News release provided by Elizabeth Christian Public Relations Texas Mutual Insurance Company—the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance—has awarded a $100,000 grant to Del Mar College (DMC) to support workplace safety training. The funding will strengthen safety programs offered through DMC’s Continuing Education and Workforce Programs & Corporate Services Departments, providing valuable training for area employers and their employees, along with the broader community. 2026 marks the 13th consecutive year that Texas Mutual has awarded a $100,000 grant to support safety training courses targeting several workforce sectors in the Coastal Bend. Over the past year, Texas Mutual’s grant funding supported DMC safety training for nearly 700 students. These individuals took 78 classes that totaled more than 1,520 course hours. The college’s comprehensive safety training is designed to meet diverse workforce needs. Courses emphasize both prevention and preparedness that empower participants to identify hazards, apply best practices and respond confidently in critical situations. Safety training addresses the needs of several employment sectors ranging from construction, healthcare and industrial to equipment operations, maritime, energy and food service. DMC provides industry-recognized safety and certification training, including the OSHA 30-Hour course, healthcare CPR and AED instruction, mariner safety techniques and heavy equipment operator training. In many instances, these courses are offered at little to no cost by using Texas Mutual funds to support the college’s safety training programs. The grant removes financial barriers among individuals and employers, especially underserved populations and small businesses, giving them access to essential safety education that otherwise might be out of reach. Learn more about Del Mar College’s safety training offerings by visiting delmar.edu/ce/index.html.  For more information on Texas Mutual and its work in the community, visit texasmutual.com. -### About Texas Mutual Insurance Company Austin-based Texas Mutual Insurance Company is the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance, serving nearly 40% of the market and over 80,000 businesses. Since 1991, Texas Mutual has provided stable, competitive coverage, exceptional service and industry-leading safety resources to help build a stronger, safer Texas. Texas Mutual is also the parent company of Texicare, a health affiliate dedicated to providing innovative solutions that increase access to more affordable, easy-to-use, quality healthcare for Texas businesses, employees and families. With nearly $4.8 billion paid to policyholders in general dividends and $100 million invested in organizations strengthening our community, Texas Mutual is committed to the future of Texas.

Article by Melinda Eddleman Del Mar College’s (DMC) Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Program is changing lives. A first for DMC, this innovative program is designed to expedite qualifying in-district students’ completion of an associate’s degree within a three-year period by attending full time after signing a commitment contract. The college has now launched the online inquiry and application process for its revised version, Freedom to Dream 2.0, for the 2026-2027 academic year. The web page includes updates that address selected students’ college readiness to ensure their success in reaching their goals. The deadline to apply is April 30. To date, over 1,815 in-district residents have applied for Freedom to Dream 2.0. And, for anyone living within the Del Mar College taxing district but hesitant about beginning a journey in higher education, ask 31-year-old Pamela Mangum about how her life is changing as a participant in the program. The 2013 Tuloso-Midway High School graduate “signed the dotted line” last year and is among more than 1,700 in-district students enrolled at DMC through the Freedom to Dream initiative. The program is supporting her journey to complete her associate’s degree in computer programming, a dream that might have gone unfulfilled without that assistance.   Like many individuals’ experiences, Mangum started college right after high school but then dropped out when mounting family obligations and challenges took precedence. In her case, the birth of her daughter with a medical condition requiring round-the-clock care, her husband’s full-time job and apprenticeship to become an electrician as well as living and medical expenses leading to a paycheck-to-paycheck existence put her college education on hold. Now she can reach her goal through DMC’s Freedom to Dream initiative, and so can a new cohort of in-district students for the 2026-2027 academic year with “Freedom to Dream 2.0.” She notes that focusing on college readiness and the addition of “Success Coaches”  will keep students on track from the beginning to the end of their educational journey at DMC. “Our goal is successful student outcomes as we prepare all Freedom to Dream participants for the workforce or their next path in higher education that they choose to take, ” Dr. Benavides-Dominguez adds, noting the persistence rate among the first cohort between this year’s fall and spring semesters is 82 percent compared to the college’s original goal of 70 percent. Success Coaches’ primary focus is to increase student retention, persistence and graduation rates for Freedom to Dream students. These individuals provide students with personalized coaching so that students meet tuition waiver program requirements, complete educational and transfer goals as well as connect to resources that support academic success. “Freedom to Dream has a requirement that I attend two advising meetings each semester, and I’m extremely grateful for this because my advisor consistently gives me information about scholarships, pathways to check out and easier ways to help me succeed,”  Mangum notes. Compared to the first iteration of Freedom to Dream that Mangum is completing, DMC’s revised Freedom to Dream 2.0 Tuition Waiver Program focuses on “college readiness” as a requirement along with other updates associated with this change:        • Applicants must demonstrate their preparedness for college-level courses by earning college       readiness benchmark scores on the Texas Success Imitative Assessment (TSIA) 2.0 test.       See steps to take the TSIA test and readiness score requirements.      • Freedom to Dream 2.0 will not cover tuition for developmental courses needed to bring         participants up to college level work in English, mathematics and reading. Students can alternately pursue stackable “Marketable Skills Awards” offered through DMC Continuing Education (CE) programs that can count toward academic programs, build workforce skills and are considered by the state as “credentials of value.” Qualifying individuals must live within the college’s taxing district, which includes the Corpus Christi, Calallen, Flour Bluff, Tuloso-Midway and West Oso Independent School Districts and parts of London and Robstown ISDs.  Other criteria include:      • High school graduates must be part of the Class of 2026, including General Education          Development (GED) recipients, and Dual Credit students, who are eligible regardless of the          number of credits they’ve earned.      • Adult learners must have 12 or fewer semester credit hours completed and have attempted no          more than 18 semester hours at the time the fall 2026 semester begins, which is Aug. 24.  Among other requirements original to the program are 1) enrollment as a full-time student with no less than 12 semester credit hours each semester (fall and spring) and 2) maintaining a minimum 2.0 grade point average to continue receiving the tuition waiver. When Mangum completes her journey at Del Mar College, she will be the first in her family to graduate from college. She adds, “This waiver has changed the course of not only my life but my children’s as well.”   To learn more about qualifying criteria for Freedom to Dream 2.0 and to fill out an online request for information form, visit www.delmar.edu/freedom.  Before the April 30 application deadline, interested “in-district” residents can also attend a Freedom to Dream 2.0 information session scheduled at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday for the remaining dates and campuses:      • March 18: Main Central Building, Oso Creek Campus, 7002 Yorktown Blvd. (78414)      • April 15: Coleman Center, Windward Campus, 4101 Old Brownsville Road (78405) Questions? Contact Del Mar College’s Student Enrollment Center at 361-698-1290 or enroll@delmar.edu.   

Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. When it comes to cybersecurity training, the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute, or CyManII, is focused on creating technical innovations that drive a cybersecure and energy dominant U.S manufacturing enterprise and workforce. CyManII is based at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and includes the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security, the Institute for Cyber Security and the Cyber Center for Security and Analytics. As part of the organization’s outreach initiatives, CyManII has unveiled its Mobile Training Vehicle (MTV), a state-of-the-art learning lab on wheels. The MTV provides all the advantages of the organization’s classroom and learning lab – the Cyber Range – but in a remote capacity, which gives manufacturers and university students the opportunity to detect, identify and effectively mitigate cyber threats. On Feb. 26 and Feb. 27, Del Mar College students, faculty and staff got a chance to step inside and explore cutting-edge cyber technology the MTV houses, meet CyManII experts and see real-world cybersecurity tools in action. The public is invited to stop by, get inspired and discover how DMC is connected to the future of cyber innovation through its Computer Science Program while meeting with faculty!   Xu adds: “It also highlights the strong Network Administration and Information Security (NAIS) programs we offer at Del Mar College, where we prepare learners for high‑demand careers. We encourage everyone to stop by, engage with the technology, and see how cybersecurity skills impact every industry.”    

Article by DMC College Relations Tuesday, March 3, the Del Mar College (DMC) Board of Regents will hold their regular monthly meeting beginning at 1 p.m. in Room 106 of the college’s Center for Economic Development at 3209 S. Staples (78411). Get online directions and facility map.  The regular meeting also will be livestreamed. Community members may access the meeting by going to the online video link at www.delmar.edu/webcast/ by 12:55 p.m. A copy of the Agenda Notice and Board Packet is available online as follows: www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/agendas/agenda-packet-3-3-26.pdf. Meeting agendas and other resources are also available on the DMC Board of Regents web page at www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/index.html. The health and safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors are a priority for Del Mar College. To view the College’s guidelines, visit www.delmar.edu/rtc/index.html.      

Article by Melinda Eddleman If you’ve thought about attending college this coming fall but believe the cost makes that dream impossible … think, again. It’s possible! Not only has Del Mar College launched the updated “Freedom to Dream 2.0” Tuition Waiver Program for in-district residents, the DMC Foundation is also currently accepting online scholarship applications from ALL students for the 2026-2027 academic year. Applicants are required to submit only one application; the Foundation’s scholarship portal will then automatically match them to every scholarship for which they qualify. For more information and to complete the quick 7- to 15-minute scholarship application, go to delmar.edu/scholarships. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the DMC Foundation awarded over $2.85 million  in scholarships to more than 1,430 students. Students attending DMC with a minimum of six (6) credit hours per semester and with a minimum 2.0 grade point average or a GED equivalency are eligible to apply. Essays are not required. The DMC Foundation administers donor-funded scholarships, both direct and endowed. Funds help students pay for tuition, fees, technology, books or whatever is needed to start and successfully complete their education at Del Mar College.  In-district students are also eligible to apply for the “Freedom to Dream 2.0” Tuition Waiver Program and DMC Foundation scholarships; and if accepted by both programs, they can use scholarship funds for everything beyond tuition costs. As a first-in funding program, the Freedom to Dream initiative has received $500,000 each year for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years from the DMC Foundation with the Board of Trustees’ approval to use these funds previously donated for the Viking Promise Program.  “The DMC Foundation and its Board of Trustees proudly support the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver program and partner closely with the college to ensure students receive the maximum financial assistance possible, helping them graduate sooner,” notes Busby, adding: “Students are encouraged to apply for both the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver program and DMC Foundation scholarships for additional support throughout their academic journey.” The Foundation’s scholarship program offers awards to both part-time and full-time students. Eligible students may receive scholarships without regard to federal or state financial aid eligibility.  Don’t wait to apply! The DMC Foundation scholarship application deadline is April 30! Questions? Contact the DMC Foundation at foundation@delmar.edu or 361-698-1317.  

Article by Richard Guerrero, Jr.  Valentine’s Day is not just a day for romantic love. For area Scouts this year, it was a perfect day to showcase their love of the values and learning adventures, along with a deep esprit de corps, that’s gained as part of the Scouting life. On Feb. 14, Del Mar College once again hosted the annual Merit Badge College at the Windward Campus. Troops with the South Texas Council Scouting America (STCAS), formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, spent the day during this skills-building event completing classes taught by about 60 DMC faculty and staff to earn highly prized Merit Badges for their sashes. Nearly 140 Scouts from throughout the 17-county area of the South Texas Council, along with others from surrounding councils, attended morning and afternoon sessions. Merit Badge College Chair Mike Jones, DMC Professor of Speech and Scoutmaster, says that there are currently 141 Merit badges in the Scouts BSA catalogue. As of January 2026, over 80 merit badge requirements have been updated to reflect modern careers, outdoor ethics and safety. “A new program in Scouts BSA is the Merit Badge Test Lab where prospective badges are offered, and Scouts can help pilot new offerings,” he notes. “Scouts receive a certificate upon completing the test badge; and if the National Council decides to make the badge official, the Scouts receive the badge, too.”  Current test badges are Auctioneering, Wildland Fire Management, Life Skills, Physics, Sewing & Needlework, Dance and Psychology. Scouts were also able to earn more than one badge in a single class, which includes Aviation, Communication, Public Speaking and Crime Prevention and Fingerprinting where they can earn two badges. Scouts pursuing the Welding badge spent the whole day receiving instruction at DMC’s Metals Technology Building. Additionally, Scouts also had the option to earn two new badges that were introduced during this year’s Merit Badge College––Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity–– with the badges focusing on responsible technology use and practical skills. The full list of 26 classes offered during Merit Badge College 2026 included: ·      Architecture   ·      Artificial Intelligence (AI)   ·      Automotive Maintenance   ·      Aviation   ·      Citizenship in Society ·      Communication ·      Crime Prevention ·      Cybersecurity   ·      Digital Technology   ·      Drafting   ·      Electronics   ·      Emergency Preparedness   ·      Entrepreneurship   ·      Farm Mechanics   ·      Fingerprinting ·      First Aid   ·      Health Care Professions   ·      Moviemaking   ·      Personal Fitness   ·      Personal Management   ·      Programming   ·      Public Speaking   ·      Salesmanship   ·      Traffic Safety ·      Truck Transportation ·      Welding Jones says Merit Badge College is a great way to accomplish two goals. “The Merit Badge College is an amazing opportunity to serve area youth in Scouting while at the same time showcasing higher education,” he says. “These youth take classes with Del Mar College faculty who are specialists in their fields; and for many of them, this is their first visit to a college campus and their first interaction with faculty, inspiring many to inquire further about career opportunities.”