As an individual entity, Laredo Community College has done a lot to provide quality education in its 58 years of existence.
LCC president Dr. Ramon H. Dovalina believes even more can be achieved in partnership with other area educational institutions.
That’s why in 1995, when Dovalina assumed the presidency at LCC, he led an effort to create the Laredo Educational Systems Coalition.
The group is composed of the presidents of Laredo Community College and Texas A&M International University, as well as the superintendents of Laredo Independent School District, United Independent School District and the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Laredo.
“It’s important that working relationships be established between Laredo Community College, the university and the public and private school districts to develop a strategic plan for raising the quality of education from pre-school to higher education,” Dovalina said.
Through the efforts of the coalition, curricula are being aligned so that students can make a seamless transition through all school levels and into either higher academic pursuits or into the world of work.
Common calendars also have been developed among the local educational institutions to promote cohesiveness and efficiency.
“It’s important to make all students aware of the breadth of career and training options, vocational and professional, that are out there to be explored and investigated, and the multiplicity of career areas that exist. This heightened awareness will better equip young people to prosper and grow,” Dovalina said.
He added that the coalition is only one avenue the college has sought to build partnerships for the benefit of students.
LCC also has been successful in partnering with the South Texas Tech Prep Consortium and area school districts to provide opportunities for students to earn college credit while in high school.
High school students now have the advantage of earning free college credit in the areas of medical office assisting, computer drafting and design technology, computer electronics technology, media and web technology, computer information systems-business applications or networking technology, applied accounting, banking and finance, import-export, office technology, management, real estate, diesel engine mechanics and repair-heavy duty truck specialization, automotive collision repair technology, automotive technology, air conditioning and refrigeration, welding and criminal justice.
LCC also is helping to create new jobs and to promote economic development through its partnerships with local businesses, such as the Convergys-Laredo facility.
A $1 million state grant the college recently secured to provide training at Convergys is expected to have a long-lasting, positive impact on the local economy.
Officials are confident that the Texas Workforce Commission’s Skills Development Fund grant utilized to train the Convergys workforce can have a multiplying effect that can generate additional revenue for the community through an increase in funds from property and sales taxes, among other sources. The grant was secured by the college with support from the South Texas Workforce Development Board and the Laredo Development Foundation.
LCC also has been able to build alliances with educational institutions outside of Laredo.
Last fall, a collaborative effort formed between LCC and the Houston Community College System led to the awarding of a federal grant of more than $300,000 to send more Hispanics to college.
The grant, awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture, is being used to establish the first USDA Texas consortium to improve educational access and success for thousands of Hispanic students.
The project also aims to help the consortium of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to enhance their institutional abilities through grant writing efforts.
Another exciting initiative involves LCC, the Laredo Independent School District and the Central/South Texas ENLACE Partnership at Texas State University-San Marcos.
Through this endeavor, 50 high school students are participating in a three-year computer science training academy, dubbed La Costa, at LCC and Cigarroa High School.
The selected students have learned about computer hardware from a college instructor and, in December, they received computers they dismantled and re-assembled as part of their learning experience at a summer institute.
The goal of the project is to address the low enrollment of the Hispanic community in Texas higher education institutions and particularly computer science career fields.
Dr. Dovalina is confident that more can be done as a team working toward one common goal in life.
“If we can work together, a dramatic impact can be made to lower or eliminate the student dropout rate and raise the level of education in the community for a better way of life,” Dovalina said.
In August, college, city and state leaders announced a $1 million grant Laredo Community College secured to provide training for the new Convergys-Laredo facility. The acquirement of this major grant emphasized the vital role LCC undertook to unite several organizations to create economic prosperity in the community. Among those present at the announcement were, from left, Daymion Montanez from Convergys, Laredo Mayor Elizabeth G. Flores, Senator Judith Zaffirini, LCC Chief Development Officer Blas Castaneda, LCC Vice-President for Instruction and Student Development Dr. Juan Maldonado, Texas Workforce Commissioner Diane Rath and LCC Executive Director for Resource Development David Brown.
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