by Jeff Johnson
For two days in May, the stands of Wagstaff Gymnasium at Tyler Junior College were filled with people and excitement. Graduates crossed the stage one by one. Outside, oversized gold “100s” around campus marked the beginning of TJC’s Centennial celebration—a visible reminder that the College’s first century is now giving way to its next.
For the graduates themselves, Commencement was about finishing what they started. It was about family, sacrifice, second chances, and next steps. For many students, it was about coming to TJC unsure of what the future might hold but leaving with a clearer sense of who they are and where they’re going.
During a first-ever five commencement ceremonies held May 7 and 8, TJC President Dr. Juan E. Mejia conferred 1,378 degrees and certificates on 1,158 graduates – the College’s first Centennial class.
“Graduation is the day we look forward to all year,” Mejia told the graduates. “Graduates, we love you, and we already miss you. There is so much excitement and energy here because of you. You are our signature of authenticity for what we are all about.”
For Jasilynn Gilliam, a Spring 2026 social work graduate born and raised in Tyler, TJC was both close to home and exactly where she needed to be.
“I didn’t know if I wanted to further my education,” Gilliam explained, adding that her mother—a former TJC student—encouraged her to check out the College. “I’m really glad that I did. TJC has been great to me.”
Gilliam found her calling in social work after realizing she wanted a career centered on helping people.
Her college experience extended far beyond the classroom. As a clarinet player in the TJC Apache Band, she found another community – one built on energy, friendship, and tradition.
“Being in the TJC Apache Band has been such an amazing experience,” she said. “I gained so many friends. The faculty are so sweet, and they just make the culture so amazing.”
That culture mattered. Gilliam said she found it not only in the band, but also among classmates, student organizations, and fellow social work majors.
“We just all really love to talk after class,” she said, “about everything we’ve already experienced being social work majors and how excited we are for our future.”
Her own future is already taking shape. Gilliam plans to transfer to Stephen F. Austin State University and continue studying social work. Within a few years, she hopes to earn a master’s degree and eventually become a mental health counselor for adolescents.
Matthew McDougal, a 2022 graduate of TJC’s Physical Therapist Assistant program, chose the College because it was close to home and previous graduates of the program shared their experiences, which made an impression.
“They had nothing but good things to say about it,” he said. “I could tell that they were serious about what they did.”
McDougal described the program as one of the most challenging things he had ever done, but he understands the rigor.
“It’s all about taking care of patients and people and society,” he said. “We’re here to benefit them.”
As a physical therapist assistant, McDougal now sees the value of what he learned at TJC in real clinical settings.
“All the tools they give you are definitely something that is like, ‘Wow, I learned this in school,’” he said. “This is what they taught me. This is exactly what they were talking about.”
McDougal wanted a career that allowed him to help people regain movement, independence, and confidence.
“People get hospitalized. People go through injuries,” he said. “It’s a way to help rehabilitate them to where they can go back to their life and have as much independence as possible.”
TJC’s Centennial celebration is not only a look back at 100 years of buildings, programs, and traditions. It is also a look forward through the lives of students and alumni who are carrying what they learn into families, workplaces, and communities.
Gilliam sees TJC continuing to grow while staying connected to the people around it.
“I just see it becoming better and better,” she said. “The community involvement that TJC has, and the engagement that it still has with the community—I believe that impact will continue.”
McDougal reflects on the graduates who will follow him.
“TJC has instilled that in us—to continue to learn, to continue to grow,” he said. “Give it our all and never give up. Continue to take that path forward.”
For 100 years, TJC has been part of Tyler’s story. But on commencement day, the most important stories were the ones walking across the stage.
Those stories belong to the more than 1,100 members of TJC’s first Centennial
class—students stepping from one chapter of life into the next, carrying with them the pride of an institution that believes its greatest legacy is not what it has built, but who it is sending into the world.