When Fort Worth native Sarai Victoria was a high schooler, she did not plan to attend college, but the Tarrant To & Through Partnership kept pushing — “in a good way,” she said.
“It got me involved and excited to actually be here,” the Texas Wesleyan University senior said.
Now, Victoria is a T3 ambassador and on track to earn her accounting degree. She was among the students, educators, business leaders and others who gathered at the Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus Tuesday to celebrate the work of the partnership at its annual Vision T3 event.
The partnership connects school districts, colleges and industry to help local students earn a career-related credential or degree after high school so they can succeed in the workforce.
One reason students may not think a college education is attainable is because they are discouraged by the cost, T3 President and CEO Natalie Young Williams said.
“When we interview students, the biggest thing that they talk about is that they don’t want to be a burden on their families, and how am I going to be able to afford college, and what’s the return on investment for college,” she said. “When we position that T3 is able to support them in going to college and they have tuition-free opportunities, it makes that affordability issue no longer a barrier.”
The partnership collaborates with area universities to offer last-dollar scholarships to students who meet certain family income criteria and participate in T3. For these students, their university or college covers remaining tuition costs after any grants or scholarship they receive.
The nonprofit also offers $500 scholarships per year to those who meet income requirements.
T3 ambassador Jorge Urbina receives both scholarships. He initially considered going directly to a trade field after high school and then considered Texas Tech University. Ultimately, T3’s offer was one he could not turn down, the Texas Christian University junior said.
“Honestly, that was probably one of the best decisions I ever made,” he said. “I wouldn’t be in this position at the moment if it wasn’t for T3.”
He said the scholarships help pay for his education, but he also appreciates the other opportunities available to him, such as networking.
“When I first actually started T3, I kind of just saw it as just a scholarship, maybe,” Urbina said. “But as you start getting into it more, you start seeing there’s a lot more opportunities that you can really benefit from.”
The event featured a panel led by Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. Participants included Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, T3 scholar Lizbeth Maldonado, Autobahn Fort Worth President Brendan Harrington and Robert Sturns, executive director of the Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County.
Sturns said it is important for workforce programs to collaborate with industry and schools to make sure their work is effective. For example, one of the partners Workforce Solutions works closely with is Tarrant County College.
“At the end of the day, we as a workforce board can’t develop programs and policies in isolation,” he said.
TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc said the college can do a lot to prepare students for the workforce with its collaborations and partnerships.
The college system has various industry-related programs, including in aviation maintenance and health fields.
“We’ve got to do something to ensure that people have the skills that they need in the future,” she said.
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
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