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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 570
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WHEREAS, Four students, Matthew Carrizal, Miguel Gonzalez, |
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Courtney Osborn, and Lexi Villarreal, graduated with |
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certificates in interdisciplinary studies from Texas A&M |
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University on May 11, 2023, as members of the inaugural class of |
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the Aggie ACHIEVE program; and |
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WHEREAS, Aggie ACHIEVE, which stands for Academic Courses |
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in Higher Inclusive Education and Vocational Experiences, is a |
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comprehensive transition program for young adults with |
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intellectual and developmental disabilities who have exited high |
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school; the program provides participants with an inclusive and |
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immersive college education with the goal of successfully |
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preparing them for employment in the community; and |
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WHEREAS, With the program's launch in the fall of 2019, |
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Texas A&M became the first university in the state to introduce a |
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certificate-based higher education initiative of this kind for |
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young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; |
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Aggie ACHIEVE is designed to enroll students for up to four |
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years, and each student is matched with coursework, internship |
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opportunities, and extracurricular activities that align with |
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their academic interests and employment goals; students in the |
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program take classes, live independently, complete internships |
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on campus, and work part-time jobs both on campus and in the |
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College Station community, in addition to participating in |
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social, athletic, and recreational activities alongside their |
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fellow Aggies; and |
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WHEREAS, Created by Dr. Carly Gilson at the TAMU School of |
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Education and Human Development, the Aggie ACHIEVE program was |
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established based on research showing that students with |
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intellectual and developmental disabilities who attend |
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postsecondary inclusive programs have a higher rate of |
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employment and earn higher wages than those who do not have such |
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opportunities; the students enrolled in Aggie ACHIEVE also |
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benefit from the support and mentorship of their peers in |
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ACHIEVEMates, an organization formed by Texas A&M undergraduate |
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students to help ACHIEVE participants reach their goals; and |
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WHEREAS, The four members of the inaugural cohort of Aggie |
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ACHIEVE demonstrated hard work, dedication, and perseverance on |
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their way to completing the program, and they are indeed |
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deserving of special recognition for this accomplishment as they |
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embark on the next exciting chapter of their lives; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
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Legislature, hereby honor the inaugural graduating class of the |
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Aggie ACHIEVE program and extend to each student sincere best |
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wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That official copies of this Resolution be |
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prepared for the students as an expression of high regard from |
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the Texas Senate. |
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Bettencourt |
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| Alvarado |
Hinojosa |
Nichols |
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| Creighton |
King |
Schwertner |
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| Eckhardt |
Kolkhorst |
Sparks |
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Patrick, President of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on May 15, 2023. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |