Contact: Cesar Canizales
214-378-1859;
ccanizales@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Oct. 19, 2015
(DALLAS) — As the air gets crisp and the leaves start to change colors, students and their families are set to explore what’s next after high school — choosing a college or university.
First, they need to learn about the college admissions process and then meet fast-approaching deadlines: applying for admission, taking exams, figuring out how to obtain financial aid, and more. That long list of questions and issues can overwhelm even the most organized high school senior.
The Keys to Success/Las Llaves del Exito program can help. The free, one-day college fair for families will be held Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Mountain View College, located at 4849 W. Illinois Ave. in Dallas. Presented by the Dallas County Community College District, in partnership with the Dallas Independent School District and Mountain View College, the event will provide students with the keys they need to succeed in higher education, including information about how to navigate the system so that they can attend a college or university. The program will focus on students in grades 6 through 12. Parents are invited, and breakfast will be provided.
All participants who pre-register for the program and complete a “Llaves Passport” can qualify for a chance to win one of two $500 DCCCD scholarships and other prizes. To pre-register, please visit
https://llavesdelexito2015.eventbrite.com. On-site registration also will be available.
Other workshop sessions will include: college entrance exams; how to choose a college; a DACA presentation; and how to choose the perfect career path. A panel for parents will be offered, too.
In addition, sessions are scheduled for middle- and high-school counselors where they can learn information about financial aid (FAFSA/TASFA); how to write recommendation letters; community resources; and a Mobile Go Center. Workshops in Spanish and English will be offered for parents as well.
Sponsors for the event include: DCCCD, Dallas ISD, Mountain View College, UT Outreach-Dallas, H&R Block, Credit Union of Texas, University of North Texas at Dallas, Dallas County Schools, La Grande 107.5 FM, the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Education Is Freedom, Telemundo 39, the University of Texas at Arlington, Wells Fargo, the University of North Texas, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Ford Motor Company, Texas Woman’s University, CapitalOne Bank University Crossroads, Dallas Public Library, Resource One Credit Union, Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez and LULAC National Education Service Centers Inc.
Almost 1,200 people participated in the event last fall, and more than 200 volunteers will be on hand to assist students and families this year and to provide practical information so that they can go to college.
Representatives from area colleges and universities will participate in the program and talk to students and families about the process of enrolling in college and getting financial aid.
For more information about the program, please call Esther Canales in DCCCD’s office of outreach and community development at 214-378-1738 or DCCCD’s Spanish language line at 214-378-1713. Details also are available at http://dcccd.edu/KeysToSuccess.
# # #