When Alba Guerrero became an Emerald Eagle Scholar at the University of North Texas, she got much more than a free college education. Alba got the keys to unlock her potential.
She’s gaining valuable work experience as a student coordinator for Student Support Services-Discovery in our TRIO Center for Development. She’s bonding with fellow students as a member of the Hispanic Business Student Association and the College of Business’ Beta Gamma Sigma. She’s seeing the value of giving back as a volunteer with Upward Bound. She’s flourishing under the guidance of mentors. And she gained a new understanding of the world through her trip to Thailand last summer as part of the Emerald Eagle Scholars Study Abroad program.
Because of this, Alba will graduate from UNT in four years with a business degree, important connections and the tools to succeed.
“Students like us have a hard time getting to college and some of us don’t even think we can go to college,” says Alba, who is part of the 2007 inaugural class of scholars. “It’s great to have the support. It shows us that it’s possible.”
The Emerald Eagle Scholars program is aimed at students who have the drive to go to college, but not the dollars. The scholars are the sons and daughters of struggling workers, single parents, and immigrants who earn $40,000 or less. They are often the first in their families to attend college, and without the program, a degree would either be out of their reach or a long time coming.
But it wasn’t enough to simply cut a check to help these students earn their degrees. So the institution founded the Emerald Eagle Scholars program on three philosophical pillars —financial support, academic success, and engagement—so that our scholars have the full breadth of education to succeed, both as students and in life.
Universities and colleges must find ways to reach out to students because the United States is not succeeding at being one of the most educated countries. Census numbers show that only a little more than a quarter of the population age 25 and older has a bachelor’s degree or more. Our nation ranks 12th among industrialized countries in higher education attainment, according to a U.S. Department of Education report.
An initiative like the Emerald Eagle Scholars program is one way that universities can help an often-overlooked population. When we created it, there were only about 30 such programs in the nation. While similar programs have been established since then, our program is still a front-runner, one of the few that takes a holistic approach to helping students in need reap the full benefits of a college education.
Since its inception, our Emerald Eagle Scholars program has given more than 1,200 students the opportunity to realize their dreams of college.
In the words of one scholar, that’s 1,200 people whose lives have been changed.
Setting High Expectations
The program couples our belief in a student’s abilities with high expectations. When the scholars are accepted into the program, they, in essence, sign a contract with us. In addition to taking 15 hours each semester to graduate in four years and maintaining a 2.5 GPA, we expect scholars to work on campus, to engage in university life and to connect with peer and adult mentors.
Many of our scholars are rising to the challenge.
Alba is maintaining top grades while juggling her 15-hour-a-week job and a full course load.
Like Alba, Roberto Arriola, who is pursuing a degree in bilingual education with a minor in music, will graduate in four years. He too has a strong GPA and holds down a 15-hour-a week job as a student assistant in the Office of Enrollment Management while serving as the founding president of the Emerald Eagle Scholars Organization.
As the organization’s president, Roberto rallies his fellow scholars to take part in campus events and community service projects so that they are connected to UNT and to their fellow students. The organization also gives the scholars an instant support network.
In addition, Roberto has an open door to his mentor, our vice provost of enrollment management, to talk through his concerns when he feels overwhelmed or simply has a question.
