Odessa College

Exceptional Educational Experience at Odessa College I am truly grateful for the outstanding education and support I have received at Odessa College. The instructors are highly knowledgeable, dedicated, and genuinely invested in the success of their students. They go beyond textbooks by providing real-world applications, hands-on training, and the encouragement needed to grow both academically and professionally. The learning environment is welcoming, safe, and inspiring. The staff and faculty are always ready to help whether with academic guidance, technical training, career support, or personal development. Through my time at Odessa College, I have gained valuable skills in automation, robotics, computer science, and critical thinking that will benefit me for life. Odessa College has not only strengthened my confidence but also prepared me for real-world career opportunities. I highly recommend this institution to anyone seeking a high-quality education, practical experience, and a supportive learning community. Thank you ODESSA COLLEGE.

"Inconsistent" is about the best word I could use to describe Odessa College, between some of the best and some of the absolute worst teachers I’ve had in my entire life and administration being sloppy at best. In two years of being a full-time college student, I had teachers who genuinely set me up for success in my life and teachers who did the bare minimum of showing up to class to leave students to teach among themselves. Texts would be constantly sent to my mom instead of to me, despite asking multiple times to be contacted directly. As it turns out, I was considered a dual credit student for years in the system, when I had been attending college full time, with a full-time course load the entire time; which I didn’t learn about until a week before graduation. You can get a good education at Odessa College, but don’t expect the institution to care about you as a student. It’s hard to be proud of being an Odessa College student when, even while graduating Summa Cum Laude, the school didn’t even care to put me in the graduation booklet when I registered for graduation at the earliest time I was told to. I have to give a whole-hearted Thank You to Ms. Cecilia Bacon, Dr. Ian Lee, Ashok Karra, Timothy Clark, and others. Much of the faculty does genuinely care about their students and the work that they do, and it shows. But that effort goes to waste when log-in systems are changed (and break) in the middle of the semester and when buildings like Wilkerson Hall could fill classrooms with the number of roaches I’ve seen laying dead on the floors. I wouldn’t say there’s any one big nail in the coffin against the school as a whole, and I really did have a mostly good time as a student at OC, but it does not feel like students are generally prioritized at Odessa College. I’m sure others have had a better experience than I have, but there’s just no guarantee from one term to the next that you’ll have a great or a miserable experience. That inconsistency makes Odessa College a difficult school to recommend attending.

Hi there, please read this short story before you give any of your time, money, or energy to this institution. It is my hope that you can avoid the absolute devastation that this place has caused to an entire group of students with no path forward other than to start completely over. Get comfy. In the world of academia, trust is a currency as valuable as knowledge itself. Students invest their time, money, and dreams into institutions with the expectation of a return that will launch their careers and shape their futures. What happens when an institution fails to uphold its end of the arrangement? This tale of the local college's new Childhood Education Program serves as a cautionary fable, a stark reminder of the devastation that ensues when incompetence and irresponsibility take the helm without the appropriate oversight or checks and balances in place. Once upon a very recent time, a Childhood Education Program Director, let's call them Charlie…no, no Charles…Charles Quintela…what a pleasant name for our story. Charles was appointed with the task directing a new program that the college was offering for Early Childhood Teaching Assistants that had a desire to become a state licensed Childhood Educator or teacher and would also obtain a Bachelors in Childhood Education. These students, who were also contributing members of society with full-time jobs, children, and a household to take care of while going to school decided to be the pioneers of this promising new program, one that glittered with the allure of accreditation and the golden ticket to a state teaching test. The narrative sold to them was one of certainty and success, a "sure thing," as the director so confidently proclaimed. However, as the plot thickened, it became apparent that the story would not have a fairytale ending. The accreditation, the very cornerstone of this educational edifice, crumbled before it was even laid. The director, our dear Charles, who should have been the captain steering the ship to safe harbor, was instead the iceberg that sank it. With a year's worth of knowledge that the accreditation was a no-show, the revelation was withheld until the eleventh hour, leaving the students stranded in the open sea of uncertainty. The aftermath was a scene of academic carnage. Students, once buoyant with hope, were now submerged in a sea of devastation, hurt, and sadness. The path forward to eligibility for the state test was obscured by the fog of betrayal. The institution and the director, rather than sounding the alarm, chose the path of silence and deflection, perhaps hoping the waves of discontent would quietly erode away. The silence from the college and the program director has been deafening, a symphony of avoidance and denial. The students, who placed their trust in the institution, have been left to navigate the wreckage alone. The institution's attempt to sweep the debacle under the proverbial rug is not just a stain on its reputation but a disservice to the very essence of education. This saga of the local 2 college is not just a Google review; it's a lamentation for what could have been and a ridiculing of the outrageous series of missteps by those in charge. It's a reminder that when institutions falter, it's the dreams and aspirations of real people who are left hanging in the balance. And for those at the helm, let this be a lesson: the trust of your students is not a commodity to be gambled away on the roulette wheel of incompetence, step up and be accountable for the program you are directing and find a way for this group to not have to throw away a year of hard work, time, energy, and money…I know that our local college can find a way for these local members of our society and students to become eligible to take the teaching test they were promised that this program would allow. Maybe our Charles thinks it is okay to blame these students for his incompetence, but the institution should not allow this "program director" to ruin its reputation as a trustworthy institution of higher education.

The sun had barely risen when the phone rang, jolting us awake. It was our daughter, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and despair. "Mom, Dad, they lied to us," she said, her words heavy with the weight of betrayal. We listened in stunned silence as she recounted the events of the past year, a year filled with hard work, late nights, and the unwavering belief that she was on the path to a promising career. Odessa College had promised her and her classmates that their program would soon be accredited. They assured them that by the time they completed their courses, everything would be in place. But now, after a year of dedication and sacrifice, they were told the truth: the accreditation was never going to happen. Mr. Charlies Quintela, the program director, had been the face of these promises. He had stood before the students, confidently assuring them that their future was secure. But now, when confronted with the truth, he deflected responsibility. "We told you the program was seeking accreditation" he told them as if they would have willingly invested their time and money into a program with no future. Our daughter was devastated. She had completed all the necessary coursework and was ready to take the state mandated test for teaching but without the accreditation, she wasn't eligible. Her dreams were shattered, and there was no clear path forward. As parents, we felt a mix of emotions. Anger at the college for their deceit, frustration at Mr. Quintela for his lack of accountability, and deep sorrow for our daughter and her classmates. They had been led astray, their hopes raised only to be cruelly dashed. We reached out to the college, demanding answers and a resolution. But so far, there has been no valid response from the school or Mr. Quintela. The students were left in limbo, their hard work seemingly for nothing. We tried to console our daughter, reminding her of her strength and resilience. We assured her that this setback, while painful, would not define her. Together, we would find a way forward, even if the path was uncertain. In the silence the betrayal lingers, a bitter reminder of the promises broken and the trust shattered. And as we stand by our daughter's side, we will fight for justice, we will stand on the side of truth, not just for her, but for all the students who have been wronged and the ones who are currently being wronged in the same program and unaware of its dead end. We will hold this public institution accountable if they offer no fair solution to these students, what is the price for a year of one's life lost to the complete incompetence of a college program director and the inability for their employer to hold them accountable…

Took the cna certification here. May 23rd our class ended we didn't get our paper work reviewed and submitted to tulip till the 24th even though we submitted our paperwork the 2nd week of May. Then it's July 12th I BARELY fully got certified. They kept canceling the written exam on us. Excuse after excuse. One girl got her exam canceled on her 19 times. Smh very unprofessional. To just say "oh well you can drive an hour to big springs to take it". So very unprofessional.

I am very disappointed in tonight's event 😞 did not expect this to happen! This event was supposed to be for OC students and family was welcome! 😒 When we walked in they asked which of my 3 kids was an OC student and I said my daughter! Which will be starting classes in a couple of weeks by the way! So the lady said she gets to enter the drawing of two laptops so neither of my other two kids or my husband or I got a ticket! SO CAN YALL EXPLAIN WHY A 6 AND 7 YEAR OLD WON BOTH LAPTOPS? That is so unfair and I'm not mad that my daughter didn't get it I'm really mad cuz their where probably OC students that can't afford one and went their to have a chance to get one! And two kids that are probably going to go home and watch games and play roblox or fortnite on it get it! And I'm not blaming the kids or the parents for this! All this is the staff's fault for allowing this to happen!

I've been so happy going to college here. I graduate in May of this year with TWO degrees. The financial aid ladies are amazing. The professors are amazing. Everyone that works there is kind and helpful. I'm grateful for OC and will always be.