Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus and The PossAble Dream Adult High School have formed a partnership to help adults complete high school and create a direct pathway to technical education and workforce careers.
TSTC leaders hosted a partnership ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the college’s Welcome Center to support The PossAble Dream Adult High School’s Harlingen site.
Under a memorandum of understanding, TSTC is providing space for the school to serve adults ages 18 to 50 who have not completed high school. The program expands access to a tuition-free high school diploma and places students directly in a college environment.
“This partnership gives adults who may have faced barriers to completing high school the opportunity to pursue their educational and career goals, develop their talents, and create a stronger future for themselves and their families,” said Gina Cano-Monreal, provost of TSTC’s Harlingen campus.
Daniel P. King, founder and board president of The PossAble Dream Foundation and a former superintendent of the Hidalgo and Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school districts, said that locating the program at TSTC allows students to see opportunities beyond earning their high school diploma.
“They are surrounded by technical programs and pathways that could lead directly to jobs in demand,” King said.
The Harlingen location also addresses practical obstacles that can prevent adults from returning to school. A site closer to where students live can reduce transportation and distance barriers, making the transition to higher education more accessible.
Darcia Cuellar, superintendent of The PossAble Dream Adult High School, said several students from the organization’s Brownsville location have already transferred to Harlingen because the new site is closer to their homes.
“It is considered a best practice to have an adult high school located directly on a college campus,” Cuellar said. “Students are already in a college environment and experiencing college life, which makes higher education feel more real and accessible.”
The partnership creates an important link between completing high school and preparing for employment. Students attending the adult high school are exposed to TSTC’s technical programs and can see firsthand how continuing their education could lead to further training and career opportunities.
For adults who left school years earlier, King said that returning to the classroom can mark the start of a new educational and professional direction.
“They are all capable of achieving all their dreams,” he said.
Adults ages 18 to 50 interested in enrolling in The PossAble Dream Adult High School can find enrollment information on the organization’s website.
