Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
Esmeralda Flores, a counselor at Mercedes High School P-TECH, is seeing an increase of students enrolling in dual credit courses within her district, and by attending events like South Texas College’s Dual Credit Programs Counselor Symposium, she and her colleagues can better assist this growing population.
Nearly 100 counselors, like Flores, recently gathered at STC for its annual symposium geared toward high school counselors and focused on updates ranging from a new DualEnroll software and data reporting to instructional plans, including remarks from Valley Promise and STC Foundation representatives.
Valley Promise is STC’s last-dollar initiative that covers remaining tuition after all financial aid has been applied and provides students with a dedicated support coach.
“Through dual credit with STC, our students and their families are saving money, building confidence, opening doors to opportunity and breaking generational cycles,” said Flores. “That is why, attending events like this symposium is vital. It helps us better understand dual credit and allows us to improve how we explain this to our families. STC has been a gamechanger for our district. We love STC, its Valley Promise program, and we always encourage our students to seek an education through this institution.”
Currently, enrollment for STC Dual Credit stands at 13,828 students, with nearly 3,000 students expected to graduate this May with either an associate degree or certificate through a dedicated program pathway within technical or health care fields.
STC Associate Vice President for Dual Credit and School District Partnerships Rebecca De Leon, Ed.D., said the department is very strategic when it comes to selecting the topics covered during the symposium.
“We listen to our counselors. They know what they need explained or clarified, and we shape this event around those recommendations,” she said. “Counselors are the heart of our success. They guide our students, and we want to ensure that they have all the support they need and that everyone is aware of what we offer at STC. We truly appreciate our counselors and their efforts in supporting dual credit and all the opportunities it provides for our students.”
The half-day event also included breakout sessions concentrated on Texas Direct, a statewide initiative that provides students with seamless transfer degree pathways between two and four-year institutions; STC’s Centers for Learning Excellence (CLE) and STC’s Counseling and Student Accessibility Services.
Rio Grande City Grulla ISD’s Preparatory for Early College High School Counselor David Pratt, said annual changes in education are inevitable, so to have resources like STC’s Counselor Symposium readily available, is an invaluable opportunity.
“This event helps us stay abreast of all the changes that are continually happening,” he said. “I personally receive a better understanding of all the updates when they come straight from STC. Nearly every student from our campus is enrolled in at least one dual credit course. Our goal is to invest in our students, challenge them and produce productive members of society. Through dual credit, we’re empowering our students.”
Empowering the RGV is STC’s mission, as explained by STC President Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D. during the event.
“Our goal at STC is to create a college-going culture, which we’re doing through our nationally-recognized Dual Credit Programs,” said Solis. “The excitement and appreciation exemplified by the counselors at the symposium, reflects the impact we are making together toward creating an accessible and affordable higher education, beginning in high school. The millions of dollars we are saving students, many of whom are first generation, is lifechanging. Education is a powerful equalizer, and we are enhancing programming and services every day to better serve our region. We thank our counselors and school district partners for entrusting us with their students.”
For more information on STC’s Dual Credit Programs, visit https://www.southtexascollege.edu/dual
