Mineola ISD trustees and officials and Tyler Junior College representatives stand for a photo with MISD Superintendent Cody Mize and Tyler Junior College President Dr. Juan Mejia (sitting) who signed an agreement on Monday night establishing the Mineola TJC Promise program. This partnership will provide up to two years of tuition and fees for Mineola High School graduates who fulfill academic, attendance, dedication and community service requirements.

Through a new partnership between Mineola ISD and Tyler Junior College, current eighth grade Mineola students, also known as the class of 2025, could have their tuition and fees covered without worrying about the financial concerns of attending college.

Following school board approval on Monday, MISD Superintendent Cody Mize and TJC President Dr. Juan Mejia signed an agreement establishing the scholarship program, Mineola TJC Promise.

This partnership begins in students’ freshmen year, and if they follow academic achievement, attendance, dedication and community service requirements, the scholarship will fund two years of tuition.

The TJC Promise program has been available to students within the college’s tax district, such as Tyler, Chapel Hill, Grand Saline, Lindale, Van and Winona ISDs. The Mineola program is the second outside of the TJC tax district following the Rusk TJC Promise, which started at Rusk High School in 2014.

Mize called the start of the partnership a historic night for Mineola ISD.

“In March 2020, COVID-19 disrupted educational institutions across the country and shut down most of the state and our country,” Mize said. “COVID-19 could never shut down the marketplace of ideas and collaboration among friends, and the spirit of Mineola, Texas certainly wasn’t going to be shut down.”

He said the Mineola TJC Promise was made possible through the leadership of MISD board of trustees, the district administrative team and people who have donated funds to the school district to help students.

Money from area donors will supply Mineola ISD with the funds needed to provided the scholarships, Mize said.

“For far too long, not all have had the opportunity to earn a college degree or had the opportunity to earn a trade certification at a place of higher education,” he said. “Tonight that changes for the students of Mineola ISD through the Mineola TJC Promise scholarship.”

The Promise program will begin with the current eighth grade class entering its freshmen year this fall. Mize said the school will host a signing ceremony for students.

Mize, an alumnus of TJC, was part of the original leadership team that developed and launched the TJC Promise program in 2016 when he was at Winona ISD.

Under the agreement, students will sign the Mineola TJC Promise pledge agreements with parents or guardians during the fall of their high school freshman year. MISD will track the standards of the Mineola TJC Promise for participating students during their spring semester of the freshman year through graduation from high school.

The school district will give TJC a yearly list of students who qualify for the Mineola TJC Promise program, and the college will annually notify students of their continued eligibility, the agreement states. Mineola ISD will provide transcripts for qualified students, based on Mineola TJC Promise standards, during the spring semester of students’ final years in high school.

MISD will be responsible for providing funding through private donations to make sure tuition and fees at the college can be provided up to two years for all eligible Mineola High School graduates.

Matthew Ramirez, director of TJC Promise program, said the TJC Promise has a model that works, and Promise students outperform all other students at the college.

Ramirez explained the TJC Promise begins working with students in their ninth grade year of high school to prepare for the college experiences, instead of waiting for them to graduate.

“The benefit of that is they’re not thinking about can I pay for college or should I pay for college, instead they’re thinking about how to prepare academically and mentally for college and spending those four years preparing for college instead of worrying about the cost,” Ramirez said.

As the students reach their senior year, each one gets a dedicated success coach, who is highly trained in all college-related topics like academics and financial aid, Ramirez said.

“They come out to the high school (during the student’s senior year) and each Promise senior gets a dedicated success coach,” he said. “That coach works one-on-one with each student to make sure that student and their families are prepared for college and helps those students make that transition.”

Mejia called Monday night an evening of celebration.

“We have a lot reasons to rejoice and at the top of the list is the ability to be with you to partner for the benefit of our students and our communities,” Mejia said.

Mejia noted the quote from former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill, “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.”

“So history has and will continue to be kind to Tyler Junior College (and) to Mineola because we’re going to be writing it together,” Mejia said.

John Abbott, Mineola ISD board of trustees president, thanked the TJC officials for recognizing the work the school district has done.

“What a great night to be a Mineola Yellowjacket. We appreciate all that you’ve done for us,” Abbott said. “You can tell by the crowd tonight we have some capable students, interested students and it’s an honor to have you here. It takes a village and we support each other. They’re (the students) going to be ready for it, and it’s going to be an exciting time.”