The wild, red crowned parrots perched outside of Stuart Place Elementary School were loud, but not as loud as 144 fifth graders inside taking part in Tech Prep's College Fair. During the spring semester, Tech Prep hosted eight college fairs at elementary schools to help young students realize that college should be a definite part of their futures.
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At Stuart Place, six cheerleaders from Harlingen High School led a pep rally whose
refrain was "Go to College." Cheerleader coach Adriana Huerta told the youngsters, "It's time for you to start thinking about going to college. We want you guys to help us and be really loud."
So, when you're finish high school, she asked, "What will you do?" The fifth graders shouted, "Go to college."
Huerta challenged the students with questions about colleges: What are the names of three universities? What is a scholarship? How do you get a scholarship? What is Pre-AP? Those students, who had the right answers, won a variety of prizes imprinted with college logos.
Each of the cheerleaders announced where she intend to go to college. Then the students who had been paired with a cheerleader voiced their college choices, too. The University of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Kingsville, and Louisiana State University were chosen as prospective destinations.
"Your parents and grandparents will be very happy that you decided to attend college," Huerta explained to the students. With skills and education, the future college graduates would be earning enough money to support their own family.
When Huerta asked the next round of questions, the students waved their hands hoping to supply the right answers. Name the mascots for some universities, she said. "What are two professions that require degree?"
Huerta herself is an enthusiastic proponent of Go to College fairs. She was the first in her family to graduate from college. "I was fortunate that my parents were very supportive. I don't remember anything similar to a pep rally like this when I was in school."
But Huerta thinks the pep rallies are a great tool. "It gets students accustomed to the idea that they are going to college. It is great for them to hear college names and to learn about scholarships. They see high school cheerleaders having fun and preparing to go to college. The pep rally makes the idea of going to college a normal thing. It's not something to be afraid of."
She found the Stuart Place students wonderfully enthusiastic. "There was such great feedback." Each of the fifth graders had their photo taken with a large teddy bear wearing a tee shirt from the college they would like to attend.
Numerous college sponsors contributed door prizes and gifts such as tiny posters, tote bags, rulers, pencils, Frisbees, stickers, and more. Sponsors included Texas A& Corpus Christi, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas Pan-American, University of Texas at Brownsville, UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, South Texas College, Texas State Technical College, and the Generation Texas program. |
