Texas Border Business
ROMA, TEXAS – Over 300 bright-eyed children were in attendance at the South Texas College flag raising ceremony that took place at Rafaela T. Barrera Elementary School Feb. 11 in Roma.
The ceremony was part of South Texas College’s College-Bound Elementary Initiative that strives to provide young students with clear pathways to facilitate coherent educational experiences.
STC Director of College Connections, Lazaro Barroso spearheads the program.
“We try to adopt one elementary school per district. We choose a district and the superintendent chooses a school,” Barroso said. “We try to encourage the district to pick a school that has the most kids, and pick an area with economic challenges to really enforce that college-going culture.”
The South Texas College flag was proudly raised next to the American flag that towers over the elementary to remind students that college is within reach.
South Texas College President, Dr. Shirley A. Reed, expressed the importance of higher education during the ceremony.
“Do you promise to go to college?” asked Dr. Reed to the students of Barrera Elementary. “We picked you because we know there’s a chance for every single one of you to go to college and we are here to partner with you, help you, and encourage you so that you WILL go to college!”
Roma Independent School District Superintendent, Carlos Guzman, also noted the importance of college for all and the gratitude for this partnership with South Texas College.
“On behalf of the entire Roma ISD we want to congratulate the entire Barrera Elementary family on being selected as an STC college-bound elementary, we are honored to be apart of such an educational partnership with STC,” said Guzman.
“You students will greatly benefit from this. The future is now brighter than ever for you. I want to thank Dr. Reed and STC for allowing us to be part of this college-bound journey.”
Barrera Elementary School is the tenth school that South Texas College has partnered with for this initiative.
Other schools include Lincoln Elementary, Marcell Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, Cesar Chaves Elementary, North Grammar Elementary, E. Garza Elementary, Progresso West Elementary, Taylor Elementary, and North Bridge Elementary.
South Texas College prides itself on promoting higher education opportunities in the community, for more information on STC’s College-Bound Initiative contact STC Director of College Connections, Lazaro Barroso at 956-872- 2088.
