WC’s Tagle wins national bachelor’s degree scholarship
Weatherford College bachelor’s degree student Mary Tagle is in uncharted territory,
earning a national scholarship from the Community College Baccalaureate Association.
“Mary is not only the first WC student to ever win this national scholarship, she is the first student from Texas to be awarded,” said WC President Tod Allen Farmer. “This scholarship is not only an honor for Mary, but it also honors Weatherford College.”
Farmer is a past CCBA board member and donor to the CCBA Student Scholars program, a national initiative honoring academic excellence in students pursuing community college bachelor’s degrees.
Tagle is a student in WC’s new Early Childhood Education and Teaching (ECET) program. The Peaster resident currently works as a nurse in a Weatherford memory care facility, but was drawn to teaching and is taking advantage of WC’s newest bachelor’s degree.
“I’ve always believed that education is a powerful tool that shapes futures, not just for individuals, but for families and communities,” Tagle said. “Returning to college at this stage of my life represents not just a personal ambition, but a commitment to my family and to the broader community that I hope to inspire.”
Dr. Leslie Hancock, director of the ECET program, said Tagle is another example of a student coming to her program after spending several years in the workforce, desiring a change of careers into the teaching profession.
“Mary is phenomenal,” Hancock said. “She, like many of our students, was called to the classroom in a remarkable way. She will be an incredible teacher and we are so proud of her.”
By the Fall 2025 semester, WC will have five bachelor’s degrees. In addition to ECET, the college currently offers bachelor’s programs in organizational leadership, nursing, and medical/health services management. The new computer science program will kick off in August.