South Plains Tech Prep Gives Boost

to First-Generation College Students

Jacob Tucker, feature editor

The idea of making it through life without an education is now a far cry from the truth.  Parents who missed out on their college education are telling their children they cannot afford not to miss out on furthering their education.

South Plains Tech Prep held a news conference on Sept. 15 at the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center in Lubbock to update the efforts and successes of providing services to first-generation college students on the South Plains.

This program was founded to give students money to attend college.  These students must be from a home where the parent(s) did not attend college.

Jill Berset, executive director of SPTP, explained the general structure of the program.

“This program was designed to give students a chance for higher learning,” said Berset.

The process is two fold, beginning in high school.  Students attend workshops that help them learn how to fill out financial aid forms.  They also have access to specially trained counselors who are there to help the students through many pre-college and college trials that they may face.

As these first-generation students move from high school to college, these counselors change into mentors.  The mentors, who are older first-generation students, help guide the freshmen throughout their college days.

“Basically, these second or third-year first-generation students help the freshmen in any area that they have questions in,” said Berset. 

During the past four years, SPTP has provided $1.2 million in funding to first-generation students in the area.  This has helped pay for services such as locating funds for books, transportation and even housing.  

SPTP has awarded 42 scholarships worth $1,000 to students in the South Plains area.  These students, in turn, have attended area colleges or universities, such as Texas Tech University, Wayland Baptist University, Lubbock Christian University and South Plains College.  Approximately 30 of the 42 students who received scholarships this year are attending SPC.

The requirements to keep the scholarship are very simple.  The student must pass 12 hours of college credit, maintain a 2.0 grade-point-average and keep in contact with SPC Tech Prep monthly. 

SPTP also holds monthly workshops for SPC scholarship recipients.  These workshops help students improve in areas such as studying, time management, learning styles and conflict management. 

This program is steadily gaining support in many surrounding communities with 10 area high schools providing these programs for their students. 

“Texas Tech is very big on their support of this program,” said Berset.  “They have provided many students as mentors to the first-year kids.”

Others who have praise for the program are South Plains College President, Dr. Kelvin Sharp and area school superintendents.

Among other topics of discussion during the news conference was the organization of the Career Expo to be held on Oct. 13 at the Lubbock Civic Center at 9 a.m. 

“This expo will offer students a glimpse of the career field that they want to go into,” says Berset.

SPTP has had about 3,000 juniors and seniors from 46 South Plains high schools sign up to attend the expo.

The event is for fun, but it is also for the students to prepare for their futures.

“Getting the students in college is only the beginning,” says Berset.  “Providing the tools and the support system for the students to succeed is the mission.”