Education and policy nonprofit Generation Hope awarded San Antonio College with the prestigious FamilyU Seal of Approval. This honor highlights SAC's dedication to supporting student parents and fostering a family-friendly campus environment. The FamilyU Seal is a national certification awarded to higher education institutions and nonprofits that demonstrate exemplary, measurable efforts in supporting parenting students, said Lina Scott, scholarship coordinator at SAC. “Receiving it is a testament to SAC's ongoing efforts to create an inclusive, supportive campus for student parents.” SAC’s efforts include a range of programs and services aimed at supporting non-traditional students, including dedicated parent parking, flexible class schedules, and access to on-campus childcare. The college also offers targeted academic advising, counseling services, and student-parent organizations that provide critical resources and a sense of community. The certification was announced on Wednesday at the start of a parenting-101 class being held in the library, where members of the campus student parent support group gathered to celebrate National Student Parent Month and learn skills that will help them succeed in the home and at school. Diana Ornela said that the weekly student parent support groups at SAC have helped her feel like she’s “not alone” as she navigates the stress of juggling school, children, and other obligations. “It gives me a sense of relief that I am not the only one struggling as I work to better myself,” she said.  Scott said that investing in innovative programs helped parenting students not only succeed in their educational pursuits but also build pathways to economic mobility and brighter futures for their families. “Our resources for student parents address helping them overcome hurdles that could keep them from achieving their goal.” Rosario Sanchez said that she has relied on SAC’s student parent support group leaders to help her access resources in times of need, including food, diaper, and clothing assistance. “They have been providing so much for my whole family,” Sanchez said. “I feel supported at SAC because I know I  have someone I can go to and feel seen and heard. Now I try to get them involved [in the support group] because it’s really helpful to even just get together at the KidSpot [in the library] and feel like we have a community.” SAC is one of six awardees to receive the FamilyU Seal, which included two nonprofit organizations and four higher education institutions. The first cohort of institutions awarded was in 2023, with Alamo Colleges District’s Palo Alto College among the recipients. “We are so proud of the work we do at SAC, and we are proud to celebrate it,” Scott said. For more information on SAC's family-friendly initiatives, visit https://www.alamo.edu/sac/experience-sac/current-students/student-parents  

Today, the Alamo Colleges District and YMCA of Greater San Antonio announced the start of a strategic partnership to help close the gap between achieving a higher education and removing barriers to childcare access faced by student parents and working families. While new YMCA on-campus day camp options have begun this summer across the Alamo Colleges, the two institutions continue exploring opportunities for partnership expansion. Across the Alamo Colleges, approximately one out of every five students are student parents, and affordable access to childcare can be a significant barrier. “We are proud to begin this partnership with the YMCA to enhance the support we offer our student parents who may be balancing a family and pursuing their educational and career goals,” said Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor. “We know this partnership may make all the difference for students, and we are looking forward to seeing how we can scale these efforts across the Alamo Colleges.” For families with young children, access to affordable, high-quality early care has economic and social benefits for children and their families, their communities, and the overall economy. Desaree Machuca, a Y summer day camp parent, said the partnership has helped her family. Machuca is a mother of six children, and the Y has become a big part of their lives that whenever her children see someone in a YMCA T-shirt or name tag, they go up to them for a greeting or for a fist bump. “They innately assume that YMCA people are their people. And I love that. It’s priceless to trust that my kids are safe and having fun while I am working. Knowing where they are and what they’re doing is a huge relief and doing things they enjoy. Thank you to the Alamo Colleges leadership team and the YMCA for providing my kids a fun and safe place this summer,” said Machuca. “The YMCA is dedicated to supporting families and removing barriers to education. Together with Alamo Colleges District, the YMCA is providing quality childcare options on campus. We are empowering student parents to pursue their educational and career goals confidently,” said Louis Lopez, CEO and President at the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. Northeast Lakeview College and Northwest Vista College students, faculty, and staff have a unique opportunity to enroll their children in YMCA Summer Day Camp for the first time this summer, while St. Philip's College is offering YMCA Summer Swim. Y Summer Day Camp is designed with the needs of busy parents in mind and is open to youth ages 5-13. The program runs weekly, from the early hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., through August 2. Field trips include visits to the Witte Museum, movie theater, and more. The Y Summer Day Camp will be closed on July 4 and 5. Non-YMCA members pay $175 weekly, but YMCA members receive a 10% discount. For more information, visit ymcasatx.org/programs/camps/summer-day-camps or contact the Y Solution Center at (210) 924-2277 or registrations@ymcasatx.org. Registration is open and ongoing at the Northeast Lakeview College campus. Join the waitlist for Northwest Vista College summer day camp at alamo.edu/nvc/experience-nvc/campus-life/summer-programs/ To register for St. Philip's College swim classes, visit https://www.alamo.edu/spc/experience-spc/campus-life/youth-programs/Kids-academy/#ymca

The Alamo Colleges District (ACD) and Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMU-SA) today announced an expanded transfer agreement that will allow eligible students to start at any of the five Alamo Colleges and seamlessly transfer to TAMU-SA to complete a four-year degree while having educational costs covered at both institutions. The Promise-to-Promise partnership will also allow for automatic admission from ACD to TAMU-SA. AlamoPROMISE is a program that provides tuition-free college education at one of the five Alamo Colleges to 20 school districts and partners, including 73 San Antonio-area high schools and programs, as well as private, charter, and home schools in Bexar County. TAMU-SA’s Jaguar Promise program is a transformational initiative that provides free tuition, fees, and a $300 book stipend per semester for eligible first-year and transfer students.   “The Promise-to-Promise partnership between ACD and TAMU-SA is a testament to our shared commitment to making higher education accessible for all students," said Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor. "By providing more seamless transfer pathways and covering educational costs at both institutions, we are removing financial barriers and opening doors for our students to achieve their academic and career goals." The expanded transfer agreement between ACD and TAMU-SA builds upon an agreement signed in Fall 2019 that established a formal transfer partnership between the two institutions. The Promise-to-Promise partnership is just one component of a strategy developed by ACD and TAMU-SA to provide students with a more seamless transfer pathway between the two institutions. Other seamless transfer tracks include:  Jag Path Program: For first-year students applying to TAMU-SA who may not qualify for direct admission. Students who accept the Jag Path Program offer are dually accepted to ACD for the fall term without completing an application to ACD. Jag Bound for ACD students: ACD students who apply during the fall or spring term, have yet to attend another college/university, express their intention to transfer to TAMU-SA by the end of their first term at ACD, and enroll in 60 semester credit hours.  Seamless Three Tier Transfer Program: For high school students from identified ISDs who complete dual enrollment with ACD, earn an Associate of Arts in Teaching or an Associate of Arts/Associate of Science, and are admitted to TAMU-SA to finish their Bachelor's Degree in Education, Child Development, or another agreed-upon track. Alamo Colleges transfer student Aubri Lalinde will be among the first eligible students admitted to TAMUSA under the newest Promise-to-Promise program. She is a first-generation college student who recently graduated from Palo Alto College with an Associate of Arts in Business Administration.  Lalinde said she was thrilled when she learned about Promise-to-Promise, as a way to further her education and help her and her son form a better future. “Texas A&M University-San Antonio and our great partners in the Alamo Colleges share a mission of service to students and to our community. The Promise-to-Promise partnership is a product of our mutual commitment to opening as many pathways and points of entry for students as possible to put their academic goals within reach,” said Texas A&M University-San Antonio President Salvador Hector Ochoa. “A&M-San Antonio is a place where access meets opportunity and with the Promise-to-Promise, we’re removing financial and procedural barriers to access so that these students, who come to us so well prepared by our colleagues in the Alamo Colleges, can pursue the educational opportunities that a four-year university has to offer them.” About 75% of Alamo Colleges students transfer to four-year universities to complete their degrees. During academic year 2023, 2,007 students transferred from the Alamo Colleges and enrolled at TAMUSA. Over the past five years, approximately 83% of the students who transferred to TAMU-SA were affiliated with Alamo Colleges.  The new Promise-to-Promise partnership strengthens the collaborative student support system across the partnering institutions. It will ultimately help thousands of students save money and reduce the time it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree. This partnership is the second such expanded partnership for the Alamo Colleges. In 2022, ACD established a similar partnership with the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Bold Promise Program. For more information, visit alamo.edu/tamusa.

AlamoPROMISE Student of the Month - May 2024, NVC Student, Jennifer Toledo Jennifer Toledo has always had big plans for her future and dreamed of attending college. At just 14, while living in Mexico, she told her parents that all she wanted for her 15th birthday was to move to the United States so that she would have more opportunities to attend school. Four years ago, without knowing English and without her family, Jennifer moved to San Antonio, TX. During her senior year of high school, she learned about AlamoPROMISE, a last-dollar scholarship that covers 100 percent of tuition and fees for graduating seniors from partner high schools. Excited about the opportunity to pursue her dreams of higher education without the financial strain, Jennifer enrolled at Northwest Vista College (NVC) and began studying Teaching. The support provided by AlamoPROMISE has been instrumental in making Jennifer’s dreams of becoming a first-generation college student a reality. “AlamoPROMISE has relieved a significant burden and made it possible for me to achieve my educational goals without undue financial stress. This support has not only lightened my burden but has also reaffirmed my belief in the power of community and collective investment in education,” said Jennifer.  Jennifer has attended NVC for the past two years and considers the campus a second home. In addition to her studies, she has embraced student life and is an active member of the President’s Student Advisory Council and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In October 2023, NVC staff chose Jennifer as one of only two students invited to attend the Chicago Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) conference. She is also a student employee at NVC’s Student Success. In May 2024, the Alamo Colleges District (ACD) Board of Trustees recognized her hard work and commitment to her goals and awarded her AlamoPROMISE Student of the Month. “I’m proud of what I have done here at Northwest Vista…I refuse to let language limitations define my path,” said Jennifer. “My academic achievement is a testimony to the power of resilience and an immense belief in one’s ability to succeed no matter what challenges one faces.” In Summer 2024, Jennifer will complete her last semester at NVC and earn an Associate of Arts in Teaching. After graduation, she plans to transfer to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where she will pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Education as well as a Master's and Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language. Her ultimate goal is to return to ACD as an employee so that she can help future students in their journey to achieving higher education.

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AlamoPROMISE Student of the Month - April 2024, SAC Student, Ivan Orellana As a high school student, Ivan Orellana only thought of college as a place to earn a degree so that he could find a job that would pay the bills. Graduation had been tough, so his future after high school was filled with uncertainty. Then, Ivan received a call from the Alamo Colleges District (ACD) congratulating him on qualifying for AlamoPROMISE, a last-dollar scholarship that covers 100 percent of tuition and fees for graduating seniors from partner high schools.  At that moment, Ivan knew that he needed to change his attitude toward college and seized the opportunity in front of him. He began attending San Antonio College (SAC), where he studied Biology. During his first year, he applied himself vigorously to his studies, eventually earning a 3.59 GPA. “It all happened very fast, but in less than a year, SAC and AlamoPROMISE brought me to places I had never even imagined seeing with my own eyes,” shared Ivan. Although studying is his priority, Ivan is passionate about learning new languages in his free time. He is an active participant in the Japan America Society of San Antonio, where he volunteers for the cultural and language exchange activities held throughout the year. Now in his second year at SAC, Ivan is proud to be a first-generation college student and is close to graduating with an Associate degree. After graduation, he plans to continue his education at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) through the support of the AlamoPromise to UTSA Bold Promise program, where qualifying students can have their tuition and fees covered for four fall and spring semesters within a two-year period. Ivan credits the opportunities presented to him during his time at SAC for changing his viewpoint on college. While he used to think of college as solely a place to obtain a degree, he now thinks of it as a place to learn and grow as an individual.  During the April 2024 ACD Board Meeting, Ivan was awarded the AlamoPROMISE student of the month. During his recognition, he shared how much the program means to him and the impact it’s making on the future of AlamoPROMISE scholars.    “There’s a lot of opportunities available to me through this program…Other PROMISE students and myself can go as far as we can imagine,” said Ivan.  “There’s nothing stopping us, we just have to apply ourselves. We just need to find that courage. And I found it here, thanks to AlamoPROMISE.”

At a special meeting held on April 23, 2024, the Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees selected Palo Alto College (PAC) student Logan Martinez as the new student trustee.  Martinez will serve a one-year term from May 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025. In 2014, the Alamo Colleges District was the first community college system in Texas to appoint a student trustee.  “We extend our gratitude to Brandon Aviado, our outgoing student trustee, and outgoing student trustee alternate, Arali Garcia, for their exceptional service in representing the Alamo Colleges at the state and national level,” said Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor. “We look forward to seeing the valuable contributions that our new student representatives will make to our board.” Martinez is studying Political Science at PAC and has a 4.0 GPA. He plans to transfer to Texas A&M University-San Antonio to obtain a bachelor's degree. His future educational goals include obtaining a juris doctorate in constitutional or international law from St. Mary’s University.  He currently serves in leadership roles at Palo Alto College. He is the Student Body President, President of Catch the Next-PAC chapter, PAC Presidential Ambassador, Vice President for PACMen, and Vice President of Leadership for Phi Theta Kappa. He is a work-study in PAC’s student life department.  Before enrolling in the Alamo Colleges, Martinez worked as a field organizer for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. He has since worked on multiple political campaigns for candidates running for city council and the legislature.  When he is not involved in school-related activities, Martinez enjoys spending time with friends and family, including his two nieces, and studying philosophy, history and geopolitics.  Martinez’s vision for his role as student trustee for the Alamo Colleges is to bridge collaborations between clubs and organizations across colleges and to continue to foster the professional development of student leaders. St. Philip’s College student Eliron Rosin was named as the alternate student trustee. He will attend board meetings if Martinez is unable to do so.Rosin is a St. Philip’s College transfer student from Walla-Walla University’s flight program and a first-generation American with his brothers attending Northeast Lakeview College. Rosin has a background in service and, from a young age, had an interest in emergency management, even completing a multitude of FEMA-based courses and was awarded an instructor certification the year that he became a freshman in high school. Since then, Rosin has continued serving and even interned for Congress to understand his community better. His goal is to leverage his experiences to help students progress.  The other outstanding Alamo Colleges student trustee candidates includedNortheast Lakeview College student Alex Midkiff – a dedicated student leader who actively shapes his campus community through various roles and engagements. With a passion for fostering cultural exchange, Midkiff embodies empathy, advocacy and collaboration.   Northwest Vista College student Wilhelm Watson – a graduate of Northside School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. Watson is finishing his first year at Northwest Vista College and plans to complete his Associate of Science and transfer to the University of Texas at San Antonio while majoring in computer science. Watson is also a member of the Cybersecurity Club, National Cyber League and STEM programs   San Antonio College student Jada Valdez – a student leader who is passionate about social work, with a special focus on former/currently incarcerated individuals and at-risk youth. With her achievements, extracurricular involvement, leadership experience, and vision for the future, she is poised to embark on new challenges and contribute positively to the world around her. 

The Alamo Colleges District is now partnered with TimelyCare to deliver a new virtual health and well-being platform for students. Through either a mobile app or your desktop, TimelyCare provides 24/7 access to virtual care from anywhere in the United States at no cost. Whether you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, you can talk to a licensed provider to get the care you need via phone or secure video visits.   About TimelyCareWho can use TimelyCare? TimelyCare is available to all students enrolled in the Alamo Colleges District, except students enrolled in dual credit or Early College High School programs. How can I access TimelyCare? Visit timelycare.com/alamo or download the TimelyCare app from your app store. Enter your student email, and you'll be redirected to ACES to login. You can then start visits from any web-enabled device – smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop – anywhere in the United States.  What services are available? Scheduled Counseling - Select the day, time, and mental health provider of your choice. (Up to 3 TimelyCare visits per year. Additional visits can be scheduled with an on-campus counselor.) Self-Care Content - 24/7 access to self-care tools and resources, such as meditation and yoga sessions, helpful videos, and short articles from experts. How much does a visit cost? TimelyCare services are available at no cost to Alamo Colleges District students.  Want to learn more?

Each semester, education students at San Antonio College get first-hand experience teaching in local public-school classrooms. Now those efforts have led to national recognition. SAC is one of 69 organizations nationwide to receive the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award, which honors organizations that contribute a significant amount of time to volunteer service. Two other Alamo Colleges, Northwest Vista and Northeast Lakeview, also made the list, along with a number of iconic companies,  including Amazon, The Home Depot, Toyota, USAA, and Walmart. The award came through the education program’s collaboration with Junior Achievement. SAC earned a bronze-level award for providing more than 1,500 hours of volunteer service in the community during the 2022-23 school year through the nonprofit’s JA in a Day program. JA provides SAC students with lesson plans and materials to teach two separate days in two separate grade levels and places students in classrooms, usually within economically disadvantaged schools. The program helps both the community and SAC education students, said Dr. Kim Hochmeister, program coordinator for teacher education and professor of English, humanities and education. Students within local schools benefit from grade-appropriate lessons on economic concepts, money, work, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.  SAC students get valuable classroom experience that helps them meet a state requirement for 32 hours of in-classroom instruction time to earn their associate degree in teaching degree. “They experience the culture of two schools, they experience the students in different grade levels, and they really get a sense of developmentally appropriate materials,” Hochmeister said. All Alamo Colleges students enrolled in EDUC 1301 and EDUC 2301 participate in JA in a Day as part of a field service practicum requirement. By the time they finish the education courses required to earn their associate of arts in teaching degree, they will have completed 32 hours of working in an actual classroom through the program. Classroom time helped SAC student Cassie Rosa realize that she’s committed to teaching as her future profession. “This has confirmed that this is what I was born to do. My heart is in teaching,” Rosa said. “I was able to see a whole new perspective on being inside of a classroom rather than just reading about it.” SAC student Brando Serrato also gained a new understanding of teaching strategies and techniques as he led students through activities such as managing a pretend business and making virtual investments. “Teaching the JA program changed how I see education,” said Serrato. “It made me understand the value of teaching financial education, the effectiveness of interactive learning and the ways every student learns differently.” The award is the result of a team effort, Hochmeister said. “Our AAT students, education faculty members Dr. Goldsberry, Professor Lauer and I, along with JA officer Felicia Breaux, collaborated to introduce future teachers, our SAC students, to the San Antonio public schools community,” she said. “All the while, we received continued support from Dean Jonathan Lee and Chair Erik Hillskemper.” SAC students are among the many volunteers nationwide who deliver Junior Achievement programs to students in kindergarten through high school. JA programs bring work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy education to more than 4.4 million students in the United States each year, with the goal of giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to achieve economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices. -SAC- Photos: Upper right: SAC student Kimberly Rosas Ruiz teaches a class at Kriewald Road Elementary. Lower left: SAC students pose for a photo at Bob Hope Elementary. Left to right - Daniela Dempsey, Paige Riley, Erin Child, Joshua McCaskill, Briana Marquez, Mickayla Soto, Sara Bukuru, Lauren Snider, and Aylene Rainey.