At the monthly luncheon of the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the audience was addressed by the new President of Ranger College, Derrick Worrels.

Worrels talked about achievement, even when facing a headwind.  “I believe that obstacles are just obstacles.  You can always overcome them.”  He grew up in a low-income situation, the only child of a single mother who did not drive a car.  They lived in public housing projects in Tampa.

But Worrels was a good athlete, playing both basketball and baseball in school.  One of his baseball teammates at the time was Dwight Gooden, later to become a major league pitcher with the New York Mets.

Worrels  leveraged his basketball skills to get a college scholarship at the University of North Carolina-Asheville.  After graduating from college, he enrolled in the National Louis University in Chicago, earning a Master’s Degree in Psychology.  He currently is working on a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Kansas State University.

Ranger College currently has an enrollment of 2300 students, about 60% of whom are dual-credit students.  Worrels goal is to increase enrollment to 4000 students in four years.

Worrels has begun a program he calls “Ranger Reach.”  He wants Ranger College to reach out to underserved communities.  This includes not only students of color, but other marginalized groups who need more education, such as single mothers, persons older than the typical college age of 18 – 21, etc.

Here in Brown County Ranger College has two programs:  Nursing and Cosmetology.  At the Ranger campus they also teach Welding, Machining, Drone Technology, and Emergency Medical Technician.

For more information on educational opportunities at Ranger College, go to www.rangercollege.edu or call 254-267-7000.