DHS AVID Seniors Shatter Scholarship Goals

Congratulations to Robert Blanco, Jennifer Olague Carranza and Jesus Izaguirre from the Dysart High School Class of 2021 who were named members of the Million Dollar Club for earning scholarships through the support of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program.  

Each year, the AVID cohorts are challenged to earn a certain amount of scholarship and grant money.  In order to do this, they must apply to different colleges and universities as well as complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Their original goal was to earn 4.5 million dollars in scholarships and so far, the cohort led by Mr. Keegan Cook, has earned 6.2 million in scholarships. 

The AVID students have made Demon history this year by earning this high honor and each have decided on a major. Robert is planning to become a Physical Therapist (M.D), Jesus strives to become a Civil Engineer, and Jenny plans to become a Biomedical Engineer. Last year, Ren Dickson from the class of 2020, was the first AVID student at Dysart High School to earn over a million dollars in scholarship offers. 

The Dysart High School Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program has been a fixture at DHS since 2008 when it was first introduced to the district. AVID is a program that supports students in the academic middle who are motivated to attend post secondary education, but may not have all of the tools they need in order to be as successful as they can be in a college setting. A typical AVID student is one who has some motivation to be successful, is in the academic middle (2.5-3.5 GPA), possibly the first generation in the family to attend college, or has some other potential barrier to reaching post secondary education. Through the four year program, students are taught note taking skills, time management, test taking skills, collaboration and critical reading skills, and are supported as they tackle rigorous curriculum. 

“We are so proud of our AVID students and can’t wait to see what path they choose to pursue next year,” said Alesha Wisbey, Dysart High School AVID Teacher and Site Coordinator.