After pursuing their education beyond community college, two former Dallas College students came back home, this time as faculty members.
Joshua Hamlin and Alondra Puentes both started their higher education journeys at Dallas College in the 2010s. Hamlin attended North Lake College, while Puentes attended Eastfield College.
Since 1965, Dallas College has served and educated more than 3 million students, according to the institution’s website. And even with its great number of students, it continues to create and foster a personal impact for students, even one powerful enough to draw former students like Hamlin and Puentes back to campus as educators.
Hamlin arrived at North Lake in 2011, saying he did not have a clear plan for his future.
“I didn’t really have an idea of what I wanted to do. I think way back then, it was something to do with English language arts,” Hamlin said.
But once he became active on campus, by joining organizations like Phi Theta Kappa and North Lake’s Student Government Association, the college started to become more than a place to just earn credits for Hamlin.
It became, as he described, his “home away from home.” Hamlin spent three years at North Lake, growing academically and socially before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin to study government.
After graduating, Hamlin joined Teach for America and eventually became a principal for a charter school. But he said he needed a change in scenery, and Dallas College kept coming back to his mind.
“I remember thinking to myself, it had such a valuable impact on me and on my life. So why not look at what opportunities they have?” he said.
Hamlin returned as an adjunct in fall 2023 but was soon hired full time in the School of Education. However, Hamlin said returning as faculty required a shift.
“I had to reframe my thinking. I’m no longer the one in the role of a traditional learner. I needed to be more in the mindset of guiding students along, making sure that they have everything they need in order to be successful,” he said.
For Hamlin, the drawback to Dallas College comes down to connection and community.
“I was here for a majority of the day, a majority of the time in the week; employees and peers made it really feel very familial,” he said.
That sense of belonging is why many alumni return, Hamlin said.
For Puentes, now a full-time humanities faculty member and adjunct dance instructor, her story began at Eastfield in 2015.
“I was taking majority dance classes. The program’s director, Dr. Danielle Georgiou, became a major mentor for me, and she encouraged me to continue with my education and pushed me forward,” she said.
With the faculty and college support, Puentes transferred to Texas Woman’s University, completing her bachelor’s in 2021, and then continued to earn her master’s degree from St. Mary’s College of California.
Even during and after graduate school, she kept close ties with Eastfield, so when Dallas College offered her an opportunity to teach ballet through Continuing Education, she immediately accepted. From there, Puentes guest-choreographed, and taught as an adjunct for two and a half years, before then getting hired as a full-time faculty member.
For Puentes, the decision to return was obvious.
“It was a no-brainer, I loved the education I received here, and we have so much community, and we have so much collaboration,” she said.
Like Hamlin, she describes the transition from former student to colleague as surreal.
“My mindset was so used to being a student, so now I’m coming back as an instructor … It felt weird at first because I’m teaching alongside people who were my teachers.”
Now, Puentes hopes her presence serves as inspiration for the future.
“I tell my story as hopefully an inspiration for others.” I do have some students who are like, ‘I would love to come back here and teach.’ And we’re like, absolutely,” she said.
For both Hamlin and Puentes, the answer was clear: Dallas College gave them community, culture, diversity and mentorship in a way they didn’t always find at four-year universities.
Puentes described Dallas College as “a rich institution in terms of culture and art,” one that prioritized collaboration and made mentorship accessible.
Hamlin said, “There’s so much value in getting involved, really making this experience your own and your home.”
