Torrential rains didn’t stop more than 100 high school juniors and seniors from attending the inaugural “Passport to Your Future” Girls Conference at OLLU-Houston in late March.
Upon arrival the girls and chaperones were greeted by OLLU staff, faculty, and volunteers and then enjoyed continental breakfast before the opening session.
“Education has allowed me to travel the world, be with communities, work in communities, listen to communities, be of service to communities, and contribute to the development of many communities,” said OLLU President Abel A. Chávez, PhD, in a recorded greeting to the participants. “Your education can also be that for you, and we at Our Lady of the Lake University can be your partner in that passport to your future.”
OLLU-Houston was decorated with many references to the passport theme. The girls attended workshops focused on the Arts, Business, Healthcare, Law, Leadership, Psychology, Technology, and college/career readiness.
“Many of the girls in my sessions were still thinking about their plans for after high school,” said Victoria Sandoval, OLLU Graduate Admissions Counselor. “Some were going to be the first in their families to attend college. As a first-gen college graduate, I was able to share with the girls some of the strategies I used to navigate college.”
The “Passport to Your Future” Girls Conference on March 21 was a collaborative effort with university and community partners. External collaborators included: Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, MD Anderson Leadership Institute, Monty and Ramirez LLP Attorneys at Law, Spring ISD, and TDECU. The internal partners were the Office of Admissions, Office of Alumni Affairs and Family Relations, Department of Computer Information Systems and Security, Department of Psychology, and Zschool.
