Higher education can often unlock numerous opportunities and transform lives. Recognizing this and the associated challenges that often come with attending college, such as tuition costs, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) established the Texas Grow Your Own Grant Program. Grow Your Own aims to alleviate the financial burden on aspiring educators pursuing higher education.
Most recently, Ana Reyes, a teacher aide at our Premier High School in Laredo, was among the recipients awarded through Grow Your Own. Ana began her career at Premier High School – Laredo in 2014, working to support student academic progress and help train incoming campus staff throughout the year.
While Ana cherished her role at the campus, she always yearned to further her education. This unwavering determination and Ana’s commitment to student success caught the attention of her family, colleagues, and school administrators, who encouraged her to apply.
After a rigorous application process, Ana was named a recipient, which allowed her to enroll at Texas A&M University-Commerce and graduate this spring. “Balancing work and my studies was certainly not easy,” said Ana. “I would not have been able to get to this point without the support of my family and the Premier High School community. I hope I can prove to my students that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and never give up.”
Ana is looking forward to making even more of an impact on the lives of students and her campus community.
Find a Premier High School campus near you to learn about the unique educational opportunities these campuses offer their students. For more information or to apply at Premier High School – Laredo, visit premierhighschools.com/laredo.
