Freshmen and sophomore students will have the opportunity to visit at least one college each year, while juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to visit at least two a year. That means this year’s freshmen will have the chance to visit a minimum of six different universities before they graduate.
Dr. Solis brought the program to THS when he began his new role as principal in the 2014-15 school year.
“We contacted more than 500 universities and asked them to send us information on the degrees they offer, financial aid and scholarship available. Now that information is available for our students,” Dr. Solis said.
THS senior Dusty Kuban recently participated in a trip to Stephen F. Austin University. When asked about his experience he replied, “We toured the campus, got to see the architecture of the buildings, and got a feel for what it would be like to attend college there. I really enjoyed visiting SFA, and I think this program helps students see past high school.”
THS teachers and staff have gone above and beyond, some even giving up time during the weekend, in order to give more students the opportunity to visit universities. THS teacher Lela Hogan says she considers it a privilege to be part of the college visits.
“I’m very excited about this program. Many of our students would not normally get to visit campuses; therefore, many feel like college is out of reach,” Mrs. Hogan said. “Being able to visit college campuses and talk to other students at that campus goes much further than just listening to an adult talk about college. They need to know that furthering their education is an option that is open to them, and it’s not just for the students who are at the very top of their class, or whose parents have money to send them to college.”
THS has six more college visits scheduled later this school year. The next trip is scheduled for Friday, January 30, when THS Dual Credit students will visit Texas A&M University-Commerce.