To help Madison High School student athletes prepare for the challenges and opportunities of intercollegiate sports, Advise TX adviser Jenny Oyakhire organized a panel discussion titled “NCAA 101” featuring several alums of the school who achieved greatness on and off the field.  The event was held on March 28 at James Madison High School in Houston, Texas.

In addition to organizing a free Olive Garden dinner, Oyakhire brought six all-star athletes back to their alma mater including three UT alums: Charles and Carlton Anumna, twin siblings who both hold a school record for 4×100 relays, and former Longhorn and NFL quarterback Vince Young.

The panel addressed a number of topics pertaining to college-level student athletes, such as academic achievement, self-representation and life goals. The audience engaged in an introspective dialogue about personal and professional well-being when Young, who is a current DDCE development officer, asked the room, “Who in here cares about their life?” Hands shot up as he continued to share his personal experiences growing up in an underserved neighborhood, a relatable topic for many of the students in the audience.

More than 25 students, parents and current Madison High School coaches were in attendance, resulting in a higher than typical turnout for an after-school event. After the panel, the speakers took the time to chat individually with attendees to offer advice and answer questions.

This is one of many outreach events the college advisers within the UT Austin chapter of Advise TX coordinate at their high schools throughout the year to get underserved students into the college-going mindset.

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About Advise TX: Housed within the Longhorn Center for School Partnerships, the UT Austin chapter of Advise TX is part of the national College Advising Corps, an ever growing consortium of more than 20 partner institutions around the country that have committed to recruit and train talented, enthusiastic recent college graduates to serve as college advisers within designated high schools in 14 states.

Through this nationwide consortium of colleges and universities, the program aims to increase the number of low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students entering and completing higher education. By placing recent graduates of partner institutions as college advisers in underserved high schools and community colleges, the programs work in communities across the country to provide the advising and encouragement that students need to navigate college admissions.

Advisers work full-time to help students plan their college searches, complete admissions and financial aid applications and enroll at schools that will serve them well.

The University of Texas at Austin Chapter manages 21 college advisers who serve in a variety of high schools within 11 school districts in Central Texas, Houston, Dallas, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley.  These advisers serve in their high schools for a maximum of two years.

Visit the Advise TX website for more information or contact Cheryl Sawyer, Advise TX program director, at 512-471-6173, cheryls@austin.utexas.edu.