As the senior countdown to graduation draws closer, representatives from the University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College gathered in the Pebble Hills’ gymnasium  Friday morning, April 20 for operation college bound.

The event was to provide students with information for registration, potential scholarships, financial aid and other inquiries involving college.

Associate director of admissions and registration of EPCC, Josie Carmona, had been pulled to work with executive director, Dr. Cassandra Lachica-Chavez, to orchestrate the event.

“We have coordinated all of the efforts,” Carmona said. “This is our fourth school. The most important piece of all this is that we set up a team of people who are going to advise, and counsel. We have a registration team, a financial aid team, a new student-orientation team. A student is actually going to walk out today with a schedule for the summer or for the fall.”

UTEP director of admissions and recruitment, Michael Talamantes, was there to provide information and guide students through the application process. According to Talamantes, UTEP is proud of serving Region 19. Talamantes also mentioned that with over 14,000 applications to attend UTEP, the exclusivity of the event brings several benefits.

“We really want to help save students the trip, gas money, also the frustration of going to the campuses to get services done that we can bring over to Pebble Hills,” Talamantes said. “It is very unique for the seniors here at Pebble Hills and the seniors throughout SISD that they are getting services and questions answered here on campus.”

This being the first year with seniors for Pebble Hills, principal Melissa Parham and with the help of assistant principal, April Granados, students were able learn new information in a familiar environment. 

“They get information on financial aid, they are going to get some academic advising, they can actually walk out today with their student ID and their schedule for their first semester,” Parham said. “The lines can be three hours long on campus, here they are going to get in and out in an hour and a half and they are going to have everything they need.”

Parham also mentioned that seniors that are still undecided of their plans after high school, this event can help give them guidance and direction.

“The students that didn’t know were they wanted to go and weren’t sure what they wanted to do, this could be that difference,” Parham said. 

Students who are going elsewhere in the fall, can still enroll in summer courses offered by EPCC or UTEP. 

The college bound program continues next week as UTEP and EPCC will be visiting Montwood and Americas to finish off their tour of the SISD.