By Daeyalina Moreno and Marla Terminel
Pueblo’s College Preparatory Academy, co-coordinated with counselor Dr. Teresa Toro, is an open access program, and has been helping many students to prepare for collegiate futures.
This program has spiked the interest of over 200 Pueblo students who are active members; over six years of preparation was necessary to make the academy become a reality. Students must participate in their selection of 18 AP honors, dual enrollment and culturally relevant classes, as well as participate in volunteer programs.
“This [Academy] is something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” said Toro. She added that her efforts would not have come to fruition if it were not for the co-coordination with Assistant Principal Mr. Rafael Montaño and Principal Mr. Frank Rosthenhausler.
Toro said that the main goal of this program is to help guide students earn as much scholarship money as possible by pushing their boundaries and setting high expectations.
She said, “I want my students to dream big and help expose them to big opportunities.”
Sophomores Giselle-Paris Aubrey and David Cañez have big dreams for their futures, and they admitted that they wanted the challenges that the Academy offers students.
“I want to go to the U of A,” said Aubrey, “and the Academy is going to help me get there.”
Cañez said, “The courses [in the Academy] are rigorous, but I’m up for the challenges that the Academy is going to provide me and to prepare me for a great college future.”
Despite the academic benefits, students are willing to work hard and address all of the stress that committing to the Academy may cause.
“A lot of students may think that they want to join the academy,” said Cañez, “but they need to make sure that they can commit to its rigorous pace.”
She added that students who want to be in the Academy are welcome to attend support groups. Tutoring also is available to Academy students before and after school, everyday throughout the school year.
She added that there is support for all students who are taking rigorous classes.
Toro wants everybody to know that the study groups are all year, and held in the Parent and Student Café; also, Game Day is on Mondays; walk-in Distress groups are held on Tuesdays after school; and tutoring is every day during “zero” hour in the library.
“I want my students to feel like they’re part of a family and that we support them in their post-secondary endeavors,” said Toro.