About 70 ECISD Global Leadership Academy students visited and toured UTPB.
The students visit universities and colleges to learn about admission requirements, financial aid, and career options.
“This academy is meant to support the transition for emergent bilingual students from their home countries to the U.S., from middle school to high school, and from high school to college, university or military,” said ESL Coordinator Annie Arredondo.
At UTPB, the students learned about higher education, the value of a degree, and were given financial aid and scholarship information, and free t-shirts.
The Global Leadership Academy started in 2021 with the intention to empower and support new bilingual students.
The work the students are doing has impacted students and campuses in a positive manner. It’s improved their attendance, behavior, graduation rate, and post-secondary achievement.
“We chose to stay local for our college tours this year because of the fantastic opportunities provided by Odessa College and UTPB. Between the Wrangler Promise and Falcon Free, most if not all of our students can attend college for free and stay close to family and support systems in Odessa,” said Arredondo.
Arredondo says many families often say no due to cost, distance, and a lack of understanding of the options and process to become enrolled.
“Our students are smart, hardworking, and have big dreams. We want to give them every opportunity to showcase their strengths and achieve their dreams. OC and UTPB are great schools right here in our community where our students and families can get a quality education,” said Arredondo.
