Dual enrollment student sets off into the world with head held high

Maintaining high grades is very important but not when it is at the expense of enjoying life, according to Paola Velazquez, who says she strongly believes that her success stems from creating lasting connections with people.

With South Texas College in her corner, and through plenty of time and effort, Paola says she is prepared to set off in the world with her head held high.

She is currently pursuing a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at STC while finishing high school at Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy. She entered college in spring 2018.

“Through the dual enrollment program at my school, I noticed just how beneficial STC was in comparison to other programs, and would highly recommend it to any high school student,” Paola said. “I have been fortunate enough to have had good and positive experiences at STC (with) wonderful professors who have been very understanding as well as caring for student success.

“I have also learned valuable lessons on hard work and dedication when it comes to school,” she said.

South Texas College’s Dual Credit Pathways Department oversees a total of 43 designated high schools. By design, each designated high school provides high school students the opportunity to earn college-credit hours and/or an Associate degree while in high school.

Each designated high school is designed to create a seamless transition between high school and college for students.

Through her degree, Paola said she plans to one day make her mark in business, and make a positive impact in the world.

“I know that it will take a lot of time and effort, but I am prepared to set off in the world with my head held high,” Paola said. “I personally believe college can be a challenge if not planned correctly. I have had to make a lot of sacrifices to have a good academic lifestyle, but I have learned to also take time to do things that make me happy.

“One way that I motivate myself to succeed is to know that once I am done with my school work, I can do activities and hobbies that I thoroughly enjoy,” she said.

As a message for her peers entering college, Paola said it is extremely important to find what works on a personal level and always stick with it.

“I think that a lot of my issues throughout high school was being unfocused and unorganized in a lot of my classes,” she said. “Once I found ways to make sure I get the most work done and in an efficient way, I started to see real improvement and success that I can use in the future.”