Ruben Romero is on a mission. He wants to give Pueblo High Magnet School students the needed push to get their high school diplomas as well as college acceptance letters.
Romero, the career counselor for Pueblo High Magnet School, brought representatives from eight schools across Arizona and neighboring New Mexico to the gymnasium to meet with the senior class about college options during Arizona Fall College Tour.
Pueblo High Magnet School’s graduation rate has hovered around the 80 percent mark for the past five years, but in 2011 it nosedived 10 points to 70.47 percent. This rate is 9 percent points lower than TUSD’s 2011 average at 79.61 percent, 6 points lower than Arizona Department of Education’s 2009 average of 76.1 percent, and slightly below the national average for 2007 at 71.7 percent.
These numbers show definite room for improvement for all divisions of education, but particularly for Pueblo High Magnet School, which has taken the hardest hit of all.
New programs have shifted the emphasis from ending the educational experience at a high school diploma, but to pique students’ interest and motivation for pursuing a higher education.
Marcos Enriquez, an admission counselor representing the University of Arizona at the event, recognized that students in South Tucson have the determination to attend college, but limited access to the materials and information they need.
“The students here want to further their education. It’s just that the process of getting into college can be so intimidating that it does scare some students away,” Enriquez said. “That’s why we come in and take some of the mystery away and help them understand that yes college is an option and we’re here to help.”
Romero’s hope is to reach students and expose them to their educational opportunities earlier in their high school career. He hosts a five-minute segment every Monday morning on the campus TV station to show students what steps they can take in furthering their education and careers.
Once he can bring them through the doors of the Career Center, Romero works with students from freshman to seniors on college preparation testing materials, for standardized tests like the ACT and SAT, and with college enrollment steps like applying for FAFSA and other scholarships.
In the one year that Romero has served as career counselor, he has established a relationship with Pima Community College that enables students to complete assessments for PCC on PHMS’s campus and gives them an opportunity to travel as a group to Pima to register for classes.
“We tell them they have to sign up,” Romero said. He added that listing what options students have post-graduation isn’t doing enough to get students in the door. He believes that the school needs to be more instrumental and proactive in students’ future successes because oftentimes they aren’t receiving that influence at home.
This is the same approach that Romero is taking to Pueblo Magnet High School’s newest initiative: 21st Century Community Learning Center. The program is optional for students, but Romero has gotten more students to enroll under the guise of “eighth hour,” when the traditional school day only has seven periods.
This program, which begins Oct. 3 at PHMS, has proven successful at low-performing schools nationwide utilizing a $510,000 governmental grant for a five-year contract.
The center will operate as a two-hour after-school program for high-school students that need to recover algebra and English credits and offers additional guidance and support for testing preparations.
The center also offers enrichment classes that are open to parents and students who have committed to academic courses. Classes include English as a Second Language, computer skills, DJ skills, cooking, and fitness classes like Zumba.
“The better academically prepared the students are, the better they’ll do,” said Kasandra Urquidez, assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of admissions at the University of Arizona, said. “Staying on track is really key and having the standard early on is imperative.”
Uriquidez says that although academic preparation is the most important in the admittance process, involvement is also key. Admissions counselors from the University of Arizona conduct a comprehensive review of applicants that takes into consideration extra-curricular activities and family obligations.
“I think being involved in the school really helps out,” said senior Marcos Moreno. “It really keeps you on track in terms of grades and getting you in the loop of school.”
Moreno, a member of the National Honor Society and an athlete on both the track and football teams at PHMS, spends time in the Career Center applying to out-of-state colleges for programs in pre-medicine. He has his sights set on University of Portland, University of Boston, and University of Puget Sound, but is also being pursued by Princeton for football.
Edgar Toledo, another senior at PMHS, visited the New Mexico State University table at the Arizona Fall College Tour and is encouraged by their promise of in-state tuition for Arizona residents. A low tuition rate is a key factor in Toledo’s search for the perfect school. He is looking into programs in massage therapy, chiropractic therapy, and music to further his education.
Both Toledo and Moreno are proud of their college aspirations, as they will be the first in their families to pursue a higher education.
“My family is very proud that I am the first in my family to go to college,” Moreno said. “Going to college is a great opportunity for myself in the future as well as for my future family.”
