88R30302 EME-D
By: Bettencourt S.R. No. 570
R E S O L U T I O N
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.