Texas Border Business
By Clarissa Martinez
WESLACO, Texas – It will be double the graduation celebrations for a group of Mid-Valley high school seniors.
The South Texas College Mid-Valley campus recently presented Dual Credit 2023 graduates with honor cords to wear at their STC Commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 5. The 39 students in attendance represented the Dual Enrollment Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Engineering and Medical Science Academies.
The Dual Enrollment Academies at STC are rigorous two-year programs that provide high school students with college coursework and career-related opportunities as well as necessary academic and professional support as they transition to a four-year institution.
“It’s not going to stop here, don’t let it stop here,” said Mid-Valley Campus Administrator Daniel Montez at the ceremony. “I’m very proud that you took this opportunity because this is a head start into the next stage of your life. We’re extremely fortunate to have had you on our campus these past couple of years and we wish you continued success.”
STC boasts one of the largest Dual Credit programs in the state, serving high school students, tuition-free, since 2000. The program collaborates with 70 high schools across Hidalgo and Starr counties and offers four options, so students can follow their chosen pathway and meet their career and educational goals. This spring a total of 1,454 prospective Dual Credit students are expected to graduate.
Carolina Gomez Loya, of Mercedes, said the Dual Enrollment Medical Science Academy (DEMSA) was a way for her daughter, Sydney Loya, to earn college credits and enrich her focus on the health care field.
“My daughter has always had big goals so when she told me she wanted to be a doctor I said, ‘let’s look into dual enrollment.’” Gomez Loya said. “We don’t qualify for financial aid so that was the driving force. We knew she had to get ahead as much as she could.”
Gomez Loya said she is also grateful that her daughter was able to thrive in both her academic pursuits and extracurricular activities at South Texas High School for Health Professions, like participating in her local 4-H chapter.
“I think this program gives the children an opportunity to extend their potential,” Gomez Loya said. “My daughter excelled at high school and she excelled at STC.”
After receiving her honor cords, Sydney Loya said it was bittersweet to know the academy was over, but it also marked the start of her next journey. Loya will attend the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley this fall and already plans to assist a Biology department professor with research.
“It was a lot of hard work and a stressful two years, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything,” Loya said.
Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Leadership Empowerment Group, served as the keynote speaker and encouraged the students to think about the importance of their emotional intelligence and development of leadership skills.
“I’m super inspired by these ceremonies because these students have really accomplished so much by being able to do high school and college at the same time and during a time when we’ve had so much change,” Baggerly-Hinojosa said. “Our future is bright.”
For Prizila Rangel of Elsa, attending the cord ceremony was a moment to celebrate her younger sister, Jessenia, and reflect on her own time as a dual credit student.
“I actually graduated from the Dual Credit program in 2017 and now my sister’s graduating so I’m really excited,” Rangel said. “We attended different academies, I did Medical Science and she chose Business Administration, but it’s great that we were both given the chance to earn an associate degree in high school.”
Rangel said she encouraged her sister to join the program because, as first-generation college students, the academy provided a space to be around like-minded individuals who were dedicated to their education.
“It was nice to help her out with the applications, the classes and the rigorous schedule,” Rangel added. “Spending half your time in high school and half here at STC is a lot, so helping her through managing her classes was really fun. And it’s fun to be back here on campus today.”
Aaron Mariscal, a senior at South Texas High School for Health Professions, said the DEMSA program provided him a much different high school experience than he imagined.
“It’s a little weird to be graduating with an associate degree before my high school graduation, but it’s also pretty awesome,” said Mariscal, who wants to become a pharmacist. “If you’re interested in the program, and if it’s a degree you want, you need to jump at this. There’s no question about it. This is an amazing opportunity to have more than just a traditional high school life.”
For more information about the STC Dual Credit programs, visit southtexascollege.edu/dual/.
