Del Mar College News

Coastal Bend residents have sought high-skill trade programs at Del Mar College because of the high demand among employers in the area for these workers. That demand has led to the College seeing a 6% increase in the Continuing Education trade programs enrollment in just under a year.

Del Mar College saw a nearly 6% growth in student headcounts this fall, entirely based on the growth of continuing education programs.

This Caller-Times story covers the deaf and hard of hearing community and also refers to Del Mar College's American Sign Language and Interpreting Program, citing Coordinator and Assistant Professor Linda Lugo. In the Coastal Bend, there is a growing demand for individuals who know ASL and can interpret.

Del Mar Drama’s fall production, RUMORS, is set in 1989 New York City with the glamour and glitz of the era. It is considered one of American playwright Neil Simon’s most popular titles. RUMORS starts this Friday, Nov. 10, for a two-weekend run: Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10-11, and Nov. 16-18.

Marisa Cortez, a Ray High School senior, and Melanie Gonzalez, a Harold T. Branch Academy junior, tackled Del Mar College’s Día de los Muertos welding competition Nov. 3 together — two welders working in tandem to 2G weld a large pipe. Competitors came from 21 high schools across the region as well as from programs at Del Mar College and other training programs like South Texas Vo-Tech Institute. Participants didn’t know ahead of time what position they’d be welding from.

The American Welding Society says, there's a growing demand for welders, especially in the state of Texas. Professors at Del Mar College have been working to meet that demand; and during the Welding Program's second annual Dia De Los Muertos Welding Competition, Coastal Bend high school and traditional college students showcased their skills that could be very valuable to employers in the near future.

Del Mar College's Transportation Training Services program hosted a conference about providing public education for the country's transportation industry. As the nationwide trucker shortage continues, there are more opportunities for many people, including veterans. The main goal of the conference was to help transition veterans into the industry.

For veterans that may have the dream of starting a small business, Del Mar College's Small Business Development Center is there to help. The center offers free confidential advising for anyone in the area who wants to start a business with services like loan proposal assistance, financial and sales projections and even market research.

Del Mar College hosted its annual zombie walk and this year Drama students are joining again adding a theatrical touch to the chilling festivities. Drama students have been honing their acting skills to bring an extra layer of authenticity to the event. From blood to screams to convincing zombie walks, these students are taking the undead experience to a whole new level.

Selected DMC students will have the opportunity to work alongside full-time employees, where they will gain experience and eventually work in the field. A representative from GCGV delivered a presentation on Oct. 30 covering how to apply for the paid internship, which launched this year and will be available for the spring semester.

Corpus Christi ISD partners with Del Mar College to offer dual credit, which is when students are earning credit for both high school and Del Mar College at the same time. This summer, DMC announced a dual credit financial aid program for all students in the Coastal Ben with funding from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and dual credit programs being free for students who qualify for free or reduced-priced lunch. The College has expanded the initiative, committing to eliminating the cost of dual credit for all high school students in school districts that partner with the college.

Del Mar College's Heritage Campus hosted its 8th annual Spooktacular Mental Health and Resource Fair on Oct. 26. The event is held so students can learn which health resources are offered by the college and the community. Additionally, students could get free flu shots and health screenings, and the event also offered free food and giveaways.

Del Mar College is hosting a Zombie & Monster Walk on Oct. 27 for the first time as part of the annual Viking Fall Carnival.

What began as a severe thunderstorm ended up spawning three tornadoes, which forever changed the lives of people working on the West Side on Oct. 24, 2022. Those life-changing stories include Del Mar College's Windward Campus where an adjunct faculty member made the ultimate sacrifice to save his students.

Del Mar College won the top spot in two sub-categories in the Kids & Education category of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times’ 2023 Best of the Best readers’ choice awards. The annual contest allows readers to determine and vote on nominees with DMC winning the College/University sub-category and the DMC Adult Education Initiatives winning the Learning/Tutoring Center sub-category.

The Del Mar College Foundation held their annual Scholarship Dinner on Oct. 19. Students were able to give a big thank you to some people who have had a big impact in their lives --- scholarship donors.

The 'Día de los Muertos' Welding Competition is the DMC Welding Applied Technology Program’s way to showcase area high school and college students’ and professional welders’ skills while calling attention to the field as a very viable career path in the Coastal Bend. This year marks the second year for the program to hold the competition.

The "Community 2 College Connection" event Oct. 17 was created in the hopes that it would help make higher education more accessible to the public. The "Community 2 College Connection" event will offer people of all backgrounds the chance to explore higher education at Del Mar College, as well as provide information on the school's degree programs, dual credit offerings for high school students and enrollment application assistance.

On Oct. 3, Del Mar College's Board of Regents approved the idea of offering a new Bachelors of Applied Science program for students. The program is the first of it's kind and will focus on Organizational Management and Leadership Development. When deciding the curriculum for the program,

The new grant by the Texas Workforce Commission will see Del Mar College students learn a vast range of construction skills for free upon enrollment.

Thanks to funding from the Texas Workforce Commission, Del Mar College’s Continuing Education department introduced a new grant that will provide students with insight and training for the Building-Construction-Trades Industry.

The Del Mar College Board of Regents voted Oct. 3 to allow college administrators to create a bachelor of applied science degree in organizational management and leadership. The next step is to gain the approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in order to offer the new degree program in fall 2024.