Plumbing 
In May, 29 seniors at Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s Early College High School will make history as the school’s very first graduating class, achieving both a high school diploma and an associate degree from Southwest Texas Junior College.
The advanced academic program, which launched in 2017, requires that students complete 62 hours of college credit during the course of four years to earn an associate degree. The majority of the classes are honors classes, which gives a boost to the students’ grade point average.
They attend classes at both the ECHS campus and at SWTJC, where those enrolled in the program are not subject to any costs.
“It’s an experience where students immerse themselves into college…,” said Mario Ferron, UCISD advanced academics program director.
Students are selected for the ECHS through an application process which considers test scores and grades.
“This program saves money and saves time for the students who want to do more with their academic career, such as pursue a four-year degree, a master’s or a doctorate degree,” Ferron said, noting that one thing that sets UCISD’s program apart is the district’s collaboration with SWTJC.
Ferron joined the district in 2019, from Edcouch-Elsa Independent School District. During his tenure at UHS, he has seen the ECHS enrollment increase to 270 students, and says this year they will limit the incoming freshmen enrollment to 100 students. The campus reaches max capacity at an approximate 400 students.
“There’s a lot of community interest in this program,” Ferron said.
He also led the program during the COVID-19 pandemic and guided students through the switch to virtual learning, along with Sonia Tapia, the school’s counselor.
Throughout this school year, all SWTJC academic classes have remained online.
“These seniors really have performed great with virtual learning,” Tapia said .
“They’ve adjusted well – and I think that is one of the biggest things with kids that are doing in dual credit classes – learning organization skills so that by the time they are seniors they are ready to go to college, to the real world,” Tapia said, noting that with all the preparations, many of this first cohort’s parents have expressed how happy they are their students stuck with the program.
“The parents are excited and obviously the students are,” said Ferron. “For some of them, its a lot of internalizing – this notion that they are going to graduate college before they graduate high school.”
The program provides for college preparation in a more in-depth way, Tapia says, giving these students an advantage over others.
“We are here for them along with their parents we guide them. For kids that don’t get to do it, that just go to college, they are on their own,” Tapia said.
She said the program isn’t just for students who want to earn a four-year degree.
“For kids that just want their associate and are going into a field like the military or customs, they go in at a higher position because they have an associate,” Tapia said.
The success of the virtual learning environment has blossomed into opportunities for the future, says Ferron.
He said they are in the process of working on some new programs for the coming years, including becoming a dual language early college high school.
He said for parents, considering early college and dual language for their students puts their children at an advantage.
“The kids will do much better if they sign up for early college, and much better if they were to sign up for early college and dual language at the same time,” he said.
Graduates
The following students are the first graduating class of UCISD’s Early College High School, including Brianna Amor, Sylvia Barrera, Javier Castillo, Jordan Curtis, Ellenore Dorris, Emily Flores, Eric Flores, Gabriella Flores, Jakob Flores, Makayla Flores, Kelsey Garcia, Diego Gonzalez, Stryder Gonzalez, Julianna Gutierrez, Christopher Hernandez, and Zachary Lambert.
Also, Sara Lopez, Alexa Luna, Tyler Luna, Giselle Martinez, Carina Morales, Meresa Perez, Sart Perez, Jesus Ramirez, Jesus Ramirez, Matthew Ramo, Javen Terrazas, Galilea Vega, Efrain Velasquez, and Seth Vortuba.
mfederspill@ulnnow.com, 830-278-3335
