12 May 2008
Dallas ISD Students are Ahead of the Game
DALLAS–Dallas Independent School District's Gustavo Angulo and Taylor Rodriguez are among an elite group of students graduating from college before receiving their high school diplomas.
Both students attend Middle College High School where students take regular classes in the afternoon and are encouraged to take college level courses in the morning and on weekends. Students taking advantage of the dual credit curriculum receive college hours toward an associate degree from El Centro College.
Angulo and Rodriguez graduated from El Centro on May 4, 2008 and will graduate from Middle College High School later this month. Both young men are the first in their family to graduate from college.
"My family is so proud of me," said Angulo. "I have an older brother who is in college now, and he's a little bit jealous that I was able to get my degree before him."
Middle College High School, located in the heart of downtown in the basement of El Centro College, is designed to assist an underserved population by providing students with a supportive educational environment and enabling them to begin college while still in high school.
"The first two years of college are so critical to a student's success," said Middle College Principal Leicha Shaver. "This program opens up doors of opportunity to provide the support that's needed to guide students through those early years. These two young men are great examples of the level of success that can be attained."
Middle College High School is a partnership between Dallas ISD, Dallas County Community Colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Through the program, the fee is waived for tuition and books.
Angulo, who earned a total of 94 college hours through the program, received his associate degree in science and will attend Baylor University in the fall. He will study pre-med and plans to have a career in research.
Rodriguez earned his degree in art and will attend SMU to study business management and finance.
"We could not be more proud of Gustavo and Taylor," said Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa. "It is our goal that all students will graduate college or workforce ready. This is a tremendous accomplishment, and we congratulate them both."