30
January
2018
|
15:52 PM
America/Chicago

Parents of Future Gators Visit UHD

College preparation doesn't happen overnight. While students prepare academically to succeed in college classrooms, they and their parents still must navigate the process of admissions, enrollment and financial aid.

Thanks to Houston Independent School District's (HISD) College Readiness Program, families of future college students can learn more about area universities through a variety of initiatives. Among those are visits to college campuses, including the University of Houston-Downtown.

On Jan. 30, UHD hosted its first HISD Parent College Forum. More than 300 parents of prospective Gators arrived in UHD's Welcome Center for this event. Parents were greeted by UHD President, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz and HISD Trustee from District 8 Diana Dávila among other dignitaries.

"It's never to early to start engaging parents' trust and curiosity about colleges and universities," Dávila said. "This is HISD's second Parent College Forum and the first hosted by UHD. We've doubled the amount of parents attending this event. Maybe UHD will gain a family of Gators after today.

Following a reception in the Welcome Center, families attended breakout sessions focused on topics, such as DACA and financial aid. They also heard from current students about their UHD experiences and met with community partners to learn about other college readiness opportunities.

"It was inspiring to see so many parents of future college students assembled on our campus," Muñoz said. "I thank HISD's College Readiness program and Trustee Davila for coordinating today's gathering. Our institution looks forward to hosting more events that inform and enlighten the families of aspiring Gators."