The Austin Chamber of Commerce honored several Texas high schools, all assisted by Advise TX advisers, at the State of Education event on Friday, Nov. 9. The annual event recognizes the chamber’s regional education initiatives and honors outstanding educational excellence within businesses and high schools in the Greater Austin area.

Recipients were honored for excellence in areas related to college readiness efforts. Hutto High School, assisted by Advise TX college adviser Nathan Schwausch, received the highest number of District Awards for Educational Excellence. The school’s accolades include:

– Highest ApplyTexas Submission Rate by Enrollment for a High School Campus
– Highest Financial Aid Saturdays Attendance for a High School Campus (only recipient)
– Hutto ISD received the Greatest Improvement in College Readiness for a School District (only recipient)

Two other Advise TX high schools also received District Awards for Educational Excellence. KIPP Austin Collegiate, with the assistance of AdviseTX college adviser Rosa Munoz, received awards for Highest ApplyTexas Submission Rate by Enrollment for a High School Campus, and Highest FAFSA Submission Rate by Enrollment for a High School Campus.

Akins High School, with the assistance of Advise TX college adviser Erin Mosley, received the award for Highest FAFSA Submission Rate by Enrollment for a High School Campus.

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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 25 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 16 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 selected high schools within 12 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.

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