SAC Alumnus Jacob Wong

January 24, 2018

SAC-PR

Born and raised in San Antonio, Jacob Wong had a unique path to higher education. In his senior year, he opted to transfer to a self-paced high school. He quickly found that he was able to thrive in this untraditional learning environment, and earned a high school diploma and a GED.

Not convinced college was the right path at the time, Wong passed on a scholarship opportunity to attend Palo Alto College, and chose to get a job in order to move out of the house. Soon, he was hired at Arthur Murray's Dance Studio where he became a certified dance instructor.

After teaching ballroom dance for about two years, Wong found his way to Clay Casa, a contemporary ceramics studio in San Antonio, where he would work for about 15 years. Although he enjoyed sharing his love of art with others, Wong realized school was going to be a necessity if he ever wanted to go further in life. With prodding from his parents, the 31-year old headed to San Antonio College, his mother's alma mater.

While still working full-time, Wong enrolled at SAC in Fall 2010 as a test to see if he was finally ready to embark upon the college process. During his first semester as a part-time student, he took Introduction to Psychology and English Composition I. Immediately, he felt transformed. "My professors believed in me," he exclaims. "They saw something in me that I did not yet see in myself."

In no time at all, Wong soon became comfortable with the idea that school could actually be enjoyable. He started mingling with other students and became a member of the Psychology Club. Within the year, he ran and was elected as the president of the club, which would ultimately be a gateway to the Student Government Association (SGA.)

First as SGA Vice President, then as SGA President for two terms, Wong served as a representative of the student body working alongside College administrators to provide insight from a student's perspective.

In his quest to ensure students were being heard at the highest levels of administration, Wong helped formulate a plan to propose adding a Student Trustee on the Board of Trustees. Not knowing it at the time, Wong wound up becoming the first-ever Student Trustee at a community college in the state of Texas.

Today, Wong holds an associate of arts degree from San Antonio College, but one day he hopes to pursue a bachelor's degree. For now, he is content serving the Alamo Colleges District as an Employment Specialist in the Human Resources Department.

–SAC–