Next Info Session Thursday for TAMIU’s Texas Academy of International and STEM Studies Fall Recruitment
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Feb 23, 2016, Comments Off
Courtesy Steve Harmon,
(Laredo, Texas)-An opportunity for a select group of 50 juniors to join the Fall 2016 cohort for Texas A&M International University’s Texas Academy of International and STEM Studies is drawing near.
Two Information Sessions for Parents and Students to explore their Academy interest are scheduled Thursday, Feb. 25 and Tuesday, March 22. All sessions are in the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, Suite 101 from 6 – 7 p.m.
Students selected for The Academy will join a rigorous program of highly motivated students who take college classes starting their junior year of high school. The Academy offers free tuition, fees, books and a supportive staff to guide students through the college process.
Academy students also explore research and collaborative educational opportunities with project partners including the University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio’s (UTHSCSA) Laredo campus. They participate fully in the life of TAMIU with gifted faculty in state of the art facilities, and their University credits transfer to any public university in the state of Texas.
Most importantly, upon completion of their two years in the Academy, students have earned their high school diploma concurrently with college credits toward a Bachelor’s degree and are in their junior year of University.
Dr. Patricia Uribe, Academy director, said student performance this past Fall is indicative of the Academy experience.
“This past Fall, Academy students enrolled in over 56 courses with 65 TAMIU professors, earning 2,838 semester credit hours (SCH). The grade point average for 54 juniors in this highly accelerated and competitive program was 3.2 and for seniors, 40 students in all, 3.4. Students enrolled for between 14 and 18 SCH,” Dr. Uribe explained.
She noted two students typical of the caliber of the Academy students.
“Talitha Wisner, who has earned a full scholarship to Princeton University, and David Garcia, who has recently been selected as a National Hispanic Merit Scholar, truly represent the Academy experience. All our students are motivated and challenge themselves to do more than required. This past summer, many opted to take additional summer courses totaling 133 semester credit hours,” Uribe noted.
In order to apply, potential students must be Texas residents, have competitive PSAT scores, have completed Algebra I, II and Geometry and be TSI-compliant for Math, Reading and Writing.
Enabled by legislation authored by State Senator Judith Zaffirini and approved by the 79th Texas Legislature in 2005, the Academy admitted its first students in 2014. It has received generous financial support from Laredo philanthropist Frank Staggs.
