Starting high school during the global coronavirus pandemic was not easy, Colton said.  Procrastination ensued, and turning in school work was not a priority. Colton’s grades dropped. He had a desire to become eligible to play football and participate in track and field, but it would require him to recover class credits. His sophomore year, Colton’s grades continued to struggle, he said, and he missed the track season.

The summer prior to his junior year, he made the decision to seriously bring up his grades and pursue becoming admitted to college.  

“I challenged myself to [make the] A/B Honor roll at least three to four out of the six, six weeks we had. I met my goal and improved my GPA by the end of my junior year,” Colton said. 

He regained eligibility to participate in football and track. Unaware of how the season would pan out, Colton said he was determined to do his best and earn an offer for an athletic scholarship. In January, he entered a football camp for unsigned senior student-athletes, which led to him receiving a full scholarship to Texas College in Tyler. Colton is one of a handful of FWISD student-athletes to commit to playing football at the collegiate level.      

Senior year started with Angel worrying whether he would be able to attend college. He thought to himself that besides college there were no other bills to consider and that he would take out a loan with the intent to one day pay it off. 

Blindsided with a personal challenge that would sideline his dreams of finishing high school and immediately going to college, Angel said that he had to reassess his future and consider going straight to work after high school. That was until he was recommended for the TCU Community Scholars program, which he initially ignored applying for, he said. The TCU Community Scholars program offers graduating seniors from 13 majority-minority Dallas-Fort Worth high schools a full scholarship, covering housing, meals, books, tuition, and a 17-week study abroad opportunity in any country where TCU offers academic programs.  Angel applied and was awarded the scholarship. He said he now has no worries about how he will afford college, and he’s looking to one day pursue a career as a neurosurgeon. 

Being a student with autism presented a stressful environment for Ryan, his mother said. Though a very good student, the school environment led to sensory overload and became overwhelming. By middle school, Ryan was no longer interested in going to college. 

His senior year, thanks to a family friend, Ryan discovered free online courses from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  It sparked Ryan’s interest in going to college again, he said. He connected with the GoCenter at Trimble Tech who assisted him with completing college admission and scholarship applications. This fall, Ryan will be attending Texas Wesleyan University on a scholarship.  

“We are so very proud of him and his accomplishments and  super excited to say that he is looking forward to going to college next year,” his mother said.