Midland College grad helps prospective students October 09, 2019

When Jeremiah (Jeremy) Blair talks about his job as an Enrollment Navigator at Midland College, he says he has two unique advantages.

“It helps that I graduated from MC,” said Blair. “I can honestly tell interested students it is a great place. It also helps that I am 26 years old. I can relate to students because I was in their shoes not too long ago. I remember what it was like to feel lost in the college process. My Mom and Dad helped me. My mom started at MC, and now she has her Master’s degree so she was able to guide me a lot. However, some students do not have that same support, and that is where my colleagues and I come in.”

As an Enrollment Navigator, Blair helps students make sure they have submitted the necessary paperwork so they can register for classes. He also gives tours of the campus.

“I love doing tours,” said Blair. “I am a people person, I get that from my Dad. I also like to tell a lot of jokes, like my Dad. Humor helps get prospective students laughing and feeling comfortable. Every part of my job at MC is getting students and their families excited about the college experience.”

Blair graduated from Midland High in 2011, and his college experience at MC started immediately in fall 2011.

“The thought of college was very nerve wracking to me,” admitted Blair. “I liked MC because it is a smaller, more contained environment. Class sizes were just as big as they were at Midland High so it was not overwhelming.”

Since childhood, Blair had always wanted to be a filmmaker. After MC, he transferred to Texas Tech and earned a degree in Psychology with a minor in Film Studies.  However, he had a rocky start to his college career, especially in math. 

Like many, Blair found math difficult. For his first two semesters at MC he was in developmental math courses. Those courses strengthened his basic skills in math so he could succeed in college-level coursework. 

“The math lab was a huge help during my time at MC,” said Blair. “I utilized it and professors’ support and ended up getting an A in College Algebra. Then, I went on to receive an A in Statistics when I transferred to Texas Tech. It was a great feeling, and I directly credit MC for helping me get to that point in math.”

When it came to calculating the cost of his MC education, it was an easy equation. While at MC, Blair received the Legacy Scholarship, which covered tuition and fees up to $1,050 per semester, renewable for a total of two years. All Legacy scholars complete 40 hours of community service. Blair completed his volunteer hours at Midland Community Theater.

“I helped build the sets, and I tell people it was the greatest job I ever had,” said Blair. “I met friends with whom I am still in touch today, and we had so much fun volunteering together. Plus the scholarship was a huge help. I did not have debt when I left MC. There are a lot of scholarships here; all students should be applying.”

Blair also credits MC with helping him settle upon psychology as his major, and he said that Dr. David Edens, MC psychology professor, was his inspiration.

“Dr. Edens is the reason I went on to get a degree in psychology at Texas Tech,” said Blair. “I took all my psychology classes with him. If a student says they are thinking about taking a psychology class, I tell them to look for Dr. Edens’ classes.”

“I consider teaching an intro psychology class as a chance to set a hook in the student - to get them interested enough to take another course in the subject,” said Edens. “Jeremy took the bait - hook, line and sinker! His enthusiasm to explore the boundaries of learning drives him to ask the right questions and think through the solutions. Combine these characteristics with his eagerness to contemplate new concepts, and it makes him a perfect fit for his career choice.” 

Blair enjoys working with colleagues like Dr. Edens and Julia Vickery, vice president of Student Services.

“Julia also had a large part in making me so successful as an MC student,” Blair said. “When I was a student, she was my advisor.  Now she is the vice president of Student Services – my boss’s, boss’s, boss’s, boss. I see her at work all the time, and that full circle, close-knit feeling I had when I was here as a student continues. I hope everyday I help every MC student feel that way as well.”

“I remember the first time I met Jeremy,” Vickery said.  “He was full of energy and excitement. I knew he would be a perfect MC ambassador. To have him now as an employee of MC is a fabulous ‘pay it forward’ event. Jeremy influences candidates through encouragement and that same excitement; it is a blessing to be a part of that circle.”