Jaime Santillán takes pride in being first. He is the oldest of four siblings, the first in his family to graduate from high school and the first to finish college. “My mother, who completed only the first grade in Mexico, always told me that education would open many doors for me,” says Jaime; she was right. Jaime earned his associate degree from DCCCD and transferred to UNT to finish his bachelor’s degree. Today, as a successful financial representative, Jaime helps other people plan for many “firsts” in their lives.

For Jaime, it all began at a Dallas County Community College.