Six years later, Moore’s dream has come true, and she couldn’t be happier. She was hired in summer 2021 to become the coordinator for the new TBI Middle College program offered in Hutto, and is providing high school juniors and seniors with the same mentoring that she valued as a TBI student.
TBI students love having Moore around because many of them can relate to her. A native of Killeen, Moore was the first in her family to graduate from college.
“At the time I applied for the TBI program, all three of my siblings had started college but never finished,” she said.
Moore said she applied for the TBI program because she thought it would help her prepare for – and successfully complete – college. But she said it wasn’t easy in the beginning.
“I was very insecure my first semester,” she said. “I felt surrounded by all these geniuses and I was afraid to ask questions.”
Moore finally did get up the nerve to ask questions, and also picked up a lot of good tips from her TBI instructors.
“TBI was a great program for me,” Moore said. “It was the first time I had an advisor – someone who told me I could go to college and here’s how to do it. By the time I went to college I was in the habit of being a college student.”
Moore originally thought she wanted to become a doctor, but after hearing doctors speak to her TBI class, she decided medicine wasn’t for her after all.
“I’m really glad I learned that in TBI rather than six years down the road in medical school,” she said.
Instead, Moore learned what she really had a passion for – education. As part of her TBI program, she tutored students in a remedial math class at Bonham Middle School every Friday.
“Those students reminded me of myself at their age,” Moore said.
Moore got accepted at The University of Texas, and majored in education. “I didn’t necessarily want to teach but I knew I wanted to work with students,” she said. “Now I get to do what I love – help students become what they want to be. It’s nice to be that person who can say to students ‘Hey, I was once in your shoes − here’s how you can do it.’”
Moore said she is very excited about the new TBI program in Hutto.
“TBI opened so many doors for me,” she said. “I have a network of friends who are doing amazing things.”