Valedictorian Rebecca Messer chose to come to AACC after seeing the printmaking lab during a campus tour.
Although she never took a printmaking class, the biology transfer studies student craved what the lab represented: the freedom to take classes simply because she loved the subject.
“I wanted to go here first to explore my interests and explore what I wanted to do,” she said.
In fact, Messer didn’t even know what her major would be because she was “interested in everything.”
Biology, American Sign Language (ASL) and dance are just three of those interests, so it’s no surprise that Assistant Professor Jameson Coopman, Professor Larry Gray and Dance Coordinator Margaret Russell were three of her favorite teachers.
Despite her love for the subject, Messer found BIO –101 (Foundations of Biology: Molecule & Cell) very challenging.
“I doubted myself a lot because I sat there, and I thought, ‘This is making no sense to me. This is supposed to be what I'm good at, supposed to be what I like. I'm good at science.’”
But a shift in perspective helped her through it.
“Instead of focusing on the parts that I found insanely hard, focusing on the parts that I found very cool was crucial.”
That openness to new experiences extended beyond the classroom.
"It wasn't just about the courses that I was taking and the classes that I chose, but also the people I sat next to.”
She met her best friend in her ASL class.
“I truly believe that having a good foundation and people to rely on is crucial to success and who you are as a person,” she said.
Messer carried that perspective throughout her time at AACC, and it now forms the foundation for the confidence and excitement she’s taking with her as she heads to Towson University.