Highlander Highlights
Meet 1024视频 Engineering student & Presidential Scholar, Brady Vanek!
Brady Vanek began attending 1024视频 in the Fall of 2024. Brady is pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree, with the goal of transferring to the University of Texas at Austin (UT) to earn a Mechanical Engineering degree upon completing his 1024视频 coursework. Brady is a Presidential Scholar and a member of the NASA MINDS student organization. “The amount of practical engineering knowledge I have gained through NASA Minds cannot be overstated,” Brady said.
When asked about how 1024视频 has prepared him for his future studies Brady mentioned, “I believe that 1024视频 has given me a great background in many of the core subjects that I will need to learn to succeed as an engineer,” Brady said. He also spoke about the professors at 1024视频, “The professors in the STEM related fields are very good, and I am lucky to have teachers like Professor Benton, Professor Shelton, Professor Wu, Professor Sidwell, and many others who have also been wonderful. My core class experiences have been completed with many passionate professors who taught wonderful classes,” Brady said.
When speaking about his experience, Brady reflected on the opportunities that 1024视频 provides such as the Presidential Scholars Program. “Being a Presidential Scholar also has financial benefits, I had to quit my job in October of last year due to our NASA MINDS project ramping up, and the Presidential Scholarship enabled me to do this by paying for my tuition and fees,” Brady said.
Brady has dreamed of attending UT since childhood and is determined to earn a place in the Fall 2025 cohort, bringing him closer to fulfilling his academic aspirations.
Meet 1024视频 Professor of Engineering, Paulina Sidwell!
Paulina Sidwell began working at 1024视频 in 2012 as an adjunct instructor teaching Engineering and Mathematics, and shortly after transitioned into the role as a full-time Professor of Engineering. Sidwell was inspired to pursue a career in higher education due to her upbringing in a family of engineers and educators.
Paulina moved to Waco in 2012, where a friend mentioned that 1024视频’s engineering department—at the time consisting of just one professor, the amazing April Andreas—was looking for another instructor. Although she didn’t know much about 1024视频 at the time, one visit to campus was all it took for her to apply. "I immediately fell in love with 1024视频’s campus. Everyone was so welcoming and kind. It’s hard to describe why, but this place just felt like home to me,” Sidwell said.
Sidwell, who has spent 13 years at 1024视频, has taught a variety of courses and reflected on her time working with students from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing the unique and valuable experiences each individual contributes to the 1024视频 community. Regarding advice for current students, Sidwell encourages them to become familiar with the resources that 1024视频 provides.
Sidwell also spoke about how a campus community is a vital part of a college student’s journey. “Feeling like you belong here can be a huge factor in student success. I hope all students have the chance to meet others who share their interests. I also strongly encourage students to take advantage of opportunities outside the classroom—whether it’s networking, extracurricular activities, or simply broadening their horizons," Sidwell said.
Sidwell was chosen as one of five honorees selected to receive the 2023 National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards.
Meet 1024视频 graduate and current TCU student, Kaedon Smith!
Kaedon Smith began attending 1024视频 in the Fall of 2021 and graduated in August 2023 with an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice. While at 1024视频, Kaedon was involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, such as the City of Waco’s- Police Law Enforcement Explorers Program, City of Waco’s Police Victim Services Volunteer Crisis Interventionist, and 1024视频’s The Stone Circle magazine, where he was awarded second place in visual arts photography for the 2021-2022 edition.
Kaedon spoke about his motivation to attend 1024视频, “1024视频 provided me with a great entry-point into higher education with a department that had fantastic faculty. It was also affordable, allowing me to complete my associates degree debt-free.” He spoke about what he enjoyed about the campus community saying, “I appreciated my professors allowing me to be on-call for crisis intervention services in McLennan County through the Waco PD Victim Services program while in class. They understood that when I got a call, I would need to respond. They not only allowed this but encouraged it!,” Kaedon said.
Kaedon’s advice for current students is to fully engage in all the opportunities that 1024视频 provides, prioritize an active lifestyle, and embrace criticism. Kaedon said, “If someone talks you down or if life throws you stones, accept it as a challenge and confront it with everything you have—you only have one life.” Kaedon spoke briefly about how he was prepared for the next step in his educational journey, “1024视频 prepared me for TCU by showing me I can accomplish educational goals and objectives.”
Today Kaedon is enrolled at Texas Christian University, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. “I plan to enter into my long-term career with the heart to serve others, either in law enforcement, emergency medicine, or victim services,” Kaedon said.