Senior students enrolled in a Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) Early College High School (ECHS) program were recognized for their achievements during a celebration at the Communities Foundation of Texas on April 7. The event celebrated the students’ accomplishments and the vision for the program.
P-TECH is a dual-credit program that enables students to earn their high school diploma and associate degree simultaneously. The program is the result of a partnership between Dallas College and Dallas ISD. According to a Dallas ISD press release, many students who complete the educational pathway are the first in their families to receive a college degree.
Dallas ISD has twenty-six P-TECH ECHS campuses that offer the dual-credit program at no cost to the students or their families. In addition to earning a diploma and an associate degree, the students also gain career experience through “hands-on learning, mentoring, or internships.”
Illias Gomez, a senior at Conrad P-TECH ECHS, found his calling in designing computer games. He is earning an Associate of Applied Science in Interactive Simulation and Game Technology through the program.
“Gaming is very new,” Gomez said in the press release. “A lot of teens and a lot of young adults are introduced to video games. We are the founding generation of gaming.”
Gomez and other students have been set up for a rewarding career through the P-TECH pathway. The pathway exposed students to the business side of gaming and equipped them with the tools needed to pursue a successful career in the industry after graduation.
“In these classes, professors don’t see you as children,” Gomez said. “You have to pay attention. These classes are not lectures. You have to do the work. You have to create.”
Gomez has already been accepted at the University of North Texas. According to the press release, he plans to pursue a law degree and create his own video game studio.
The program has boosted the number of graduates from DISD who continue their education after high school.
In addition to Dallas ISD, Dallas College is partnered with fifteen other school districts and offers eighty-five Early College High School, P-TECH, T-STEM, and College Readiness programs. According to the press release, nearly 30,000 students sign up for dual-enrollment programs each year.
The vice provost for Educational Partnerships at Dallas College, Anna Mays, said these programs give students an early start in their career fields.
“Early College High School gives these students an opportunity to jumpstart their careers. I think they have a great opportunity and a great future as a result. These students will likely exceed their potential and change their communities. Their training and education will launch them into four-year degrees or put them on the path to securing a position that offers a living wage,” Mays said.
