Eagle Pass students selected for 2012 GeoFORCE program
AUSTIN, Texas – GeoFORCE Texas, a summer program designed to inspire students to pursue careers in the geosciences, has selected 88 outstanding Southwest Texas rising ninth graders for its 2012 geology-based field programs.
The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences manages the GeoFORCE program, in partnership with Southwest Texas Junior College. This year, the program received over 250 applications from 18 school districts throughout Southwest Texas.
“This is the eighth year of this program and Southwest Texas Junior College is very proud to be able to work with the Jackson School to offer this fantastic opportunity to budding scientists in our 11-county service area,” SWTJC Dean of Institutional Advancement and Technology Dr. Blaine Bennett said.
Students were selected for both the week-long GeoFORCE Summer Academy and the two to five-day Young Geoscientists Field Course. Summer academy participants will travel across the U.S. on geology-related field trips over the next four years, while Young Geoscientists will visit and study sites across Texas and New Mexico.
A total of 32 Eagle Pass students were selected for the two programs. Eagle Pass Junior High students selected for the 2012 Summer Academy (week-long program) include Jose Berlanga, Joseph Black, Natalie Franco, Daniela Garza, Juan Gonzalez, Eric Herrera, Raymundo Marquez, Chalo Martinez, Melanie Mendoza, Erica Santos, Gabriel Villasenor and Marlowe Zamora.
Memorial Junior High students named to the 2012 Summer Academy class are Alexis Martinez, Sergio Ochoa and Iram Emmanuel Olivares.
Students from Eagle Pass Junior High chosen for Young Geoscientists (two to five-day program) are Monica Adan, Jae Bak, Genesis Coronado, Grecia De La Cerda, Liliana Fuentes, Gabriella Garcia, Tristian Huerta, Victor Olivo, Jesus Perez, Kevin Pua, Myriam Sanchez and Naila Telles.
Memorial Junior High students named to the 2012 Young Geoscientists group are Frank Chavarria, Andres Echavarria, Eulalia Gonzalez, Cedric Hamm and Valeria Sornia.
Other schools represented in this year’s class include Brackettville, Carrizo Springs, Cotulla, Crystal City, Del Rio, D’Hanis, Dilley, Eagle Pass, Hondo, Knippa, Nueces Canyon, La Pryor, Leakey, Pearsall, Rocksprings, Sabinal, Utopia and Uvalde.
The application process requires students to submit a personal essay, letter of recommendation and a personal statement expressing their qualifications for the program. Educators from each school district in SWTJC’s 11-county service area assist the program in recruiting students.
SWTJC Dean of Institutional Advancement and Technology Dr. Blaine Bennett said this year’s pool of applicants was one of the largest in program history.
“After eight years, the word is out that this is a great program. The number of applicants is growing and the quality is outstanding,” Bennett said. “Once again, I commend all the students, parents and teachers who took time to complete applications for this year’s program.”
GeoFORCE Texas encourages students with a high aptitude in math and science to consider careers in the geosciences. The week-long summer academies offer a blend of college preparatory coursework with hands-on field trips to sites of geological interest around the country, at no cost to the students.
Students selected for the summer academy program are committed to participate for four years throughout high school with summer field trips to Florida, the Grand Canyon, Mt. St. Helens and the Pacific Coast, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) headquarters in Reston, VA. Students will also have the opportunity to compete for GeoFORCE scholarships and internships after their final summer academy.
Qualified applicants not selected for the summer academy track are invited to participate in the Young Geoscientists Field Course. Similar to the summer academies, the field course includes both coursework and hands-on field work in the Uvalde area, Port Aransas, Austin, West Texas and New Mexico.
In addition, GeoFORCE also hosts SAT preparation classes and assists graduating seniors with financial aid and scholarship applications.
Corporate sponsors provide financial assistance to support the program’s long-term goals of increasing the number of students – especially minorities and femalse – who enter into the geosciences, as well as creating awareness of the importance of Earth science in everyday life.
Total participation in GeoFORCE Texas, includes 320 from Southwest Texas and an additional 250 students from inner-city schools in Houston.
For more information about the program, contact Edgar Garza, conference coordinator at the Jackson School of Geosciences, at egarza.jsg.utexas.edu or visit the GeoFORCE Texas website at http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/geoforce/.
