EWCHEC Takes Giant Step Forward

Above, a crowd over of over 100 supporters gathered for a history-making photograph as the new EWCHEC sign is unveiled along Taylor's Loop 427, near Old Rice's Crossing Road. (Left) Temple College President Dr. Marc Nigliazzo addresses the crowd of supporters while talking about his 12-year tenure and how the dreams of Temple College at Taylor (TCAT) and the vision for EWCHEC have become reality. (Photos by Larry Robbins)

As Dr. Bruce Scott described, “EWCHEC has been a vision that even reality couldn’t stop” and many supporters gathered this week at the site of the future home of higher education in Taylor.

EWCHEC Executive Direcector Dr. S Chuck McCarter emceed the event and welcomed Virginia Debus and family members to tell a little local history about their 100-year-old family farm that will become the hub of higher education in Williamson County.

Dr. McCarter explained how the vision that has become EWCHEC began three years ago during his initial discussions with Dr. Bruce Scott about a "possible" center for advanced research and technolgy partnership with Temple College.

From Temple College President Dr. Marc Nigliazzo, to Texas State Technical College President Elton Stuckly to the mayors and school leaders of both Taylor and Hutto, everyone came to Taylor to express their pride and share in the dream. “When I leave for New Mexico to try to duplicate what we have here,” said Dr. Nigliazo, “I can tell them we have a model to follow and it’s in Taylor, Texas.”

“Pardon the pun, but this is the real groundbraking for the future of higher education,” added Nigliazo. “The shared visions and cooperative partnerships that have been established will continue to grow and make this dream a true impact on the economic development and continued growth of Eastern Williamson County.”

Temple College has just hired an architect to help with the campus design and future construction plans. While EWCHEC and the Legacy Early College High School are all currently operating out of the TCAT facility in downtown Taylor, expectations call for the first campus construction by 2009.

The multi-institutional training center (MITC) is the first of its kind in rural Texas and with the shared partnerships developed between Temple College, the Texas State Technical College, both Taylor and Hutto ISD and a growing list of area school districts and potential college and university partners, the dream continues to grow.



DREAM TEAM -- The dream team partners behind the inevitable creation of EWCHEC include: (L-R) Fred Khozein and Dr. Elton Stuckly of Texas State Technical College; Temple College President Dr. Marc Nigliazzo, EWCHEC Executive Director Dr. S. Chuck McCarter; TEDC Past President Dr. John Nelson; Temple College VP mark Smith and Taylor ISD Superintendent Dr. Bruce Scott. Not pictured: Hutto ISD Superintendent Dr. David Borrer. (Photo by Larry Robbins)