It is normal for first-year college students to be unsure of their future. That is proven by the more than half of students who change their major at least once during their college tenure. Unfortunately, not knowing what to major in or what career path is best often results in years of squandered time. For Vada Garcia, iSchool High – The Woodlands graduate, the opportunity to explore a future field was wrapped in a self-paced, dual-credit high school.
Vada enrolled at iSchool High during her sophomore year of high school and was accepted into the Lone Star College-Montgomery’s Honors College the following semester. Vada’s affinity for politics started when a government professor told her about the NEW Leadership Texas program, a national nonpartisan program focused on educating college women about politics and leadership. Vada was the youngest to attend the NEW Leadership conference and co-author a position paper that won the Outstanding Delegation Award for the Lone Star College.
“International politics has always been an interest of mine, but I never thought about that as a career until attending iSchool and Lone Star College,” said Vada. iSchool High is a tuition-free high school that allows students to earn a high school diploma while earning free college credits, all within a four-year time frame.
“The iSchool model was very beneficial for me,” says Vada. “At my previous school I was picking up material faster than my peers. At the iSchool I realized I could go significantly faster with course material, while also taking honor level classes at the collegiate level.”
Like countless other iSchool graduates, Vada Garcia earned her Associate’s degree months before her high school diploma from Lone Star College-Montgomery. The self-paced program allowed her to take her high school and college courses while interning at the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston.
“I found what worked for me,” said Vada. “It’s similar to how college is. You have to figure out how to best study and prioritize everything else you have going on.”
Vada obtained her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in international studies with a concentration in policy and diplomacy. She plans to complete a Master’s of International Affairs with a concentration in international economic relations. Her ultimate goal is to focus on policy involving trade and international development.
