Article by Melinda Eddleman

You may have heard the term “Golden Oldies.” For the lineup of next week’s episodes of Del Mar College’s Viking Radio, they may not be old, but they’re golden. Drawing from the past five months, the College’s 30-minute conversational radio show and podcast, Viking Radio, will feature some of the best episodes produced during the past five months, airing Monday through Friday, Oct. 19-23, on Retro Country 105.9 FM and 103.3 FM and Retro Tejano 104.1 FM.

Viking Radio airs from 9:30 to 10 a.m. weekdays locally and then anytime on Spotify and YouTube after each airing. Episodes are recorded and produced completely in-house with airings in partnership with Retro Radio and the Larry Elizondo Power Hour.

Check out next week’s schedule running Oct. 19-23:

Monday, Oct. 19: Tourism Secrets Revealed
• Guest: Brook Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Corpus Christi

• Description: Brook Kaufman breaks down the art of attracting visitors to the city. Tourism is both an economic engine and a storytelling craft, and Kaufman brings both perspectives to the table as CEO of Visit Corpus Christi. She reveals how Visit Corpus Christi positions the city as a premier destination, ranging from data-driven marketing and brand development to creating memorable visitor experiences that keep people coming back. 

Tuesday, Oct. 20: From DMC to Hollywood
• Guest:  Lydia Blanco Garza, business owner of Hollywood-based The Blanco Agency

• Description: Lydia Blanco Garza’s story starts at Del Mar College, where a young aspiring actor first stepped onto the stage with big dreams and zero guarantees. Now the owner of The Blanco Agency, Garza returns to share her journey from Corpus Christi to Hollywood – the auditions, the setbacks, the breakthroughs and the moment she realized she wanted to help others chase the same dream. She talks about building a career in the entertainment industry and how she now prepares future stars to take their shot.

Wednesday, Oct. 21: A Life Transformed
• Guests: Del Mar College alumna Elizabeth Pacheco and Cornado Gallegos, instructor of Environmental/Petrochemical Lab Technology

• Description: DMC graduate Elizabeth Pacheco and faculty member Cornado Gallegos share a deeply personal conversation about the Environmental/Petrochemical Lab Technology Program and how it transformed Pacheco’s life. They discuss the program’s rigorous training, real‑world applications and the confidence it instills in students seeking stable, meaningful careers. It’s a story of education opening doors and reshaping futures.

Thursday, Oct. 22: Building Homes, Changing Lives
• Guest: Ben Molina, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Corpus Christi, Inc.

• Description: For more than two decades, Ben Molina has dedicated his time, talent and heart to Habitat for Humanity Corpus Christi. From volunteer to executive director, he joins Viking Radio to discuss how safe, affordable housing changes lives and strengthens communities across the Coastal Bend.

Friday, Oct. 23: Leadership with Grit
• Guests:  Texas State Representative and Chairman Todd Hunter and DMC President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mark Escamilla

• Description: Texas State Rep. Todd Hunter and DMC President and CEO Dr. Mark Escamilla share candid stories of leadership, perseverance and navigating the complexities of Texas politics. They reflect on public service, higher education and the grit required to advocate for the Coastal Bend. It’s a conversation full of insight, experience and behind‑the‑scenes perspective.

Anyone who misses these episodes or wants to hear previously aired conversations can listen on Spotify or YouTube.

Viking Radio features conversations with local educators, leaders, innovators and changemakers shaping the Coastal Bend. With a casual, informative and fun format, Viking Radio guests ranging from Del Mar College students and professors with great stories to share to business owners and representatives of nonprofits who are making a difference in the community.

The clock is ticking. Tuesday, June 30, is the deadline for Del Mar College (DMC) District residents to request information and start the application process for the “Freedom to Dream 2.0” Tuition Waiver Program as part of the second cohort that will begin this fall semester.

As a first for DMC that began last fall, the innovative Freedom to Dream program is designed to expedite qualifying in-district students’ completion of an associate degree within a three-year period by attending full time after signing a commitment contract. However, the 2.0 version has been updated.

The college’s online inquiry and application process form for the revised program is still available through Tuesday for the 2026-2027 academic year. Freedom to Dream 2.0 addresses selected students’ college readiness to ensure success in reaching their goals is achieved.

To date, 1,853 in-district residents have applied for Freedom to Dream 2.0.

 She adds, “Freedom to Dream 2.0 continues our commitment to providing the pathway toward success for the next cohort of students, and we’re implementing upgrades that address student needs discovered with the first cohort.”

Dr. Benavides-Dominguez notes that focusing on college readiness and the addition of “Success Coaches” will keep students on track from the beginning to the end of their journey at DMC. “Our goal is successful student outcomes as we prepare all Freedom to Dream participants for the workforce or their next path in higher education, ” she says.

Success Coaches’ primary focus is to increase student retention, persistence and graduation rates for Freedom to Dream students. These individuals provide students with personalized coaching so that students meet tuition waiver program requirements, complete educational and transfer goals as well as connect to resources that support academic success.

Compared to the first iteration of Freedom to Dream, DMC’s revised Freedom to Dream 2.0 Tuition Waiver Program focuses on “college readiness” as a requirement along with other updates associated with this change:  

     • Applicants must demonstrate their preparedness for college-level courses by earning college
      readiness benchmark scores on the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) 2.0 test.
      See steps to take the TSIA test and readiness score requirements.

     • Freedom to Dream 2.0 will not cover tuition for developmental courses needed to bring 
       participants up to college level work in English, mathematics and reading.

Students can alternately pursue stackable “Marketable Skills Awards” offered through DMC Continuing Education (CE) programs that can count toward academic programs, build workforce skills and are considered by the state as “credentials of value.”

Qualifying individuals must live within the college’s taxing district, which includes the Corpus Christi, Calallen, Flour Bluff, Tuloso-Midway and West Oso Independent School Districts and parts of London and Robstown ISDs. 

Other criteria include:

     • High school graduates must be part of the Class of 2026, including General Education 
        Development (GED) recipients, and Dual Credit students, who are eligible regardless of the 
        number of credits they’ve earned.
     • Adult learners must have 12 or fewer semester credit hours completed and have attempted no 
        more than 18 semester hours at the time the fall 2026 semester begins, which is Aug. 24. 

Among other requirements original to the program are 1) enrollment as a full-time student with no less than 12 semester credit hours each semester (fall and spring) and 2) maintaining a minimum 2.0 grade point average to continue receiving the tuition waiver.

To learn more about qualifying criteria for Freedom to Dream 2.0 and to fill out an online request for information form, visit www.delmar.edu/freedom. 

Questions? Contact Del Mar College’s Student Enrollment Center at 361-698-1290 or enroll@delmar.edu.

Fall 2026 credit classes begin Monday, Aug. 24. Registration is already underway!

Del Mar College … where you can “own your dreams!”

Working in higher education can be rewarding no matter the position you fill. And at Del Mar College, “passion meets purposes” with employees serving students and the community as part of rewarding careers.

On Wednesday, June 3, individuals looking for work  can explore employment opportunities at Del Mar College during a DMC Human Resources Job Fair scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dress to impress and bring updated copies of your resume to the Retama Room (second floor) at the Harvin Student Center on the college’s Heritage Campus, located at 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404).

For directions and an online campus map, visit www.delmar.edu/becoming-a-viking/discover/tours/locations.html.
 

Ranging from college-level teaching positions to support staff jobs, DMC currently has nearly 380 employment opportunities available now and beginning with the fall 2026 semester. Individuals can explore job openings by visiting dmcjobs.delmar.edu/postings/search before attending or during the event.

Additionally, participants can:

• Meet with HR staff, recruiters and hiring managers to answer your questions,
• Receive personalized guidance on how to apply and stand out as a potential employee,
• Learn about benefits, growth opportunities and workplace culture, and
• Access on-site application assistance with computer availability.

Questions? Inquiries can be directed to the DMC Human Resources Office at 361-698-2178 or dmcjobs@delmar.edu. Individuals can also explore Del Mar College, its campus culture, program offerings and more at www.delmar.edu.

Del Mar College … where your career really starts!

Del Mar College’s (DMC) Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Program is changing lives. A first for DMC, this innovative program is designed to expedite qualifying in-district students’ completion of an associate’s degree within a three-year period by attending full time after signing a commitment contract.

The college has now launched the online inquiry and application process for its revised version, Freedom to Dream 2.0, for the 2026-2027 academic year. The web page includes updates that address selected students’ college readiness to ensure their success in reaching their goals. The deadline to apply is April 30.

To date, over 1,815 in-district residents have applied for Freedom to Dream 2.0.

And, for anyone living within the Del Mar College taxing district but hesitant about beginning a journey in higher education, ask 31-year-old Pamela Mangum about how her life is changing as a participant in the program.

The 2013 Tuloso-Midway High School graduate “signed the dotted line” last year and is among more than 1,700 in-district students enrolled at DMC through the Freedom to Dream initiative. The program is supporting her journey to complete her associate’s degree in computer programming, a dream that might have gone unfulfilled without that assistance.
 

Like many individuals’ experiences, Mangum started college right after high school but then dropped out when mounting family obligations and challenges took precedence. In her case, the birth of her daughter with a medical condition requiring round-the-clock care, her husband’s full-time job and apprenticeship to become an electrician as well as living and medical expenses leading to a paycheck-to-paycheck existence put her college education on hold.

Now she can reach her goal through DMC’s Freedom to Dream initiative, and so can a new cohort of in-district students for the 2026-2027 academic year with “Freedom to Dream 2.0.”

She notes that focusing on college readiness and the addition of “Success Coaches”  will keep students on track from the beginning to the end of their educational journey at DMC. “Our goal is successful student outcomes as we prepare all Freedom to Dream participants for the workforce or their next path in higher education that they choose to take, ” Dr. Benavides-Dominguez adds, noting the persistence rate among the first cohort between this year’s fall and spring semesters is 82 percent compared to the college’s original goal of 70 percent.

Success Coaches’ primary focus is to increase student retention, persistence and graduation rates for Freedom to Dream students. These individuals provide students with personalized coaching so that students meet tuition waiver program requirements, complete educational and transfer goals as well as connect to resources that support academic success.

“Freedom to Dream has a requirement that I attend two advising meetings each semester, and I’m extremely grateful for this because my advisor consistently gives me information about scholarships, pathways to check out and easier ways to help me succeed,”  Mangum notes.

Compared to the first iteration of Freedom to Dream that Mangum is completing, DMC’s revised Freedom to Dream 2.0 Tuition Waiver Program focuses on “college readiness” as a requirement along with other updates associated with this change:  

     • Applicants must demonstrate their preparedness for college-level courses by earning college
      readiness benchmark scores on the Texas Success Imitative Assessment (TSIA) 2.0 test.
      See steps to take the TSIA test and readiness score requirements.

     • Freedom to Dream 2.0 will not cover tuition for developmental courses needed to bring 
       participants up to college level work in English, mathematics and reading.

Students can alternately pursue stackable “Marketable Skills Awards” offered through DMC Continuing Education (CE) programs that can count toward academic programs, build workforce skills and are considered by the state as “credentials of value.”

Qualifying individuals must live within the college’s taxing district, which includes the Corpus Christi, Calallen, Flour Bluff, Tuloso-Midway and West Oso Independent School Districts and parts of London and Robstown ISDs. 

Other criteria include:

     • High school graduates must be part of the Class of 2026, including General Education 
        Development (GED) recipients, and Dual Credit students, who are eligible regardless of the 
        number of credits they’ve earned.
     • Adult learners must have 12 or fewer semester credit hours completed and have attempted no 
        more than 18 semester hours at the time the fall 2026 semester begins, which is Aug. 24. 

Among other requirements original to the program are 1) enrollment as a full-time student with no less than 12 semester credit hours each semester (fall and spring) and 2) maintaining a minimum 2.0 grade point average to continue receiving the tuition waiver.

When Mangum completes her journey at Del Mar College, she will be the first in her family to graduate from college.

She adds, “This waiver has changed the course of not only my life but my children’s as well.”  

To learn more about qualifying criteria for Freedom to Dream 2.0 and to fill out an online request for information form, visit www.delmar.edu/freedom. 

Before the April 30 application deadline, interested “in-district” residents can also attend a Freedom to Dream 2.0 information session scheduled at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday for the remaining dates and campuses:

     • March 18: Main Central Building, Oso Creek Campus, 7002 Yorktown Blvd. (78414)
     • April 15: Coleman Center, Windward Campus, 4101 Old Brownsville Road (78405)

Questions? Contact Del Mar College’s Student Enrollment Center at 361-698-1290 or enroll@delmar.edu. 

 

Bigger names. More activities. Del Mar College’s second annual Viking Fest is building on the success of the first event held in October 2024. Organizers are putting together an amped-up Viking Fest 2025 scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Windward Campus (4101 Old Brownsville Rd., 78404).

Viking Fest’s transformation has been a labor of love across the entire college from academic programs and student services to the Del Mar College (DMC) Foundation and community partners, says Jason Houlihan, DMC Executive Director of Marketing and Events and the primary organizer of the festival.

Houlihan and other organizers anticipate more than 3,000 participants this year.

Admission is free with costs for some activities and for concessions sold by participating food trucks. More details about Viking Fest 2025, scheduling and map are available online at www.delmar.edu/vikingfest. or by contacting the DMC College Relations Office at 361-698-1247 or colrel@delmar.edu.

As mentioned, West Texas country artist Kat Hasty is the featured performer on the bustling Live Stage that will also include several local acts and DJs all day. Hasty, who has more than 55,000 followers and more than 172,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, released her first album, “The Time of Your Life,” in May. She and her band will headline afternoon entertainment before awards are presented as part of the college’s Fourth Annual Día de los Muertos Welding Competition.

Hasty is best known for “Pretty Things,” a spare acoustic tell-off ballad that generated nearly 20 million plays on Spotify and led to tours across the United States and Europe. Her latest singles include “Breakin’ Up the Band” and “The Family Business” – both of which are opening cuts on her “The Time of Your Life” album.

Other highlights include a professional 5K run organized by VFit Productions. Viking 5K participants will have a chance to win prizes by showing their Viking spirit in the following categories:

·       Best Beard
·       Best Braids
·       Longest Beard
·       Longest Braids
·       Best Overall Viking Costume

VFit organizers say that participants will be a “part of history with the first-ever Viking 5K Run through Del Mar College’s Windward Campus with the race beginning with the iconic blowing of the Viking Horn,” noting that the sound will reverberate through the campus streets to wake the Viking spirit and kick off Viking Fest 2025.

Runners can still register for the 5K run at v-f-productions.raceentry.com/del-mar-college-viking-5k10k/race-information. There is no fee for the run, and all participants will receive finisher medals with top runners receiving awards in categories designated by age brackets.

The festival also features the DMC Welding Applied Technology Program’s Fourth Annual Día de los Muertos Welding Competition for high school and post-secondary education welders, which organizers expect to draw more than 300 competitors who will vie for over $15,000 in scholarships. Spectators are invited to watch contestants work during each division and even quiz DMC Welding faculty about the college’s program and its offerings. And everyone’s invited to catch the Awards Ceremony at 5 p.m. where contest organizers will recognize divisional standouts with prizes and scholarships.

Activities throughout the event include over 50 guided mini tours for prospective students, family members and the general community interested in exploring selected academic programs and occupational and technical career training that Del Mar College offers. 

And what community festival would be complete without inflatables for the younger set? Viking Fest 2025 attendees looking to burn some energy and calories will love spending time in the 28-foot Kraken Dual Slide, trying to keep balance on a mechanical surfboard, and hoping to be the last one standing in the Meltdown zone. In fact, this year’s event includes five activity zones.

Viking Fest 2025 is made possible by the following sponsors: Corpus Christi Medical Center, H-E-B, Steel Dynamics, Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, Pepsi, Adamson & Company, Rally Credit Union, First Community Bank, ArcelorMittal, Gignac & Associates, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures, Schneider Electric, Coastal Bend LNG and In the Game Funtrackers.  

Access a downloadable, printable flyer for Viking Fest 2025 located below:

Read the full release post. And, enjoy highlights from Turkey Bowl 2025 and get ready for  next year!

The start of the Fall semester at Del Mar College can only mean one thing – it’s time to go back to the helm! 

For the benefit of land lovers and those who become seasick on the bumper boats at In the Game Funtrackers, some context may help: The helm is essentially the steering station of a ship. And for DMC Vikings, the end of summer means the long stretch of rudderless days is over – it’s time to get back aboard the sailing craft and prepare to navigate the challenging seas of the academic journey ahead.    

The college held its inaugural Back to the Helm Parking Lot Party — a celebration of making it through the first week of the fall 2025 semester – on Sept. 4. The event was sponsored by the DMC Office of Student Leadership and Campus Life and College Relations. The event was also a celebration of the success of the Freedom to Dream waiver program, which enrolled more than 1,770 students who are in class this fall.  

Students enjoyed the opportunity to patronize food trucks such as Kona Ice, Wednesday’s Coffee Bar and Micro Bakery and Jefe’s Tacos. Event organizers also arranged various activities, free giveaways and music from DJIT.

Beverly Cage, Director of the Office of Student Leadership and Campus Life, said visitors spent time in the inflatable Toxic obstacle course as well as the four-seat Euro Bungy trampoline attraction. The Euro Bungy trampoline ride allows up to 4 riders to bounce higher and higher utilizing the inflated trampoline pad beneath each harness seat. The parking lot party also included several yard games.

Whether students are new to Del Mar or returning for another year, the event served as an ideal opportunity to relax, meet fellow Vikings and celebrate the start of the semester. And family members were invited to participate in the fun as well.

“It’s a great chance for students to meet new classmates, reconnect with familiar faces and build their social support networks in a fun and relaxed setting,” adds Rita Hernandez, the college’s Dean of Student Engagement and Retention. “Students have the opportunity to engage with faculty and staff as they are welcomed to the Viking Campus Community and know they are right where they belong.”