Mission
Advise TX is funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), the College Advising Corps and the school districts we serve. It works to increase the number of first-generation, low-income, and/or underrepresented students who apply, enter and complete college.
Advise TX places recent college graduates as full-time college advisers in some of America’s underserved high schools. Advise TX provides the support that Texas high-need students require to navigate the complex processes of college admissions, matriculation and financial aid. The University of Texas at Austin chapter has 19 advisers serving Central Texas, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley.
Program Overview
The University of Texas at Austin Advise TX College Advising Corps is part of the National College Advising Corps, the nation’s largest nonprofit college access program. The National College Advising Corps consists of a consortium of currently 34 partner institutions in 19 states (including The University of Texas at Austin) around the country who have committed to recruit and train talented, enthusiastic recent college graduates to serve as college advisers within designated high schools in 19 states.
Our program started in 2010 when The University of Texas at Austin’s Institute for Public School Initiatives placed fifteen recent college graduates into service. The Institute received a grant from the THECB to expand the program to 120 advisers in 2011. Within the state of Texas, there are currently College Advising Corps chapters at The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University and Trinity University.
The following attributes distinguish the Advise TX model:
- Advise TX is a near-peer model. Advisers are close in age to the students that they serve.
- Advise TX works in partnership with colleges and universities across the state, drawing on their infrastructure and resources.
- Advise TX advisers serve the whole school, rather than a cohort of particular students, to foster a school-wide college-going culture.
- Advise TX participates in a national external evaluation to quantitatively measure outcomes and qualitative results.
- Advise TX focuses on best-fit colleges, encouraging students to attend schools that will serve them well both academically and socially.
UT Austin Program Elements
Near-Peer Mentoring: Advise TX advisers come from all fields of study and are chosen for qualities that enable them to easily develop peer and role-model relationships with the students they advise. As recent college graduates of a variety of colleges (including UT Austin), they understand the current complexities of the college application process. Many advisers are first-generation and minority students themselves, reflecting the characteristics of the students whom they advise.
Intensive Training: UT Austin recruits Advise TX advisers and intensively trains them for three to four weeks. Advisers gain the knowledge and skills necessary to guide their students, foster a college-going culture and become advocates in their communities. Advisers become knowledgeable about all education options, including certificate programs, associate degrees, and baccalaureates. Training includes campus visits to colleges and universities throughout the state.
Whole School Service: Advise TX fosters a college-going culture within schools by serving any student at any grade level. Advisers collaborate with teachers and administrators to supplement, not replace, existing high school counseling staff. Advisers use innovative approaches to connect with students and host events and workshops at their campus.
Best-Fit Advising: Advisers are not recruiters for UT. They help high school students choose and enroll in the postsecondary option that is the best fit for their skills and interests–one where they will be most likely to succeed and complete a degree or meaningful credential–whether at a university, community college or technical college. Advisers help students weigh factors such as institutional characteristics, academic requirements, costs, financial aid and possible careers within a chosen field of study. Advisers encourage students to apply to three or more institutions so that they will have many options to choose from.
Rigorous Data Collection: Advisers document their students’ progress in the College Advising Corps’ custom database, GRACE (Getting Results And Creating Equity). This database contains detailed profiles on individual students, recording interactions with their adviser, FAFSA completion, college applications and more. GRACE also generates school-wide reports to inform advisers and administrators of their school’s progress.
About the UT Austin Chapter
The UT Austin chapter began in 2010-11 with 15 advisers serving in Houston, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande Valley. The UT Austin expanded its program in 2011-2012 with 64 advisers serving in Central Texas, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley. With the addition of the four university chapters, UT Austin currently has 19 advisers serving in 22 high schools in the following regions: Central Texas, El Paso, Dallas, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley.
Meet the UT Austin 2022-2023 Advise TX Advisers
We are in 10 different school districts in 5 regions of Texas serving 22 high schools.
Marshala Wilkins – Dekaney High School (Houston)
“I advise because I want to give students hope, a safe space, support, and inspiration to believe in themselves and achieve their dreams!”
Victoria Garcia – Akins Early College High School (Central Texas)
“I advise because I believe in accessible education for everyone.”
Dasjah Martinez – Del Valle High School (Central Texas)
“I advise because all students need someone to believe in them.”
Quanae Miller – Lancaster High School (Dallas)
“I advise because I want to enrich the next generation through education.”
Jeremy Jaramillo – Socorro High School (El Paso)
“I advise because I see the opportunities and capabilities in students that others might not see.”
Patrick Camino – PSJA North Early College High School (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because everyone deserves the opportunity to change their lives for the better.”
Gilbert Berrones – La Joya High School (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because I know I can make an impact in those that do not see the potential in themselves.”
Crisol Ortuno – Palmview High School (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because I want to be the support and guidance my students need during challenging times.”
Reuel Cuellar – Vanguard Academy Mozart & Rembrandt (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because all students can benefit from advice, motivation, inspiration and compassion.”
Nahzaria Wright – Navarro Early College High School (Central Texas)
“I advise because I care about my students’ future.”
America Ogaz – El Dorado High School (El Paso)
“I advise because I want underepresented students, like myself, to have all the resources they need to be successful in whatever life path they choose after high school.”
Jacqueline Davila – PSJA Southwest Early College High School (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because every student deserves a voice and a support system.”
Itzel Saucedo – Juarez-Lincoln High School (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because every student deserves a right to a higher education.”
Kasandra Bucio – PSJA Early College High School (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because everyone deserves an opportunity for higher education and to make generational changes.”
Tatyanna U. Byrd – DeSoto High School (Dallas)
“I advise because I believe we cannot build our future without helping others and my goal is to be a voice and helping hand to students.”
Vanessa Diaz – PSJA Memorial Early College High School (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because my students have the potential to break generational curses and achieve their dreams.”
Brooke Queen – Travis Early College High School (Central Texas)
“I advise because I want my students to know they have a support system, that is rooting for them no matter what path they choose in life.”
Javier A. Castellanos – San Marcos High School (Central Texas)
“I advise because people deserve to know that they have more potential than they may think.”
Jenifer Velasquez – Jimmy Carter Early College High School, Salinas STEM Early College High School, Academy of Health Science Professions and STEM (Rio Grande Valley)
“I advise because I believe every student can meet and exceed their educational goals. All they need is for somebody to give them a chance, I will help find them that chance.”