. Have fun. If you feel yourself getting too stressed, turn that thing around and eat some desserts! And make new friends—there’s always room for more.”
The NTCC Alumni Association is officially accepting applications! The membership fee is only $5 and you can be among the founding members. Not only will it help you stay in the know about what’s going on at NTCC, you can also network with others and get involved.
Click here to sign up now! You can also follow us on Facebook.
To celebrate our Alumni Association, we will be periodically posting spotlights highlighting members. If you know a former NTCC student you would like to see highlighted, please contact Mason May at mmay@ntcc.edu.
