My dad was a railroad engineer. I remember watching him pack his lunch in a bag each day for his long trips on the train. It was cheaper than buying food somewhere along the way. All the while, my mother was off to the side quietly worrying about how they would pay the tuition necessary for college. They wanted us to have an education, and their hard work and their sacrifice was never lost on me. Neither of my parents attended college, but they dreamed of making it available to their children. Nothing was more satisfying than hugging my parents when I received my diploma.
With so many jobs on the horizon, college degrees and/or certifications are important to fulfilling a dream, but they are also vital in keeping America strong. In Wylie ISD, one school board goal is to prepare our students for a prosperous life beyond high school. This preparation includes providing our students with the values, skills, and credentials necessary to live in prosperity.
Nationally, the United States is behind in this endeavor. With the current rate of growth in post-secondary education, Americans will fall short by 5,000,000 workers who have the degrees and/or certifications necessary to fill new careers. In short, we need our kids to go to, and graduate from, college or receive certifications necessary to be employed with a high-skill/high-wage career.
The “Marketing Rule of 7” suggests that people need to “hear” an advertiser’s message at least seven times before they’ll take action to buy that product or service. Therefore, if we want our children to pursue specific degrees and/or certifications, we must sell them the product many times. We want it to stick.
So what is our marketing message?
THINK COLLEGE…Every Thursday!!!
Wylie ISD observes Think College Thursday every Thursday of the year! We simply ask students to wear a college shirt of their choice. With about 36 Thursdays throughout the year, that is a lot of marketing.
Texas Tech shirts are preferred by the superintendent, of course, but students are welcome to support any college of their choice. If you have college shirts you would like to donate, we will gratefully accept them and pass them along to our kids! Please send your donations to the campus office, and we will get them to kids who can wear them.
As always, we look forward to working with you to help our students get ready for the future. Thank you for your continuous support and for helping Wylie ISD to become a leader in post-secondary readiness.
Preparing our kids for a prosperous life—it’s the Wylie Way!
