NW welcomes men into Women in New Roles program
by Rita Langston
reporter

   (Part 4 in a four-part series on the women in New Roles program at all TCC campuses.)
   Coming back to school after 33 years, Pam Morgan needed some kind of support system. As a student in the WINR program on NW Campus, Morgan said she gained the confidence to say, “Yeah, I can do this.”
   The NW Campus Women in New Roles program is equipping students to achieve their goals by building confidence in themselves.
   Students who have been out of high school for several years and are returning to college or deciding to attend for the first time want to know where to begin and what type of a career best suits them.
   “ After you take this class, you will know who you are and what you want to do,” Judy Landers, WINR student, said.
   As students learn why they are the way they are and what makes them tick, WINR helps them understand themselves and each other, one student said.
   Students learn about college life and the resources available to them, from financial aid and registering for classes online to using the campus gym equipment.
   Although WINR is in its 27th year at Tarrant County College, it is a new program on NW Campus.
   “ Another instructor suggested I take it [WINR], and it has helped a lot,” La Donna McKinney, student, said.
   “ The teacher is so important to the success of the class, and Dr. Annette Nolte is a great role model,” Carol Hunsberger, coordinator of WINR on NW Campus, said.
   Tina Redman, student, said Nolte is a fantastic professor.
   “ She provides an opportunity for open discussion where we can express our emotions and everyone is non-judgmental,” she said.
   Redman has built a core of friendships—the class is supportive of one another.
   WINR provides an opportunity for students to discuss problems that relate to where they are in their lives such as changes in the economy that have re-defined roles for both women and men.
   One of the men in the class, Clint Bramlett, said there might be a need for a Men in Transitional Roles class, but for now, more males will enroll in the WINR classes.
   Hunsberger said men are not only welcomed but encouraged to be part of the WINR program.
   Hunsberger said the six-hour credit course is only one semester. But students can stay with the program through workshops and support groups offered throughout the year.
   The NW Campus WINR Seminar Series will present Interpersonal Communication April 15.
   A team of 15 faculty and staff are beginning a big sister program to provide an ongoing network of resources to help with degree planning.
   Hunsberger said WINR’s long-range goals include a night class and possibly taking the WINR program to a women’s prison sometime in the future.
   Nolte said the remaining weeks of the semester would focus on giving students additional direction in educational planning, career goals and interpersonal skills.
   For more information on the NW Campus program, contact Hunsberger at 817-515-7228.