Although the future may look uncertain due to this pandemic, what is certain is that postsecondary education remains a key component to future success, especially for first-generation and low-income students at Uplift.
Dallas, TX –Uplift Education’s College and Career March has been known as the College March the past 6 years. This event will be held at Uplift’s ten high school campuses during the first week of December.
College and Career March is celebrating Uplift’s seniors and their hard work. This high energy event kicks off the final semester for Uplift’s seniors as they begin to make concrete decisions for their future. Seniors make their way to a symbolic mailbox and drop in letters or applications that will help determine their future. Whether the envelopes contain an application to a college, trade school, or the military, or a letter to a potential employer, this is the moment when Uplift students put their years of hard work and planning into action.
This event also allows their underclassmen a glimpse into what’s in store for them when they become seniors. This event brings around 940 senior students to “march” through crowds of fellow students, staff, community supporters and family, cheering them on as they make their way to the mailbox.
While Uplift believes that a college degree is the best pathway to achieve a comfortable income and a fulfilling life, they also acknowledge that college might not be the right path for every graduate. The career component to this event is inclusive of all students and their aspirations post high school. Uplift not only helps students get into their best fit college, but they also provide college persistence support and career counseling post-graduation. For those students who chose to pursue a career out of high school, Uplift provides supports to alternative pathways for earning
college credit, guidance for obtaining training for in-demand jobs, apprenticeships, and more.
The Uplift College and Career March furthers the college, military and career-bound culture and encourages the underclassmen in their pursuit of them all. We cannot wait to feel the energy of our live event and are excited to watch the creativity and enthusiasm unfold!
Uplift students earn college degrees at a rate four times the national average of their peers and more than twice the average of low income students in the state of Texas. 100% of Uplift’s eligible high schools were named among the Best High Schools in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report for 2021. All of Uplift’s high schools were within the top 29%.
“Our students virtual march is symbolic of hours, days, and years of hard work and commitment that they put in. We could not be prouder of the way our seniors are maintaining their academic goals, often while working to help support their family. They have also shown amazing creativity and enthusiasm as they have built new traditions and memories for their senior year during a pandemic,” said Yasmin Bhatia, Uplift CEO.
“I love Uplift because of the opportunity they can give you; if it were not for Uplift, I do not think I would be where I am right now. Before going to Uplift, I honestly never thought about going to college and did not know what I wanted in a career; it really changed my life.” – Roberto Moreno, Uplift Williams, Class of 2012
“Having teachers truly believe in me really fueled my fire and pushed me to learn more and become a well-rounded student.” – Mariah Steward, Uplift Luna, Class of 2016
We encourage the community to post to social media using the hashtag #Upliftcollegeandcareermarch to support our seniors. While we all have adapted to this “new pandemic normal”, we are confident that NOTHING has changed for our seniors as they prepare for their future. They are equipped with solid, globally focused academic knowledge, key critical thinking skills, and strong leadership abilities.
Uplift Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of teachers, families, and, most importantly, students. With a network of 45 college preparatory, public charter schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Uplift offers students of any background the powerful chance to study within a multidisciplinary curriculum and prepare for the college career they deserve. Uplift is the largest International Baccalaureate district in Texas and the #2 IB district in the nation because of the number of holistic extracurricular and educational programs. The incredible educators in the Uplift network guide and teach over 21,000 students in Pre-K- 12th grades, with the majority being low-income and minority students who will be the first in their family to attend college. For more information Uplift’s mission and their blind lottery selection system, visit uplifteducation.org or facebook.com/uplifteducation.
