** 2024 Commencement Updates **

** 2024 Commencement Updates **

100 Northern New Mexico High School Sophomores Attend GEAR UP for College Camp at Highlands

Las Vegas, NM – More than 100 high school sophomores from Española, Pojoaque and Santa Fe attended a GEAR UP for College Camp at New Mexico Highlands University July 28-30. GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. Highland’s 10-year-old GEAR UP works to increase high school graduation rates and enrollment in college.   Students are enrolled in the program from seventh grade through high school. Highlands has GEAR UP offices on the Highland’s campus and in Española.   The three-day GEAR UP for College Camp was a collaboration between Highland’s Espanola GEAR UP program, the Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations, and Engaging Latino Communities for Education, or ENLACE.  The camp helped high school sophomores learn about college financial aid, student services, majors and minors, and how to succeed in their college freshman year.”The most important thing about this GEAR UP for College Camp is that students understand that college is possible and accessible,” said Ron Martinez, director of the Northern New Mexico GEAR Up/ENLACE Collaborative. “These students are predominantly the first generation in their families to be college bound, and we use this as a leadership building skill. These students will give back to their respective schools by showing other students that college is possible.” Martinez, who is based in Española, said all students are eligible to participate in GEAR UP with the majority being Hispanic or Native American.  Camp participant Cristina Trevizo, a sophomore at Capital High School in Santa Fe, said:  “The camp is cool! They help you and give you lots of information about how to go to college.”