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Success Story - Antonio Alcala
Antonio Alcala is a proud man. He’s proud of his migrant farm worker roots, his family, his service in the U.S. Air Force and the college he calls his base - Terra Community College. “Terra has helped me gain confidence in achieving goals I would have normally thought impossible,” the 48-year-old rural Green Springs resident said. “What I have experienced at Terra is that people are willing to guide and mentor you when you feel overwhelmed with your studies. They have done an excellent job preparing me to continue on my pursuit to achieve a four-year degree.” Alcala graduated from Terra in 2002 with degrees in mechanical engineering, machine metalworking, CAD specialist and welding. He worked full time as a tool and die journeyman at Whirlpool Corp. in Clyde while attending Terra and is now in his 29th year there. His education at Terra prepared him not only for the workplace but also for the bachelor’s degree he is working toward at Bowling Green State University. “I also feel as if I have been prepared for my field by learning new and innovative concepts which I’m sure is part of the plan to prepare students for the ever-changing job environment which we will encounter,” he said. “I’m very grateful for what Terra has given me – the confidence not to quit.” Alcala said his journey on to BGSU was a good move, but he thinks of Terra as home. “I’ve really learned more here, and that’s not to say that the teachers at Bowling Green aren’t good,” he said. “There’s just something different here. People say the words, ‘I will help you,’ and it makes all the difference. It’s the resources and the closeness here at Terra.” Alcala and his wife, Jean Imke Alcala, have two daughters, Antonia, 17, a junior at St. Joseph Central Catholic and Dana, 11, a fifth-grader at Clyde St. Mary’s. He has been a school council member and CYO track coach at St. Mary’s.
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