When she was a teenager growing up not too far from Midland College (MC), Meredith Walker discovered that her true calling was in working with students. According to an Aug. 3 MC-issued press release, Walker, the college’s associate director of scholarships, got a glimpse of her future working as a teacher’s aide at Santa Rita Elementary School in the Midland Independent School District (MISD), and since then, has embarked on a rewarding journey through the education sector.
"I love helping students," Walker said in the release. "I have worked with and advised students living in tents, wealthy students, those in high school and nontraditional students.
"It doesn’t matter what their backgrounds are and where they are in life. If they have a goal and are working to achieve that goal, it’s my job to help them get there," she said.
Per the release, Walker is an alumna of Midland High School and MC, as well as holds a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies specializing in fourth through eighth-grade science and social studies from Texas Tech University (TTU) in Lubbock. The mother of three has worked in a cadre of schools in addition to her time with a law firm and what she described as a company that processed leased return vehicles for General Motors (GM). She and her children have lived in the Panhandle and North Texas before ultimately settling down in Midland, the release said.
With so many stories to tell about her work in the classroom, Walker said she’s proud of helping immensely improve State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) testing scores at a Lubbock middle school that had a reputation for having many students who were involved in gangs. During her time as a legal secretary, she realized she missed working with students, so she decided to pursue a financial aid specialist job opening at MC as a way for her to get back into education, the release said. According to the release, Walker’s connections to MC are strong in not only that she matriculated there, but her parents worked at the college as well.
Walker, who’s slated to earn her master’s degree at the end of the year, believes her life could serve as an inspiration for those who feel it’s too late to make something of theirs.
“School never goes anywhere, and it’s never too late to make the right choices,” she said, per the release. “I’ve certainly proven that in my life.
“I tell students, ‘Don’t give up – just go at your own pace to get that degree. It will happen,’” she said.