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STC’s New Dual Enrollment Engineering Academy Gives McAllen and Weslaco Students a Path to the Future

Hundreds of McAllen and Weslaco area high school students will have the opportunity to apply for South Texas College’s Dual Enrollment Engineering Academy (DEEA) starting in fall 2006. The program will be based out of STC’s Pecan Campus for McAllen area students and out of STC’s Mid-Valley Campus for students in the Weslaco area. Qualifying students will enter the two-year program and end their senior year not only graduating from high school, but also earning an Associate of Science degree in Engineering.

“As the costs associated with attending college continue to increase, more and more students are looking for alternative ways to keep costs down while attaining a quality education”, said Nick Gonzales, director of High School Programs and Services for STC. “Our dual enrollment programs address these two areas and have been extremely successful. We continue to be approached with new program ideas to help students earn credit, while taking courses that will benefit them now and in the future. I highly encourage parents throughout McAllen and Weslaco to take a look at this program with their children and see if it is a fit for them.” 

This is the second dual enrollment specialized academy created by STC to encourage high school students to follow a specific career path, in this case engineering. STC launched its first academy, the Dual Enrollment Medical Science Academy (DEMSA) in fall 2005 at the Starr County Campus.

The new DEEA program introduces juniors to a series of classes, presentations and visits to several recognized Engineering colleges and universities in the State of Texas. A summer volunteer program is also scheduled to expose the students to different engineering areas as they learn side-by-side with professionals in the Rio Grande Valley. In addition, students will receive specialized college planning guidance, tutoring, counseling, and scholarship search program workshops to ease their transition to college.

“The Rio Grande Valley is continuing to attract many new businesses in the engineering arena and we want to be sure that we are driving students toward careers in this field because they will provide job security and higher base salaries,” said Lupe Chávez, interim coordinator for STC Dual Enrollment Academies and Workforce Programs. “Our goal at STC is to give all students an opportunity for a better life and this program will be a huge advantage to students who may not be sure that they can afford college or have a passion for engineering. We are allowing you to cut out two years of your college education.”

Currently, there 16 students participating in STC’s DEMSA program out of the college’s Starr County Campus. The program is working with Starr County Memorial Hospital and local clinics in the Starr County area for job shadowing and intern placement this summer. STC will be graduating the entire class in the program in the spring of 2007. The college expects to see similar results with the DEEA program.

Students interested in participating in either of the academy programs must apply at the end of their sophomore year and must be interested in the fields of medicine or engineering. Students should also be enrolled in the Distinguished Achievement Program curriculum at their high school, and must complete a DEMSA or DEEA application, which includes writing a brief essay.  Other requirements also apply.

For more information about either the DEMSA or the DEEA programs, please contact Lupe Chávez at (956) 872-3499 or at gchavez@southtexascollege.edu. For general information about STC, please visit www.southtexascollege.edu.

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Last Updated June 20, 2007