January 2025 Newsletter

Happy New Year, Highlanders! We’re excited for 2025 and all the potential it holds. As the month wraps up, we wanted to check in with your New Year’s resolutions. Whether you’re crushing it or barely holding on, this month’s newsletter is all about ways to set yourself up for a successful spring semester.

Spotlight: On-Campus Resources

Have you met with a success coach during your time at McLennan? If not, we highly recommend you connect with one if you have any questions about improving your academic habits. Success coaches meet with students one-on-one to help them develop their strengths, discover new strategies and resources, and create a plan to reach their goals.

McLennan has three different success coaching programs: General Success Coaching, the Support and Empowerment Program, and First Generation Scholars. To learn more and get connected with a success coach, call 254-299-8226, complete a self-referral, or stop by the office on the second floor of the Student Services Building.

Spotlight: Off-Campus Resources

Texas winter is almost over, but we still have a few weeks in which we might experience inclement weather. If you ever need resources and our campus is closed, check out the Community Resource Guide—an ever-growing database of organizations in McLennan and surrounding counties that can help you! Here are a few additional links we’d like to direct your attention to:

The After Hours & Emergency Resources tab on the CREW website lists many resources.
FindHelp.org is a great database where you can search for types of resources in any zip code—even if you’re traveling over the holidays.
The City of Waco offers several Warming Centers in the event of inclement weather (<40 degrees). The linked website should be updated with any new info or centers.

If you have any questions or any resources you think we should include, please reach out to the CREW by calling 254-299-8561 or emailing crew@mclennan.edu.

Shout-out!

CREW would like to give a BIG shout-out to China Spring Cares for generously donating canned food items to Paulanne's Pantry! Thanks for supporting our MCC community.

Featured Event: Registration Rally

On Tuesday, February 11, CREW and Student Life are hosting the spring resource fair in the Student Life Center! Come by between 11 am –2 pm to connect with dozens of on-campus and community-based resources that are dedicated to supporting your holistic well-being. Bonus: We'll have apple juice, breakfast burritos, and lots of swag.

Self-Care Tip

In this season of goal setting, we wanted to help you set good goals—ones that are challenging yet attainable—so that you don’t burn out in your pursuit.

One of the best ways to set goals is by using the SMART goals technique. These goals are:

Specific: What will you achieve or do? (use details)
Measurable: How will you determine if you’ve met your goal?
Achievable: Is this goal possible given your current abilities and resources? What do you need to make it happen?
Relevant: Why is this goal important to you in this season?
Time-bound: How long will you give yourself to accomplish this goal?

Let me share an example from my life. I have a goal of getting faster at triathlons. However, written as such, this goal gives me nothing actionable. A better goal would be: “I want to complete the 2025 Waco Ironman 70.3 in under 6 hours.” This goal is specific (I’ve identified an event), measurable (did I meet the time goal), achievable (I’m actively training), relevant (fitness is my passion), and time-bound (race date is 10/5/25).

You can use this same technique for goals as a student! Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the big task of earning your associate’s degree, you can break it down into sub-goals like writing a term paper for your composition course or completing a project for your internship.

If you use SMART goals to help you build new habits, be wary of the perfectionism trap. It’s unrealistic to set goals like “I will read every day” or “I will exercise daily.” Instead, you’re more likely to stick to your goals when you create room for flexibility, such as “I will exercise for at least 20 minutes, three times a week.” And then, check in with these goals quarterly and reevaluate your progress. Now they’re SMART!

Easy Recipe

We all want easy, hearty meals in the winter, right? This month I’m sharing a fantastic one-pot chicken and rice recipe that will feed your whole family or is a great option for meal prepping if you’re cooking for one.

Need any ingredients? Swing by Paulanne’s for some non-perishable goods, grains, frozen meat, fresh fruit, cheese, and/or milk! There’s a good chance we’ll have most of the ingredients for this meal when you stop by to shop the pantry!

One Pot Chicken and Rice (Budget Bytes)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4-5 thighs)
2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup long-grain white rice (uncooked)
1.75 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Coat both sides of the chicken thighs in the seasoning mix.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a deep skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, swirl to coat the surface of the skillet, then add the chicken thighs. Cook the thighs for a few minutes on each side, or until well browned. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
Remove the browned chicken to a clean plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add an additional 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet, then add the diced onion. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Allow the moisture from the onion to dissolve the browned bits from the skillet as you stir.
Add the uncooked rice to the skillet and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes more to toast the rice.
Add the vegetable broth to the skillet and briefly stir to dissolve any remaining brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Return the chicken to the skillet, setting it on top of the rice. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a full boil.
Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the chicken and rice continue to simmer over low, without lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest, without lifting the lid, for an additional 5 minutes.
Finally, remove the lid and fluff the rice around the chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, then serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION (per 1 serving)

CREW This Month

Tuesday, 2/4, 12:30–1:30pm @ LTC 318|| Learning Commons Workshop

Join Jean Nixon for "Introduction to Microsoft Word” in person in LTC 318 on Zoom using ID 254 999 8332.

Tuesday, 2/11, 11am – 2pm @ SLC || Spring Resource Fair

Connect with dozens of local agencies and on-campus departments dedicated to supporting your holistic well-being and success during your time at MCC. Breakfast burritos will be provided!

Thursday, 2/13, 3–4pm @ Parking Lot R || Shepherd’s Heart Food Distribution

Swing by Lot R for FREE food from Shepherd’s Heart! Free and open to anyone in the community!

Thursday, 2/20, 11:30am – 1:30pm @ SLC || Third Thursday Thoroughfare

Come for free lunch and learn about resources in McLennan County just for college students!

More events are available on the CREW calendar! Be sure to save the calendar so you never miss an event!

View past newsletters.

*Composed by Emma Cartisano*