EMERGE College Prep Program Expands to Additional Aldine ISD High Schools

Disponible en:

Pictured above are Victory Early College High School junior EMERGE students: Arielle Goodman, Mayowa Ogunbowale, Jonathan Ortega, Sheyla Quiroz, Nashaly Diaz, Andrea Cruz, and Jonathan Bush.

This fall, the EMERGE program is expanding to include Aldine Senior High School, Avalos P-TECH School and Eisenhower High School, giving Aldine ISD high school juniors and seniors more choices and opportunities now and in the future. 

The Houston-based college-readiness program prepares high-performing high school students, in grades 11-12, to attend and graduate from selective colleges and universities across the nation. Students participating in the program will receive SAT preparation, attend college admission and financial aid workshops, receive assistance with college applications, and visit colleges and universities during summer tours.

Avalos P-TECH School EMERGE juniors: Evelyn Gordillo, Angie Macias, Terryn Hargis, Jason Coreas, Chelsea Mendoza, Marlyn Calderon and Christian Flores.

APPLY NOW

The Aldine EMERGE program is currently recruiting junior students to join the Class of 2023 cohort. EMERGE recruiters are visiting each high school to deliver presentations on the benefits of the program. Junior students can learn more about the program and begin the application process online. The deadline for applications is October 3. 

Throughout the fellowship, students will develop personal education goals, attend SAT prep sessions, gain leadership skills, and receive one-on-one advice from college counselors. After students are admitted to a top-tier university of their choice, they will be assigned an EMERGE counselor, which will follow them throughout their college experience and provide additional guidance. This includes summer internships, study abroad opportunities, and other resumé-building experiences. EMERGE graduates have attended schools such as MIT, Yale, Rice, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and UT-Austin.

CLASS OF 2021

Class of 2021 was the first Aldine ISD EMERGE cohort to graduate. Those students are now attending Boston University, Brandeis University, Bryn Mawr College, Connecticut College, Lehigh University, Lone Star College System, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Prairie View A & M University, Syracuse University, Texas A & M University-College Station, The University of Texas at Austin, and Wellesley College. 

Aldine ISD alumni, Hannah and Heather Omoruyi, explained how EMERGE helped them personally transition from high school to universities out of state. 

Hannah is a 2021 Victory Early College High School graduate, who is now attending Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. 

“The EMERGE program taught me how to take full advantage of university resources for academic, social, and professional development,” Hannah said. “With the support and encouragement of my EMERGE Program Manager and cohort, I gained the much-needed self-confidence to persevere at a selective, out-of-state university.”

Heather echoed her sister’s sentiments. 

“My participation in EMERGE motivated me to step outside of my comfort zone and believe in my academic abilities,” Heather explained. “My program manager, Mr. Fernando Gomes, served as a mentor and key supporter throughout my transition from high school to college. He always encouraged me to persist during difficult times and keep working hard for my success. Mr. Gomes helped me amplify my voice in my college applications to highlight my unique qualities as a student. Overall, EMERGE has expanded my academic curiosity, enabling me to set high career goals as a current bioengineering student.”

Heather is a 2021 Nimitz High School graduate, who is now attending Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

CLASS OF 2022

Current EMERGE seniors are working on finalizing personal statements and narrowing down their list of schools they will apply to this fall. The majority of the senior cohort are working on ApplyTexas applications and most of them are also working on Common App, an online application that simplifies the college application process. 

This summer a few of the senior students had a chance to participate in summer learning opportunities. Programs included, Thrive Scholars, University of Southern California’s Bovard Scholars Program, Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Abroad in Madrid, Spain, Girls Who Code and Yale Young Global Scholars. 

Junior students Kevin Vasquez (MacArthur HS) and Carlos Otalora (Nimitz HS) are welcomed by members of the Class of 2022 EMERGE cohort.

CLASS OF 2023

Junior students in the program will participate in EMERGE sessions, where they start to research selective colleges, learn about the financial aid process, develop resumes, work on applications for summer learning opportunities, and start writing college application essays. Juniors are also working on prepping for the SAT with an SAT prep course, fully funded by EMERGE.

Additionally, juniors are attending Virtual Recruitment Visits. The goal is to start in-person college visits again at the end of the school year.

There is still space for juniors to apply for EMERGE. The current junior cohort is waiting for your student.  For more information, students can reach out to their campus lead counselor or families can reach out to EMERGE Lead Program Manager, Janet Nieto, at [email protected] or 832-481-7079.