“Innovating the Future of Educational Attainment in the Coastal Bend” … Del Mar College holds second annual Superintendent Symposium to provide update, cover progress impacting Dual Enrollment Program
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November
2025
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20:15 PM
Europe/Amsterdam
Dual Enrollment participation among area high school students continues to grow, makes up 31 percent of fall 2025 credit enrollment; DMC currently partners with 51 ISDs
Article by Melinda Eddleman
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Del Mar College has much to celebrate, including growth in partnerships and student participation in our Dual Enrollment Program. Bringing together many of the Coastal Bend’s superintendents and other organizations will allow the college to share our progress with this program, collect ideas and needs among our primary education partners and network to discuss how we all can work together to produce the next generation of highly skilled, well-educated members of the Coastal Bend’s workforce.
Dr. Mark Escamilla, Del Mar College President and Chief Executive Officer
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DMC Superintendent in Residents Conrado Garcia and Flour Bluff Superintendent Chris Steinbruck
Del Mar College (DMC) Superintendent in Residence Conrado Garcia (left), who retired as Superintendent of West Oso ISD before joining the DMC family, poses with Flour Bluff Superintendent Chris Steinbruck at the college’s second annual Superintendent Symposium on Nov. 18 at the Oso Creek Campus. Garcia served as emcee of the event while Steinbruck was a keynote speaker and covered how his district partners with DMC and its Dual Enrollment Program. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
Superintendent Symposium 2025_Full House
On Nov. 18, the Tres Grace Community Room in the Culinary Arts Building on Del Mar College’s Oso Creek Cam[us was a “full house” of Coastal Bend superintendents and other guests attending the college’s second annual Superintendent Symposium, “Innovating the Future of Educational Attainment in the Coastal Bend.” The event focused on the success of both the DMC Dual Enrollment Program and the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver initiative that make higher education attainable to area high school students while still in school and after they graduate. (DMC College Relations)
DMC President and CEO Dr. Mark Escamilla_2025 Superintendent Symposium
Del Mar College President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mark Escamilla addresses a room full of guests during the college’s second annual Superintendent Symposium on Nov. 18. The event, “Innovating the Future of Educational Attainment in the Coastal Bend,” focused on updates and continued progress of the college’s Dual Enrollment Program and its impact on area high school students’ attainment of higher education. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
On Nov. 18, DMC officials, superintendents from partnering Coastal Bend ISDs and other guests met for the second annual Superintendent Symposium scheduled at the Oso Creek Campus to cover the progress the college’s Dual Enrollment Program has achieved over the past year and what the next steps will be.
Superintendent Symposium 2025_Group Shot on Staircase
The symposium targeted the impact the Dual Enrollment Program provides in preparing students for either additional workforce training or transferability to the university level and how Del Mar will continue progressing forward through ISD partnerships to make higher education attainable for Coastal Bend high school students. Presenters, including students and faculty, highlighted the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Program and “next steps” as college officials prepare for another cohort in fall 2026. Additionally, Flour Bluff ISD Superintendent Chris Steinbruck provided an address focused on his district’s partnership with the college and other area entities to prepare students for regional high demand job opportunities.
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Listen to KEDT Radio’s Nov. 19 broadcast of interviews with Dr. Escamilla and Steinbruck conducted during the symposium:
DMC Dual Credit Welding Technology Students and Faculty_Panel Discussion_2025 Superintendent Symposium
Among the presentations during Del Mar College’s second annual Superintendent Symposium was a panel discussion by DMC Dual Enrollment Welding Applied Technology Program students and faculty. The program provides high school students with first-rate, college-level training while still in high school with tuition at no cost and prepares them with the skills and knowledge employers required. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
Rockport-Fulton ISD Superintendent Dr. Lesley Austin and DMC Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Jonda Halcomb_2025 Superintendent Symposium
During a networking opportunity on the first level of the Oso Creek Campus Culinary Arts Building, Rockport-Fulton ISD Superintendent Dr. Lesley Austin visits with Del Mar College Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Jonda Halcomb. Both attended the second annual Superintendent Symposium on Nov. 18 to hear about the progress and impact the DMC Dual Enrollment Programs has made across the Coastal Bend through partnerships between the college and 51 high schools whose students participate in the program. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
Freedom to Dream Student Participants_Panel Discussion_2025 Superintendent Symposium
Recent high school graduates who are currently enrolled in fall 2025 credit courses through Del Mar College’s Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver initiative served on a panel during DMC’s second annual Superintendent Symposium, “Innovating the Future of Educational Attainment in the Coastal Bend.” Held on Nov. 18, 2025, the event brought together area superintendents from 25 independent school districts that partner with the college’s Dual Enrollment Program to hear about progressive work over the past year and its impact on students’ attainability of higher education during and after high school. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
Vice President of Dual Enrollment and Continuing Education Dr. Leondard Rivera_2025 Superintendent Symposium
Dr. Leonard Rivera, DMC Vice President of Dual Enrollment and Continuing Education, shares updates and innovations with a room full of Coastal Bend superintendents during Del Mar College’s second annual Superintendent Symposium held at the Oso Creek Campus on Nov. 18. Enrollment in the Dual Enrollment Program has grown 40 percent since fall 2020 with current program participation in fall 2025 credit courses making up 31 percent of the college’s overall credit enrollment for the semester. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
Vice President and Chief Information Officer A. Kolahdouz and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Patricia Benavides-Domingez_2025 Superintendent Symposium
Coastal Bend superintendents and other guests heard a data report covering the impact of Del Mar College’s Dual Enrollment Program and Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver initiative during the college’s second annual Superintendent Symposium on Nov. 18. DMC Vice President and Chief Information Officer Ali Kolahdouz (left) looks on as co-presenter Dr. Patricia Benavides-Domingez, Vice President for Student Affairs covers data on both programs. (Credit: DMC College Relations`)
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Del Mar College is proud of the pioneering initiatives we launched over the past few years, including the FAST Program and the Freedom to Dream initiative. We’re giving more regional students access to higher education not only while still attending high school but also the opportunity to continue their journey with the college to either complete training and move into the workforce or take the next step after earning those core degrees that support transitioning to a university for further study.
Dr. Leonard Rivera, Vice President of Dual Enrollment and Continuing Education
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The Superintendent Symposium concluded with a video produced onsite featuring a few of the area’s superintendents providing quick remarks about what is the most exciting achievement occurring in their district now, along with a special message from retired West Oso ISD Superintendent and current DMC’s Superintendent in Residence Conrado Garcia, who emceed the event:
About Del Mar College
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.
Latest DMC News
- “Freedom to Dream 2.0” application process for Del Mar College’s tuition waiver program now underway for fall 2026Article 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.
- Cutting-edge cybersecurity Mobile Training Vehicle (MTV) dropped by Del Mar College’s Heritage Campus on Feb. 26-27 to provide awareness toursArticle 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.”
- DMC Board of Regents Holding Regular Monthly Meeting on Tuesday, March 3Article 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.
- Apply now! Online scholarship application process underway through Del Mar College Foundation for DMC’s 2026-2027 academic yearArticle 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.
- Merit Badge College 2026 brings nearly 140Scouts to Windward Campus on Feb. 14Article 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.”
- South Texas high school students showcased abilities during SkillsUSA Texas District 12 Leadership & Skills Conference at Del Mar College Feb. 5-7Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. It’s that time of year when high school students converge in Corpus Christi to compete in the Skills USA Texas District 12 Leadership and Skills Conference. This year, Del Mar College (DMC) hosted hundreds of competitors Feb. 5-7, as they competed for top spots for statewide competition later this spring. Organizers anticipated over 500 students competing at the district level, demonstrating their skills not only at DMC facilities at the Windward and Oso Creek campuses and Center for Economic Development but also other locations around the city. High school students from grades 9-12 representing 15 counties across South Texas––even as far away as Laredo and Crystal City––demonstrated their skills during a variety of contests ranging from architectural drafting to cabinet making to firefighting to robotics to video news production. Area competitors represented high schools with the Corpus Christi Independent School District––including Carroll, Miller and Ray high schools and the Harold T. Branch Academy––along with students from Alice, Beeville, Bishop, London, Robstown, Rockport and Tuloso-Midway ISDs. Among this year’s competitions were two themed contests. The Commercial Baking Job Exhibit Competition and the Nail Art Competition featured a thematic focus on “Cosmic Horizons: Reaching for the Stars” so that competitors could base their designs on rockets, spaceships, planets or other space-related elements. Overall, the 2026 USA Skills Texas District 12 conference included approximately 96 different categories with DMC faculty and staff, along with industry partner representatives, serving as judges. The competition wrapped up with an awards ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. in Wolfe Recital Hall on the college’s Heritage Campus. Winners will now advance to state competition, which will also be held in Corpus Christi at the Hilliard Center and other city venues across the city. High school students from across Texas will compete here April 8-11 before winners advance to national competition in Atlanta, Ga., in June. SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization that serves more than 395,000 high school, college and middle school students and professional members enrolled in training programs in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. Given its immense size, the state of Texas is broken up into three SkillsUSA Texas regions that encompass 13 districts. Nicole Kindzirsky, DMC Industrial Technology Department Instructor and 2025 District 12 Leadership & Skills Conference Contest Coordinator for SkillsUSA Texas, says Del Mar College has hosted district- and state-level competitions for more than a decade, noting that the competition gives students an opportunity to meet and interact with DMC’s experienced and highly dedicated instructors as well as compete in the college’s classrooms and labs. She says, “In a sense, these District 12 students can feel what it’s like to be a DMC Viking while competing at the college’s facilities. Many of the pathways they have started in high school can lead directly into those we offer and allow them to complete certificates, an associate degree and even a bachelor’s degree as a DMC student.”
