For the fifth straight year, sixth-grade students and their parents from across southern New Mexico will have the opportunity to experience college via the Young Achievers Forum. New Mexico State University will co-host a virtual event at 8:30 a.m. April 10.
Young Achievers Forum will bring sixth graders from not only Alamogordo Public Schools, Deming Public Schools, Hatch Valley Public Schools, Gadsden Independent School District and Las Cruces Public Schools, but also from El Paso school districts, together to receive virtual college information.
For the past four years, NMSU hosted the event for 600 sixth graders on campus. This year’s event will be a collaboration between NMSU and CommUNITY en Acción, a local civic organization of leaders dedicated to furthering education in our community, and the University of Texas at El Paso.
The mission of the Young Achievers Forum is to inform students and parents about the importance of higher education, expose students to career opportunities and positive role models, empower parents to prepare their children for a path to higher education and change lives and outcomes in southern New Mexico and El Paso.
“All students have the potential to graduate from college and obtain their ideal career but may not know how to get there,” said Rosa Burmeister, YAF coordinator and director for TRIO Upward Bound at NMSU. “The Young Achievers Forum empowers youngsters to believe in themselves, to learn about education beyond high school, and to start thinking of ‘what they want to be when they grow up.’ Together, New Mexico State University and CommUNITY en Acción, we are preparing the next generation of college graduates.”
Students will experience an energetic two hours that will expose them to careers in many fields including science, technology, engineering and mathematics; health and medical sciences; business and finance; liberal arts, and vocational. The event will include a recorded welcome by NMSU President John Floros. Participants also will get a virtual glimpse of the NMSU campus via a video.
CommUNITY en Acción will start the program that will include presentations from local career professionals. In addition to highlighting career opportunities, the event intends to provide a fun atmosphere that celebrates the students and the bright futures they have ahead of them. A pep-rally also will kick off the festivities and all that a college experience offers. Many of the students attending could be the first in their families to pursue higher education and this may be their first time learning about attending college.
For more information, contact the NMSU Student Success Center at 575-646-3136.