Nicholas Bechard did not consider college to be an option for him upon completing high school. “I did not apply myself in high school and my family had next to no money. After a gap year, I was inspired to fulfill my dream to be a teacher no matter the cost. I knew going straight to a university would be the more expensive and a more difficult option as I was unsure which university would accept me after looking at my high school transcripts. PVCC proved to be the most accessible option. I was determined to make the most out of the opportunity PVCC afforded me, a fresh start.”
The guidance and patience of Meggin Kirk, Education faculty, was invaluable to Nick’s growth as a teacher and as a person. Upon reflection, Nick shared, “In many ways, each professor left an impact. As someone who knew they would be an educator, I got to see what I wanted to emulate daily.” The Club Ed (future educators) program enabled Nick to experience many aspects of the teaching profession. “This uniquely prepared me for what I would experience over the course of my professional career.”
Nick’s most positive memory is the feeling of community he experienced at PVCC. He said, “The classes, conferences and meetings that I benefited from were enriched by the presence of others, people from all walks of life, different ages, different motivations, and unique perspectives. The community college experience socializes you with people who have a lot to teach one another; we're all learning and being learned from. That sort of authenticity cannot be found in a traditional university experience.”
One of the aspects Nick loved was “the fact that you had so many students eager to take advantage of a second chance. Whether they were in their late teens like me or whether they were well into adulthood with children and spouses, there were a variety of individuals who possessed enough perspective in life to make them appreciate the opportunity to be successful that we all felt at PVCC.”
Nick encourages others to “get involved with something that you love.” He said, “A lot of people talk about how getting involved is critical for success in college and while that is true, there's an important detail that gets left out of that axiom: It's not enough to be active in clubs just for the sake of being active and it's not enough to love something but never act on it; fusing hands-on experiences with the thing you're passionate about pursuing is what makes it all worthwhile. When I participated in Honors retreats, when I contributed to Club Ed events, when I collaborated with Student Government, it was all to further the realization of a dream. PVCC grants folks like me with those sorts of opportunities.”
Upon completing his degree at ASU West Campus, Nick accepted a high school teaching position. Currently, Nick teaches AP Microeconomics at Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson, Arizona.