 "Photo: Daniel Flores / The Pan American")
The halls are filled with anxiety. The air is tense. The senior students at La Joya High School are extremely close to entering the realm that is the real world. Applying for college, financial aid, scholarships…all in a day’s work. Besides that fact, senior students also have tough coursework to complete i.e. Advanced Placement, and Dual-Enrollment college courses. The fear of not being able to afford a college education is written all over these students’ faces. La Joya High School students come from one of the poorest parts of the country, so it is imperative for them to succeed and better themselves. And it is exactly what they plan to do.
I. MENTORING AND RESOURCES
Counselors such as Mrs. Lorie Loya have been a great help. She among other counselors has made scholarship packets available for seniors. In August 2009 the counseling department hosted an event called Journey to College Success. It was one of many efforts made in the past year to help the kids get ready for the next step.
“It was a very helpful event to ensure that all students had an opportunity to apply to universities; we were able to register over 90 percent of senior students for college,” Loya said, adding that at the event, they encouraged each student participating to apply at both South Texas College and The University of Texas at Pan-American.
The counselors also hosted a College Awareness Campaign to encourage all Coyotes to plan for college before Dec. 1, 2009. For its three high schools, La Joya ISD also put on various financial aid fairs, with Jan. 19, 2010 as the designated night for LJHS. There were two presentations available for parents, in English and Spanish. Later in the spring the school initiated the first Journey to College Success FAFSA Application Drive.
The effort that both La Joya educators and faculty have shown to students has been tremendous. For example, during TAKS testing for underclassmen, senior students were taken to UTPA for an educational tour. The high school also has a “Go Center,” at which students have resources available to work on college applications and apply for scholarships. Fernando Salinas manages and operates the facility. He is wholeheartedly committed to helping students succeed, saying that, “It’s not a job for me, it’s something that I do.”
CLASSROOM EFFORTS
La Joya High takes great pride in its commitment to excellence. The school offers Dual-Enrollment classes in partnership with South Texas College that are free of charge to students. There are also Advanced Placement courses such as: Environmental Science, Biology, Physics, Calculus, Statistics, Government, English, and Literature. These programs are designed to introduce high school students to college-level work, and many of them end up entering the university world with up to 25 or 30 college credit hours already under their belt.
In addition, Todd Steckler, head of the mathematics department, initiated a process concerning adding a Calculus 3 course to his lesson plan. After much struggle, he was able to do this and notes that the addition has been a success.
“Senior students are doing an excellent job, they are getting a head start by receiving college hours while enrolled in high school,” he stressed.
Along with these programs, there are a number of other ones in play at La Joya High. Avid, GEAR UP and the Migrant organization also help students excel. Oralia Gonzalez is the Migrant strategist for LJHS and as such oversees the progress of seniors students.
Through the College Assistance Migrant Program, also known as CAMP, senior students have been able to attend universities such as St. Edwards and Michigan State; Gonzalez, who reported that approximately 100 alums are are currently attending Michigan State, said that without CAMP, going far away to a Big 10 school would not have been an option for migrant students.
SOLID LEADERSHIP
LJHS is under the administration of Melinda Flores, a 1989 graduate of the school who notes that back then instructors taught her the required life skills to succeed in life. After graduating, she attended The University of Texas at Austin, earning a degree in history. In 1997 she became a history teacher for LJHS.
“I had to come back to my roots,” she said.
In the process of teaching, Flores also earned a master’s degree, and in 2009-10 the La Joya ISD hired her as interim principal. She became the official principal in January 2010.
“I am very fortunate to have wonderful staff and students,” Flores beamed.
Her most important advice to students is for them to become readers. She stresses that “reading is the key to success,” and models that behavior herself. Flores is currently working on her doctoral degree at UTPA.
Adding to the already rich variety of student prep classes at the school, Flores has begun to offer the following additions: An ACT prep class was added to the curriculum. In addition, the school also hosts ACT and SAT testing on Saturdays. As of this year the Accuplacer test is now available each week for students to take, along with the Texas Higher Education Assessment, also known as the THEA exam.
Perpetual educational achievement is inevitable for graduating senior students of this campus, if they take advantage of all the available resources. The halls are filled with super achievers who have defied the odds to move closer to their goals.
II. PERSONAL TALES
BUILDING FAITH
One of the most faithfully committed senior students at LJHS is Melina Mendoza, who is currently volunteering to help build a new assembly hall for her church, The Assembly Hall of Jehovah Witnesses in La Feria. She has been committed to the project since May 2009. Last summer she participated practically every day, but since her senior year began she’s had to tone it down to work on weekends. Her job at the construction site is to build cabinets, library shelves, and help with any project involving woodwork.
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