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Choosing a college can be a difficult decision. Like many students, TJ Majors didn’t plan to become an AACC student. But during his senior year in high school, the principal called him to the office.
“So apparently there was a scholarship that he wanted to award me, and it was specifically for here at AACC. It's called the President's Opportunity Scholarship.”
AACC’s Presidential Opportunity Scholarship is awarded to one graduating, college-bound high school senior from each Anne Arundel County high school. It allowed Majors to attend AACC at an even more affordable rate while he explored his academic interests.
Many who come to AACC are undecided about their future and pursue varied interests. Initially, Majors studied computer information systems. “And then towards the end of my first year I was like, this seems too office job vibes for me.”
Those classes made Majors realize he didn’t want a typical office job. He considered video game development and asked his parents for a second opinion. “Right now, I'm majoring in graphic and web design transfer studies,” Majors said. “… It wasn't the first one that I picked, and I've also changed my major several times since I've been at AACC.”
Majors doesn’t come to campus just to attend class. “I was in SGA, joined Ambassadors, there's a youth advisory council that I've joined for Anne Arundel County – still in that,” Majors said. “I was a (SGA) senator and then I kind of was trying to work up the ranks, if you could say it that way, and I was the executive vice president last semester.”
Balancing these demanding roles isn’t easy, but Majors is determined. “I learned leadership isn't about a title,” he said. “Because when I first came here and I started getting involved in different things, I was mainly focused on the title.”
Through all his coursework, relationships and campus involvements, change was an inevitable outcome for the originally timid Majors.
“Before I came to AACC, I was more shy and introverted and had a lot to learn,” recalled Majors. “… Now I'm in my third year at AACC and I've met a lot of people and done a lot of great things and I'm excited to see what I do next.”