Bill Text: TX SR570 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Recognizing the inaugural graduating class of the Aggie ACHIEVE program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-15 - Reported enrolled [SR570 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SR570-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Recognizing the inaugural graduating class of the Aggie ACHIEVE program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-15 - Reported enrolled [SR570 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SR570-Introduced.html
88R30302 EME-D | ||
By: Bettencourt | S.R. No. 570 |
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WHEREAS, Four students, Matthew Carrizal, Miguel Gonzalez, | ||
Courtney Osborn, and Lexi Villarreal, graduated with certificates | ||
in interdisciplinary studies from Texas A&M University on May 11, | ||
2023, as members of the inaugural class of the Aggie ACHIEVE | ||
program; and | ||
WHEREAS, Aggie ACHIEVE, which stands for Academic Courses in | ||
Higher Inclusive Education and Vocational Experiences, is a | ||
comprehensive transition program for young adults with | ||
intellectual and developmental disabilities who have exited high | ||
school; the program provides participants with an inclusive and | ||
immersive college education with the goal of successfully preparing | ||
them for employment in the community; and | ||
WHEREAS, With the program's launch in the fall of 2019, Texas | ||
A&M became the first university in the state to introduce a | ||
certificate-based higher education initiative of this kind for | ||
young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; | ||
Aggie ACHIEVE is designed to enroll students for up to four years, | ||
and each student is matched with coursework, internship | ||
opportunities, and extracurricular activities that align with | ||
their academic interests and employment goals; students in the | ||
program take classes, live independently, complete internships on | ||
campus, and work part-time jobs both on campus and in the College | ||
Station community, in addition to participating in social, | ||
athletic, and recreational activities alongside their fellow | ||
Aggies; and | ||
WHEREAS, Created by Dr. Carly Gilson at the TAMU School of | ||
Education and Human Development, the Aggie ACHIEVE program was | ||
established based on research showing that students with | ||
intellectual and developmental disabilities who attend | ||
postsecondary inclusive programs have a higher rate of employment | ||
and earn higher wages than those who do not have such opportunities; | ||
the students enrolled in Aggie ACHIEVE also benefit from the | ||
support and mentorship of their peers in ACHIEVEMates, an | ||
organization formed by Texas A&M undergraduate students to help | ||
ACHIEVE participants reach their goals; and | ||
WHEREAS, The four members of the inaugural cohort of Aggie | ||
ACHIEVE demonstrated hard work, dedication, and perseverance on | ||
their way to completing the program, and they are indeed deserving | ||
of special recognition for this accomplishment as they embark on | ||
the next exciting chapter of their lives; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature | ||
hereby honor the inaugural graduating class of the Aggie ACHIEVE | ||
program and extend to each student sincere best wishes for the | ||
future; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared | ||
for the students as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
Senate. |