Meet Harley

It took just one semester for 24-year-old Harley to realize she should have listened to her parents about where she would continue her education. After graduating from Calhoun High School, Snyder enrolled into a four-year university where she incurred over $7,000 in student loan debt.

Harley returned to Port Lavaca and began working to pay off the debt. Three years and two children later, she is attending Victoria College with hopes of getting into VC’s Associate Degree Nursing Program. A first-generation college student, Harley expressed how her parents’ hard work to better themselves motivated her to succeed academically.

“I was raised in a humble home and, until I became an adult and had my own family, I didn’t realize what my parents had to go through to support themselves, my brother and me,” Harley wrote.

Snyder enrolled at Victoria College for the Fall 2019 semester and joined Victoria College’s KEY Center, a TRIO Student Support Services program funded fully by the United States Department of Education. Pam Neumann, KEY Center director, convinced Snyder to take her higher education further than she originally planned.

“I came to VC just wanting to get my associate degree,” she said. “Ms. Neumann opened my eyes to the RN Program and now I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing.”

Harley recently gave birth to her second child.

“It’s hard sometimes juggling motherhood and school,” Snyder said. “But I feel like I have a family that supports me. VC has been great. I had my newborn last semester right before finals. My professors really worked with me.”

Looking back, Snyder said her only regret is that she didn’t attend Victoria College straight out of high school.

“Things really worked out, so I’m happy about that. I found out at VC that there was more one-on-one attention given to students,” Harley stated. “The professors are amazing, and there are a lot more resources that can help you.”