T3 expands to Arlington, Castleberry school districts to help students map college journey

T3 expands to Arlington, Castleberry school districts to help students map college journey

TCC South/FWISD Collegiate High School students walk to class on Aug. 15, 2022. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
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Melanie Ramos knew she wanted to attend college. 

She had gathered bits of information here and there. Still, she wasn’t too sure how to actually pursue higher education.

Enter the Tarrant To & Through Partnership.

Ramos, a senior at Castleberry High School, is among the first students in her school district to participate in T3. For the 2023-24 academic year, the organization expanded to serve students at Castleberry High School and Arlington ISD’s Lamar High School — the first time T3 reached beyond school districts inside the city of Fort Worth.

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Talking to T3 advisers cleared up many of Ramos’ questions.

“I didn’t know what college I wanted to go to,” the 17-year-old said. “I asked, and it was just really easy for me to understand what I needed to submit.”

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T3 supports students through college and career advising, scholarships and mentorships to help them earn a degree or credential and enter the workforce. The program has been available in the Fort Worth and Crowley school districts since 2020.

Students take a pledge that commits them to graduating high school, applying to a T3 partner college, submitting financial aid applications and completing registration for college classes.

Nearly all seniors at both high schools committed to the T3 pledge, according to a news release. During the fall semester, 472 Lamar High seniors and 206 Castleberry High seniors committed to the T3 pledge. That is more than 9 in 10 seniors at both schools.

“The success of the To & Through advising model at Lamar and Castleberry High Schools demonstrate the students’ clear drive to better understand their options after high school and connect their educational journey to a career path that fulfills their personal and life goals,” T3 Executive Director Natalie Young Williams said.

Stephanie Arceneaux, a guidance and counseling coordinator in Arlington ISD, has watched Lamar High students become more engaged since T3 launched at their campus. They take their schoolwork and their pledge seriously so they achieve their dreams, she said.

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“They are working together with their T3 advisers to design a pathway that considers their individual needs and goals and to understand the possibilities after graduation,” Arceneaux said.

Likewise, Castleberry ISD Superintendent Renee Smith-Faulkner witnessed how T3 created an open dialogue with students about their futures — and how college is more attainable than they thought.

“They know their T3 advisors are here to help and guide them through this process and set them up for success after high school,” Smith-Faulkner said.

Ramos, the Castleberry High student, narrowed down her options for college thanks to T3. She plans to attend the University of Texas at Arlington, one of eight higher education institutions that partner with T3.

T3 opened up her world and helped Ramos figure out what she wanted to do after high school, she said. 

Growing up, Ramos broke a few bones. She remembers how nurses treated her during those scary moments. They welcomed her. They comforted her. They healed her.

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“I enjoyed that feeling,” Ramos said. “And I want to give that to others as well.”

So, at UT-Arlington, she plans to study nursing.

Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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