by Bruce Wilson
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by Bruce Wilson
by Stephen Perry One of my life goals is and has been since I was in Junior High was to graduate from Texas Tech. I, like many others, have taken an unconventional path to that goal, and because of that I now find myself in a position to give a few pointers.
The first of which is that I made one of the best mistakes ever by not going straight into college from High School. For me, and probably many others out there, I wanted to both experience the world and go to college. Not that it is impossible to do both simultaneously but I think I would have fallen in love with the idea of traveling if I did it during college and dropped out. Instead, I joined the military and gained countless experiences that helped shaped me into the person I am today. Another nugget of wisdom I wish I knew before coming back to college is what exactly the “Terry Family” really is. I have a family of my own, and as a non-traditional student I immediately said to myself “Self,” (cause that’s how we all do it, right?) “you don’t have time or a need for the Terry Family, I mean I’m sure they are great and all but…” BIG MISTAKE! The Terry Family is more than just a bunch of people getting together for some meetings and saying the superficial “Hello” or “How are you?” It is a group of people who genuinely care for each other and are ALWAYS happy to help you with anything. Coming from the military I have a relatively jaded view of the people/world we live in, and of course any group with have those people but the Terry’s are exceptionally awesome! I have only been in school for a semester now and I can tell you already that I will keep in touch with more Terry’s than I will any other group. To sum it up into a few words I’ll close with this; When you hear “get involved” don’t look for a reason to not dive in headfirst with the Terry Family. That is a mistake, especially for my fellow transfers. Despite having experienced a little bit more of life outside the comfort of home, the one thing you should have learned by now is that the people in your dugout is what makes the difference between a losing team and a championship team. by Bruce Wilson ![]() My family moved to Lubbock when I was 10, and at that point I knew that one day I had to go to this wonderful university. The community of Lubbock bleeds red and black, and it wasn’t long before I too bled red and black. It's easy to fall in love with Texas Tech. As high school graduation approached, I learned many of my friends would be attending Texas Tech in the fall. I, on the other hand, would not. I decided that after graduation that I just was not mature enough to attend college and opted to join the work force. In my heart I always knew that one day I would get to attend Tech, even if I was an old man, I was going to be able to call myself a Red Raider. Fast-forward 11 years; I have decided to begin my journey to Tech. I enrolled into South Plains College, and worked really hard to keep my grades up while maintaining a full time job. I was getting into Tech this go around, and nothing would stand in my way. On February 26, 2015, after spending a year in community college, I decided to apply for a transfer to Tech. Then March 3, 2015 I received the email, “Congratulations, You’re a Red Raider!” which was the best thing I’ve ever heard, or at that time it was. After that things just kept getting better too. I applied for a prestigious scholarship for transfer students. I didn't believe I was the type of candidate they were seeking, yet I still applied. It was a great surprise when I was selected to go the next phase of the process: the interview. That summer on July 8, 2015 at 8am, it was interview time. Interviewing with a panel of previous Terry Scholar recipients for my opportunity to join this prestigious organization was wonderfully stressful. Finally, the results were in and I open my email to read…"Congratulations, The Terry Foundation is pleased to welcome you as a 2015 Terry Scholar at Texas Tech University! I read that line over and over. Now this was the best news EVER. ![]() Life at Tech is amazing; I have learned so much in such a short time. Being a Terry Scholar and Red Raider has allowed me to meet people that I not only consider friends for life, but family. I am doing things, such as getting to study abroad, that I would never have imagined would be possible. I love everything about campus life here, and this is an opportunity I will never forget. I am thankful everyday for the opportunity. There is truly no place I’d rather be than at TECH! |
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