Congressman Tony Gonzales meets with SWTJC administration
Gonzales began by thanking college staff for their role in educating the youth in this area.
When asked about DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) by a staff member, Gonzales answered with, "the program makes sense to me, but unfortunately, students have gotten sucked up on the immigration issue."
Gonzales added, "currently, one of our summer interns is a DACA recipient.
Additionally, the Congressman discussed how his office could assist the college with grants.
"We currently have a staff member in the San Antonio office dedicated to finding grants that can benefit our community," said Gonzales. "We will work hand in hand with you so that you have the resources needed and I am more than happy to write a letter of support."
According to SWTJC President Dr. Hector Gonzales, the Congressman helped procure the Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity (IREPO) grant, which will expand online degree programs and online course offerings to dual credit students. The grant will also provide funding for course redesign and enhancement to online courses.
"I appreciate Congressman Gonzales' taking time to update our leadership team on his priorities for this district. We also thank him for the assistance in securing a $1.5 million IREPO grant," said President Gonzales. "Expanding open educational resources, whereby students would have all course materials available online and eliminating the need to purchase a textbook is another important component of the grant."
Mental health is another of the Congressman's concerns. He informed the staff of the two million dollars he helped secure for constructing an inpatient psychiatric facility in Uvalde.
During the meeting, Gonzales also mentioned securing one million dollars for the Archaeology, Anthropology, and Cultural Research Center at Sul Ross State University. The funding will expand efforts to research and preserve areas of historical significance in the Chihuahuan Desert.
The visit with SWTJC administration and staff was one of several in Uvalde on that day.