By Justin Walker
Communications Specialist

A new program focused on providing necessary resources for continued education has been launched by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Students in nine counties across the state will be eligible to for the Rural Student Success Initiative, a program designed to provide knowledge, information and motivation to students and their families in order for them to be successful in their education beyond high school.

“We know that education equates with success,” said Susan Ballabina, executive director for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. “We want to make sure rural students have access to resources and information that will allow them to be successful in postsecondary education.”

Those resources will be available through AgriLife Extension agents for students and families in Bee, Cameron, Dimmit, Fannin, Jasper, Lamar, Nolan, San Augustine and Zavala counties.

Greater Texas Foundation, an entity focused on serving the citizens and educational institutions of Texas, awarded $3 million to the program through the Texas A&M Foundation.

Courtney Dodd, AgriLife assistant agency director and program leader for the Texas 4-H Youth Development Program, said she and her colleagues were appreciative of the confidence the foundation placed in the initiative.

Dodd hopes the program will help students and their families as they begin the process of postsecondary education, regardless of whether it is a certificate program, two-year or four-year degree.

“We want them to be able to get a job that pays an adequate salary that will help them have the lifestyle they want,” Dodd said. “That success is really what we’re aiming for.”

Dodd and Ballabina both hope the program integrates into the communities and strengthens the existing support systems.

“I hope that in five to 10 years we are doing the same work but replicating it in more communities,” Dodd said.

Sue McMillan, president and CEO of Greater Texas Foundation, said the organization supports the initiative and its goal of benefiting rural youth and is hopeful for the future of the initiative.

“The goal is to develop a strong model that can ultimately be scaled across the state,” McMillian said.