Oct. 4—Quinlan ISD hopes to better guide its students toward their college and career goals now that the district has been chosen to participate in the Texas Impact Network's Rural CCMR (College, Career, and Military Readiness) Accelerator Program.

Through the two-year grant-funded program, one of the district's aims is to improve students' TSIA2 (Texas Success Initiative) scores, which is a college placement exam. The Rural CCMR Accelerator Program also offers targeted workforce projections and analyses of Quinlan ISD's CTE offerings as they relate to workforce needs "within a 40-minute commute" of Quinlan, explained QISD Director of Secondary Instruction Alice Lafferty.

Another component in the program is QISD's hiring of a student success advisor, who will meet with seniors multiple times over the course of the school year, giving them guidance on getting into a college that fits their needs and how to pay for their continued education.

"So far, I've met with about 55 percent of our seniors," Student Success Advisor Melissa Clark said of the first eight weeks of school. "By the end of the year, I expect to meet with each of them a number of times.

"A lot of the students who are interested in going to college ask a lot about how to pay for it, so I've been helping them find where to look for scholarships and how to apply for them," Clark added.

Many of the students Clark has met with so far this year have expressed interest in the healthcare professions.

One such student was Angelina Hernandez, who hopes to eventually work as a nurse. Currently, she is a member of Ford High School's health science program, where she is earning her EMT certification. With Clark's assistance, Hernandez applied and was accepted into college.

"Out of my whole family, I am going to be the first to do something cool like this," Hernandez said.

In addition to guiding students who already had specific goals in mind, Clark has also been encouraging students to build off of their more general interests.

"There was a boy, who was generally interested in construction but wasn't sure if college was for him, but he had a love of learning," Clark said. "Due to his interest in math and engineering, after doing some searching, he started looking into two- and four-year college programs."

So far, even with it being Quinlan ISD's first year with a student success advisor, the impact is already being felt in the school and the families it serves.

"(Clark) has already made a difference in the lives of many of our students," said Ford High School Principal Jason Wallen. "Having a person dedicated and focused on helping steer students to their next step in life is invaluable. Our focus is transitioning from a traditional high school design to one that provides real-world readiness.

"Mrs. Clark's position allows early identification and guidance as our students leave us to go out into the world," Wallen added. "Bottom line, the position has aided the campus to continue a long-standing focus on student growth and development, but also to ensure no one falls through the cracks."