Dean Foley
When Dean Foley returned to Austin in his early twenties, he wasn’t sure college was still in the cards. He had already tried large universities and remembered feeling lost in classes where “they were calling off my Social Security number, not my name.” After stepping away from school and working for a few years, he enrolled at Austin Community College, now Riverland. That is where things finally clicked.
"ACC felt like what I had left in high school," Dean says. “Teachers called me by name. I wasn’t in a lecture hall with a hundred other kids where I was just a number.” He remembers instructors like Terry Dilly and Frank Bridges, who made him feel like he belonged. “They made me feel a part of their class. They made me feel a part of the campus.”
That sense of belonging changed everything. He joined choir and theater and rediscovered interests he had let go of. “I had no idea what I wanted to do,” he admits. “But getting involved opened doors.” By his second year, he was Student Senate President. “I liked to lead. I liked running meetings and setting agendas. I fell into it, really, but it helped me grow.”
After Riverland, he earned his bachelor’s degree at Winona State and then a master’s degree at North Dakota State. Those steps led to a 30?year career as a community college instructor, teaching public speaking and English, and even starting a theater program. “Riverland gave me a career that I never worked a day in my life. It was a joy to go into work every day,” he says.
The lessons he learned here shaped how he taught. “Teachers showed that they cared, not just about me as a student, but me as a human being. I carried that with me.” Dean made a point of talking with students before class, especially the ones “hiding behind their hoodie,” and helped them build confidence by starting with what they loved to talk about. “If you can get them to talk about something they’re passionate about, their passion will show through.”
Now retired and back in Austin, Dean is thinking about how to give back to the college that helped him find direction. He believes deeply in the role community colleges play for students who need a supportive start. “Your experience here is just the start of your path,” he says. “You’re choosing to be here. You’re choosing to make your life better. Don’t waste that decision.”