Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the College Prep Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pueblo College Preparatory Academy students and leaders urge support during board public comment; student accepted to Yale highlighted
Summary
During the board's call to the audience, Pueblo College Preparatory Academy leadership and students described the academy's four-year plan, community service and college-preparation work and asked for logistical and funding support; a student announced she will attend Yale this fall.
During the Tucson Unified School District governing board's call to the audience on March 31, Pueblo College Preparatory Academy leaders and students asked the board to consider logistical and financial support to expand the academy's work at Pueblo High School.
Dr. Teresa Toro, who identified herself as an academy leader and co-founder, described the Pueblo College Prep Academy as formally launched in 2019 and said it now includes more than 210 members who follow a four-year college-preparatory plan that emphasizes rigorous coursework, community service and scholarship applications. She said the academy provides professional clothing donations and support for college-visit trips.
Two academy students spoke about the program's impact. Martha Saralegui said the four-year plan "kinda set that foundation" for students who may not otherwise know what they need to do to pursue selective colleges. Another student, Esmeralda Almasan, said the academy helped her as a first-generation student and announced, "this fall, I'm gonna attend Yale University."
Board member Michelle Ekstrom thanked the speakers and said she would place the Pueblo College Preparatory Academy on a future board agenda to explore how the district might expand or replicate the program at other schools.
Toro requested continued logistical support to increase academy enrollment, funding for professional clothing for interviews and additional help with travel for college visits.
