TITLE: Recognizing the inaugural graduating class of the Aggie ACHIEVE program.

SUMMARY: Recognizing the inaugural graduating class of the Aggie ACHIEVE program.

FULL TEXT:
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 State of Texas, 88th 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 from the Texas Senate. Bettencourt Alvarado Hinojosa Nichols Birdwell Huffman Parker Blanco Hughes Paxton Campbell Johnson Perry Creighton King Schwertner Eckhardt Kolkhorst Sparks Flores LaMantia Springer Gutierrez Men ndez West Hall Middleton Whitmire Hancock Miles Zaffirini Patrick, President of the Senate President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 15, 2023.