Culinary

On November 6th, we proudly celebrated Texarkana College’s incredible first-generation students, staff, faculty, and advocates! This year’s theme, Building Bridges: Connecting Dreams to Reality, came to life through stories of perseverance, partnership, and purpose.

The inspiring Liliana Luna shared her first-generation journey, reminding us that every bridge we build brings us closer to the dreams we once only imagined—and that we must always honor those who have helped build and support our bridges along the way.

Our delicious lunch was prepared by the talented Liberty-Eylau High School Culinary Department, with wonderful support from the Texarkana College Culinary Department—a true example of collaboration across generations of learners.

We also celebrated our TRIO EOC and TRIO SSS scholarship recipients and recognized our community advocates, Chef Alicia Prater and East Texas Food Bank Manager Shan Parks, who continue to feed people in our communities in more ways than one.

In addition, we paid special tribute to Ruby Hildreth, a true advocate for students whose dedication and compassion have left a lasting legacy of hope, opportunity, and empowerment.

It was a joyful celebration filled with laughter, connection, and gratitude. Here’s to our first-gen community—leading the way, breaking barriers, and building bridges that connect dreams to reality!

You can find all the pictures taken by Dori Ballard here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCzR3f

#FirstGenProud #FirstGenerationCelebration #TCFirstGen #TRIOWorks #FirstgenForward #TheFutureIsFirstGen

Texarkana College Liberty-Eylau ISD Texarkana Independent School District

Shoutout to our amazing Culinary Arts students and Chef Prater! They represented Liberty-Eylau in style while catering at Texarkana College! #LeopardPride