I embarked on my college career at the age of 53. Two years later I graduated with an Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service, and I am thrilled with my decision to attend NTCC.
Greetings to everyone reading this testimonial. My name is George Edwards. I started the funeral service program at NTCC in the fall semester of 2022. Unlike most students, I embarked on my college career at the age of 53. I began working for a funeral home, part time, in 2020, and after a few months I made the transition to full time. It wasn’t long before I found that being a funeral director and embalmer is where the long road has taken me. I started my research on the few colleges in Texas that offer a funeral service degree. The cost of most of them seemed expensive. I found NTCC and did my research. I found it to be more affordable and discovered it had a well-established success rate for their graduates, which was impressive.
Being a first-time student, I didn’t know what to expect from the college experience. From my initial call to NTCC, I was met by the most helpful people. I had access to many staff members who helped me sort out everything I needed to do to begin my college experience. Everyone I spoke with made me feel welcome and wanted. This warm reception made my decision easier, and two years later I am thrilled with my decision to attend NTCC.
In August of 2022, after many phone calls and emails, I was enrolled into the funeral service certificate program to receive my funeral director license as quickly as possible. Less than a year later, in July of 2023, I took the National Board Exam for Funeral Directing and received my license. The staff and professors prepared me well for the exam, and I passed on the first attempt with a good grade. I immediately enrolled to continue my studies for my AAS in Funeral Service at NTCC. Two years later, I graduated with an Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service.
Olga Scott, Program & Student Coordinator of Funeral Service Education, worked diligently to set the program up in the way that worked for me and my schedule. She has always been great at returning my emails with the multitude of questions I had. Rebecca Gardner, Associate Professor & Director of Funeral Services, also consistently answered my emails quickly. I can’t thank the staff and faculty enough for what they’ve done to see me through the funeral service program. Abby Shurtz, Brant Davis, Benjamin Schmidt, Savannah Toews, Jennifer Lares, Manuel Osorio, and many others have made my college experience meaningful and productive.
A word of advice- don’t hesitate to reach out to any of your professors or faculty for any assistance you need. They truly want to see all their students succeed and will take time out of their own lives to make it possible. Not once have I felt like I was bothering them with my emails and questions. Being in an online class, you don’t have the luxury of raising your hand. That’s why email, Teams, and the various ways to communicate are available. Also, make sure you are ready to commit to the program. This is why I waited for 35 years after graduating high school. I wasn’t ready to commit to college. I thought I already knew everything. But guess what? I didn’t! (Just a little humor, but true). If anything in this life is worth doing, it’s worth doing your best. Although the professors and staff are excellent at what they do, they are not miracle workers. It will take a tremendous effort on your part to accomplish your goal, and the goal of funeral service is a noble profession. Students, do your part, and the professors and staff at the NTCC funeral service program will prepare you well and will lead you to success.
I once again want to thank NTCC for their affordable Funeral Service Program, and all the effort that the staff and faculty put into educating young minds. It has truly been a wonderful experience to be able to attend college in this capacity. Please continue the great work you do for your students. You are appreciated more than you know. Best of luck to everyone that attends this program and I hope to be considered your colleague in the future.
I wish you all the best.
George Edwards
Funeral Director
Former student @ NTCC
Provisional Embalmer
