Hundreds of Arkansas Tech University freshmen attended their first college class on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
At some point during the day, most of them were probably excited, nervous, happy, overwhelmed and relieved.
Jayla White of Conway and Fabrizio Perez of Plainview know just how they felt. After all, Jayla and Fabrizio were in that same position one year ago.
Now that they are seasoned ATU sophomores, Jayla and Fabrizio eased into year No. 2 at Arkansas Tech.
Jayla was seated beside Hindsman Tower on the first morning of class.
“I feel like I made the right decision for Arkansas Tech,” said Jayla. “It was the first university I applied to, and I received an immediate acceptance. Joining Chi Alpha campus ministry was the highlight of my first year. It has been the sweetest thing ever. I got baptized last year. I’ve been able to meet people and come to call them family. This is a place you can call home. Arkansas Tech is a fun place and you get to meet a lot of people here.”
But before she could meet those people, Jayla had to make a choice to be more confident and outgoing.
“Getting out of my shell was my proudest achievement,” said Jayla. “I am willing to talk to people and make friends.”
Jayla looks forward to sharing her faith and co-founding a Bible study group during the 2024-25 academic year. She is majoring in elementary education.
“I have a heart for the kids,” said Jayla. “Different kids come from different backgrounds and stories. I’m different…you’re different…everybody around here is different. That little kid is different, too. It’s the kids that I love.”
Fabrizio was seated in the Dr. Robert Charles Brown and Jill Lestage Brown Hall first floor lobby on Wednesday morning. It’s a popular gathering spot due to the presence of a Midtown Coffee location in the corner of the room.
Sporting a green T-shirt that read “Heck Yeah, Tech Yeah,” Fabrizio looked like a man ready to take on his sophomore year.
“Arkansas Tech has a great art department and graphic design program,” said Fabrizio. “Last year, some of the projects I had for my Introduction to Drawing class were fun and my graphic design class projects were great, as well. There’s a good community here. It’s fun. I have some really good teachers that I’m glad to have this year and in the years to come.”
Fabrizio chose graphic design as his major because of the satisfaction he receives from developing flyers, logos and similar projects from scratch.
“I’ve made some friends over the past year,” said Fabrizio. “I want to get better grades this year. I need to study better and come to class more often. College is a lot harder than high school. I would advise freshmen to take good notes and communicate with their teachers.”
The 2024-25 academic year represents the 115th session of Arkansas Tech.
Academic offerings at the doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s levels on the Russellville campus are organized under the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Business and Economic Development, the College of Education and Health, the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and the Graduate College.
U.S. News and World Report named ATU the No. 1 regional public university in Arkansas for 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. In addition, the publication ranked Arkansas Tech among the top 35 public universities in the southern United States for 2023-24.
ATU is nationally-recognized for its student outcomes. CollegeNET has ranked Arkansas Tech University as the No. 1 institution in Arkansas on its Social Mobility Index eight of the last 10 years.
In the most recent rankings, ATU was among the top 7 percent of all U.S. institutions on the Social Mobility Index, which looks at the economic background of a university’s student body and compares it to the institution’s tuition rate, graduation rate and endowment as well as the early career salary for its young alumni.
As part of its mission of access through affordability, ATU is the only public, four-year institution of higher education in the State of Arkansas that committed to zero increase in tuition, mandatory fees and student housing costs for the 2024-25 academic year. In addition, ATU ranks top 2 in the state for lowest tuition and fees cost for in-state graduate students.
Learn more about Arkansas Tech University at www.atu.edu.
