Charter School Benefits - Tucson International Academy

College Scholarships Pave the Way to Higher Education for TIA Students

It’s truly amazing when one realizes that every single senior from Tucson International Academy has been accepted to college. But without college scholarships, many of these students’ dream for a university level education would end before it even started! That is why TIA administrators like Mr. Lin Wu put so much time and effort into guiding each student through the scholarship application process.

How Do I Complete a College Scholarship Application?

Students are not only encouraged to apply for several college scholarships, but are guided through the sometimes complicated process. Each scholarship has its own required elements. Each application will not only include completion of basic information about the student, but often requires the applicant to write an essay. The required essay can range in topics, but generally asks the students to write about their goals and why they would be a good candidate to receive scholarship funding. TIA provides students with the guidance and editing they need to write the very best essays possible.

How Much Does a College Scholarship Cover?

College scholarships vary in the amount of money offered and the length of time funding can be used. The biggest scholarships are those known as providing a “full ride” where all four years of college are covered for tuition, fees, books and sometimes a living allowance. Smaller scholarships combined together can also end up providing what is essentially a full ride for students. That is one of the reasons why it is wise to apply for as many scholarships as possible. Some scholarship programs have a requirement that the student must maintain good academic standing to continue receiving the annual scholarship.

What are Some of the College Scholarships Available?

Some students at TIA are encouraged to apply for the prestigious Gates Millenium Scholarship sponsored by Bill Gates and his wife. This scholarship can provide a full ride for 4 years and requires it’s applicants not only to be in good academic standing but also to be able to present themselves as well-rounded members of their community. Because many TIA students are from a Hispanic heritage, many apply to receive financial help from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. This scholarship program also reviews its candidates using academic and social standards. Certain universities have their own scholarship funds. Northern Arizona University, for instance, sponsors the Lumberjack Scholarship which is based on academic achievement. For lower income families, another option is FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Federal Student Aid is a part of the U.S. Department of Education and is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. It provides federal grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to students for college. Without college scholarships, many students would not be able to attend school beyond their senior year at Tucson International Academy. Helping students apply for these scholarships as they prepare for a higher education is just another integral part of preparing our students for a global society.

Interested in a school that can declare 100% of their students are college bound? Enroll Online Now!

Article by Betty Kruszka~TheJ3Effect

100% of TIA Seniors are College Bound!

Just let that sink in for a moment … 100% of Tucson International Academy high school graduates have been accepted to a university level education. Wait. WHAT? Every single high school senior graduating from TIA is college bound? Yes! But hold on, there’s more! In every known case, these students are the first generation in their family to attend college! How is that even possible? It’s in the Air! It is possible because of the atmosphere that permeates every hallway, every classroom, every event, every activity, and every field trip at TIA. It’s possible because TIA has teachers and administrators dedicated to helping every student to overcome any and every challenge hindering them from being college bound after high school. No exceptions. Custom Designed Plans for Each Student Although the seeds to be college bound get planted early for even the youngest TIA students, the wheels really start turning their sophomore year of high school. An individualized plan is mapped out based on each student’s academic position, strengths and weaknesses, interests, and goals for the future. Just as no two students are exactly alike, no two student plans are alike. Yet each student has a plan that insures graduating on time and having all tests necessary for college acceptance completed by the end of their junior year. Amazing, Dedicated Staff The students also begin the college application process at end of their junior year. Starting then and continuing into their senior year in high school, these students are supported by a group of dedicated teachers and administrators who literally walk each individual student through the sometimes complicated process. Students and their advisor meet on a weekly basis to navigate completion of applications, entrance essays, and responses to inquiries from other colleges. They are also given guidance as they investigate scholarship opportunities, and fine tune their career goals. Going the Extra Mile - Literally! Additionally, Tucson International Academy literally goes the extra mile in helping college bound students. They plan and orchestrate field trips for juniors and seniors to visit to all the Arizona university campuses plus a couple campuses in California. This gives the students an introduction to what college life looks like and also provides them the ability to create a vision in their minds of what their lives could be. Every single high school senior graduating from TIA is college bound? Yes! And it’s very much TIA’s intention to continue with this amazing track record! Interested in a school that can declare 100% of their students are college bound? Enroll Online Now!

School Sports Programs Bring New students to TIA Campus

TIA Charter School Sports Programs

How do you make a great school even better? You listen to the students! That is exactly what happened at Tucson International Academy, a charter school here in Tucson. The kids wanted to play sports, and because TIA teachers and administrators listened to their students, a program was started and has grown to include three sports so far. When you ask Mr. Jonathan Basurto from the Midvale Campus about the sports program, you begin to get an idea of how excited everyone is about what’s been going on. Mr. Basurto said the program started with just flag football in 2011. At that time TIA formed a team that played against other charter schools. But when so many kids from all four campuses showed interest in playing, the transportation and scheduling got to be a bit too daunting. So instead, each TIA campus formed its own co-ed team and the 4 campuses play against each other. In a very short time the sports program has not only started but has flourished!

Everyone Can Be Involved

Mr. Basurto is the acting sports commissioner, and teachers and parent volunteers have stepped in to coach the teams. Just like most activities at TIA, it’s a family affair. The teams are made up of different age groups, both boys and girls and everyone participates. The goal is fun, and the bragging rights are enough to fuel some great competition.

More Sports Added

The flag football program was such a success, TIA has since added basketball and volleyball. Additionally, since the start of these sports programs, TIA has noted an increase in enrollment. New students are drawn not only to the academic excellence, the family atmosphere and international approach at TIA, but now are attracted to some fun and healthy sports programs.

Interested in a charter school that has it all? Enroll online!

Story by Betty Kruszka~TheJ3Effect

Charter School sports program flag football

School of Dreams: TIA Annihilating Barriers to Student Success

Have you seen movies like Stand and Deliver (1988), Dangerous Minds (1995), or Freedom Writers (2007)? These films tell the stories of schools and students who have made miraculous turn arounds against all odds. They are inspirational and uplifting tributes to what happens when teachers, students and their parents refuse to accept any preconceived notions of limits or boundaries placed on their success. If you have seen any of these movies, you know that all you want to do at the end is stand up and cheer! Amazingly, such a film could truly be made right now, right here about students and teachers at Tucson International Academy. So grab some popcorn, sit back and be amazed at one of the incredible stories of success unfolding on TIA campuses and see how they have become the school of dreams! Then stand up and cheer!

Midvale Student “Dreams” of Success

There are times that all it takes for us to succeed is one other person to believe we can… and maybe a nap. For one Midvale student, that one person was Mr. Basurto. We’ll get to the nap later... Sam* knew he wasn’t really a bad kid. He just felt a need to keep shaking fences that seemed to hold him back. Or maybe he shook the fences to be sure they were strong enough to keep him safe. Either way, where others saw a kid who seemed to always be in trouble, Mr. Basurto saw a kid who just needed help to picture what he could achieve. With Mr. Basurto in his corner helping him to keep focused on his goals, Sam started to make strides. He began to envision a future beyond high school. It was as though it just took another person to help him lift the lid on the treasure chest which held all the sparkling possibilities for his future. But even with the changes Sam had made, when it came time for the Aims test, Sam was nervous that the new hope he had found might come to a screeching halt. He prepared as best he could but found that on the day of the test all the worry, fear and anxiety had taken it’s toll. Sam was physically exhausted. He was about half way through the testing when he realized he simply could not stay awake and focused. He closed his eyes, for just a moment he thought, but actually had fallen asleep right in the middle of the test. One teacher wanted to wake him but another teacher convinced him to let the young man rest for just a moment. That little power nap was all it took! Once he awoke, Sam was able to complete the test more focused and clear headed. Everyone else had finished but Sam kept working. He was the very last student to complete the testing. How did Sam do on the exam you ask? He did so well that based on his scores he got calls from schools such as Notre Dame, Stanford, NAU and U of A! Sam ended up choosing to attend U of A where he is working to make his dreams of success a reality. (You can stand up and cheer now!)

The Culture at TIA is Shifting

Students like Sam are examples of how the culture at TIA is shifting. Instead of students just wanting to get by, they are starting to envision so much more for themselves. The class clowns are learning that funneling their creative brains into academic success is more rewarding than being known as a goof off. Students are taking responsibility for their own success and sharing that drive with each other. College is now seen as a viable option for the majority of students at TIA. It’s contagious! TIA offers kids from all backgrounds a school environment that meets them where they are, and then gives them every tool they need to break through any preconceived barriers. With supportive teachers and a strong family atmosphere, kids at TIA are discovering they are capable of doing much more than they ever dreamed. And those dreams are becoming reality. Just ask Sam. *not his real name TIA is more than just a school. Click here to start enrollment process.

One of Tucson’s Best Schools Goes to China!

Part 2-Are you ready to continue our journey as TIA, one of Tucson's best schools goes to China? On our first day we traveled from San Francisco to Hong Kong. After a good night’s sleep, we explored the city of Hong Kong including a trip up Victoria Peak to view the city in all its splendor. We also did a little shopping and watched a Chinese movie being made right in the streets of Hong Kong. Chengdu: The Gem of Southwest China The morning of our 3rd day of travel had us back at the Hong Kong International Airport and off to Chengdu. Upon exiting the Chengdu International Airport, the first two things we noticed were the remarkable cooler and more comfortable weather and the traffic! Bicycles, pedestrians, taxis, busses, cars, and motorcycles all share the road in a kind of chaotic frenzy. It’s amazing and a little scary to witness! Due to the delay of the flight (raining in Hong Kong), Mr. Wu and the local tour guide had to re-schedule the planned activity (Leshan Giant Buddha) for the next day for everyone’s safety. Instead, the group went to a silk factory in Chengdu and the workers showcased our group how they transform the silk produced by the silk-worms into a variety of wearable and home décor products. Later, the group had dinner and checked into a hotel in Chengdu for rest. When our group woke up on the 4^th day, they were greeted with a pleasant sunny day and a well-cooked breakfast. Our first stop was the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The base began in 1987 with six giant pandas rescued from the wild. By 2010 the panda population in the base had increased to 97 from those original six. As the giant pandas are studied and cared for, we were amazed at how close and unimpeded we were able to view the uncaged giant pandas and red pandas on the base. The Chinese people love their pandas, and so did our group! After spending almost two hours at the base, our group traveled another two hours to the city of Leshan and enjoyed a peaceful Chinese lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we took a cruise boat to view the Leshan Giant Buddha. Carved by hand during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), the Chinese people used 90 years to complete the construction of this statue with a height of 71 meters and width of 28 meters. Sitting on the Minjiang River and facing Mountain Emei, Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest stone Buddha in the world and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. After the visit, our group traveled back to the Chengdu International Airport and took an evening flight to our next stop. Jiuzhaigou Valley: The Hidden Paradise of Sichuan Province It was a very short flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou Valley (about 45 minutes). Before landing, our group could see the mountain range and glaciers surrounding the small regional Jiuhuang Airport. Upon landing, our group felt the drastic change of climate, cold and rainy! After being picked up by the local tour guide (a Tibetan who has a beautiful voice and studied English all by himself), our group went to dinner and checked into a hotel for rest. Waking up to the fresh cool air in the Valley, our group started the 5^th day anew. Jiuzhaigou Valley, literally translated as Valley of Nine Villages, sits on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and stretches over 180,000 acres. With an elevation ranging from 6,600 to 14,800 feet, the valley is a visual feast of colorful lakes, multi-level waterfalls, majestic mountains, and imposing glaciers. After the frenetic energy of two large Chinese cities, the breath-taking natural beauty of this valley was rejuvenating. This part of the trip may be what many of our group will remember as the highlight since the valley is off the beaten path for most Americans visiting China. It was so odd for the Asian tourists to see that many Americans in the valley at once that they were taking pictures of us taking pictures of ourselves! Those pictures were even more memorable because many in our group posed wearing traditional Tibetan costumes! After the full and abundantly rich visual feast of the valley, we headed back to the Jiuhuang Airport to take an evening flight. As our group’s bus approached the airport (30 minutes away) it suddenly broke down and we were stuck in the mountains of Sichuan Province. Luckily, the tour guide contacted his friends and was able to have another bus driven to our “breakdown” spot to pick up our group in about 40 minutes. In the meanwhile, members of our group played “hitch-hikers” along the Freeway and made a happy memory out of this experience! Xi’an: A Journey Back to the Qin Dynasty By the time the flight took off from Jiuhuang Airport, everyone in our group was physically exhausted from the intense hiking inside the valley. Upon landing in Xi’an, our group checked into a hotel and slept in for the rest of the night. When everyone in our group had an awesome breakfast and felt refreshed, we were ready for the 6^th day of our tour. In Xi’an we experienced one of the most fascinating and historically significant exhibits of our travels: The Terracotta Army. The huge army of life-sized terracotta statues was made to be buried with Emperor Qin Shihuang near his tomb. These terracotta warriors and horses were not only a show of his glory, but also a remembrance of his army that triumphed over the other warring states in China which resulted in unification of China more than 2,000 years ago. Furthermore, the emperor believed that objects like statues could be animated in the afterlife and could therefore protect him after death. These serious-face warriors were discovered in 1974 by a local farmer digging a well. Amazingly many in our group got a chance to take a picture with the farmer while visiting the mausoleum. After a fabulous lunch (consisting of various types of Chinese noodles), our group stopped by a local folk house to watch the Shadow Play, an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which combines the movement of cut-out figures held between a source of light and a translucent screen and dramatic voices/singing. After the show, we roamed around the Muslim District of Xi’an and experienced the diversity of the Chinese population and culture. Then the tour guide took our group to have a “Hot Pot” dinner before we boarded the overnight train from Xi’an to the capital of China. Beijing: The Heart of China The final leg of our journey began with us boarding a night train from Xi’an to Beijing. Our group, occupying a whole cart (36 passenger capacity per cart), tired but exhilarated by the nonstop pace, kicked back and relaxed on the train. We each had a bed and were able to rest en-route. Once we arrived at the Beijing Train Station at 7:00 am, we were picked up by the tour guide and had McDonald’s for breakfast! After breakfast, we spent a good hour touring the Temple of Heaven, a complex of religious buildings constructed from 1406 to 1420 and frequented by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. In the meanwhile, our group saw locals practicing Taijiand Chinese calligraphy in the park. Some of us even played shuttlecock with local folks. What added to all the splendor of Beijing was that one of TIA’s former teachers (who now works in Beijing as an English teacher) met us at the temple and joined us for the rest of our tour in Beijing, thrilling the students and teachers on our tour. After lunch, we checked into the hotel for a brief rest before visiting the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. We spent almost three hours walking inside the Forbidden City and explored how Chinese emperors handled state affairs and the lifestyles of their families within the palaces. We concluded our first day in Beijing with a fancy dinner at a local restaurant with the most famous local dish – Peking Roast Duck! The last day of our tour started with the Ming Tombs, a collection of imperial mausoleums built by the Chinese Ming dynasty emperors. We learned about the Ming emperor Yongle, who relocated the capital city of China from Nanjing to the present location Beijing. He also started the construction of the Forbidden City in 1420. He selected his burial site and created his own mausoleum, followed by subsequent emperors who chose to place their tombs in the same valley. Later on, the tour guide took our group to a jade shop and showcased the variety of jade products before lunch. The very last stop of our journey was the Great Wall of China. As the bus approached the entrance gate, it started to rain. Everyone in our group rushed into local vendor shops to purchase colorful ponchos in order to complete our excursion. We took a cable cart to reach the mid-section and then climbed to the peak of one of the towers. All of our photos came in a variety of colors with the obscure Great Wall in the background due to the rain. It sure was unforgettable! We had our last dinner of the tour in a fancy restaurant and our students performed the Chinese song “Beijing Welcomes You” in front of everyone in the restaurant and many of the group gave an emotional speech about their feelings of this wonderful journey. Mr. Wu concluded all the speeches with a “Thank You” note to everyone for being patient and understanding and a “Work Hard” note to all the students on this tour, urging them to remain diligent in their studies/career so that they can all have a quality life. Our group went back to the hotel to pack and rest after dinner. The next morning, Mr. Wu saw many of the group off at the Beijing International Airport and flew back to his coastal hometown Dalian for his summer vacation! Link to article Part 1: Tucson’s Top Charter Schools Takes Students to China! Want your child to experience a school like no other? Click here to enroll online at TIA! Story by Lin Wu & Betty Kruszka

Field Day: Having Fun Raising Money for a Cause

Field Day started several years ago at TIA Charter School as an all-school activity. Back then they had a Hawaiian Day where kids would dress up “Hawaiian” and play around with different water games. Not everybody wanted to get wet and not everybody wanted to participate in those games, so TIA started having Field Day and Hawaiian Day. Eventually they realized that the kids had more fun and participated more in Field Day so Hawaiian Day was discontinued. The First Half of Field Day Has Become a Walkathon! Raising Money for a Cause Now, the first half of Field Day is a walk-a-thon fundraiser which raises money for Kids Feeding Kids. This helps provide meals for the children in Reynosa Tamaulipas, Mexico, during the summer and over the weekends when they don't go to school. The first year TIA was able to raise about $100 by having students donate money throughout the year. The second year the donations went up to $200. When they started the walk-a-thon last year, they raised $600. This year they raised close to $1000. The kids ask parents and businesses to pledge money to the students for the number of laps they will walk. An average student (even the kindergarteners) walks about 2 to 3 miles and they're happy to do it. Some of the older kids walk up to 10 miles. The kids like the second half of Field Day more than the walk-a-thon, but the fundraising part of Field Day helps the school family see that the day isn’t just about TIA students having fun. The parents see the kids doing something to help other children and taking part in campaign that is bigger than the school. Last year about 200 kids participated and this year there were about 400 students walking laps. The Second Half of Field Day - Fun and Games After the fundraiser is done, the games start. All four campuses participate and students play different games depending on their grade level. The little ones will play kick ball or play on the playground. The older ones will play soccer or football. The wonderful thing about Field Day is that the students don’t want teams from the several campuses to compete against each other; they mix up the schools to form their teams. The kids bond and have a lot of fun together. Field Day is the last day of the week of Color Wars at TIA. Be a Part of the TIA Fun Tucson International Academy is an independently-run charter school. It is a team-based learning community that prepares students for a global society. Events such as Field Day help build team spirit and cooperation between the different campuses and students at TIA and help the students think beyond their city to help others in need. Let us bring the world to your child and your child to the world. Click here! Written by Kim Murphey ~ TheJ3Effect

What Is A Dual Credit Program- 5 Things You Should Know

Ever suffer from the “if onlys” when you missed out on something great? “If only I had studied a little more...” “If only I had saved the money I earned...” “If only I had asked that girl out...” Tucson International Academy, a Tucson Charter School, has an opportunity you do not want to miss! Don’t end up being one who says, “If only I had signed up for the dual credit program at TIA!”

What is the Dual Credit Program?

TIA, in partnership with Pima Community College, provides a dual enrollment program which allows students to earn up to 10 real college credits while still in high school. Students can attend the college level classes right on the TIA campus during their regular school day.The courses currently available are Reading 112, taught by Dr Jennifer Herrera (4 credits), Writing 101, taught by Mr. Lin Wu (3 credits) and Math 122 (Intermediate Algebra), taught by Mr. Young (3 credits). Mr. Wu was also able to help 5 students who did well in the dual credit program to get merit scholarships at Pima. That means those students are getting two more years of college for free!

Is it really free?

Amazingly, eligible students can earn up to 10 college credits in those three courses absolutely free! Just ask any college student drowning in student loans and you will fully understand the magnitude of this opportunity! Tuition alone for 10 college credits at Pima can run from about $650 to $1000! But what about books? Remarkably, TIA also covers the cost of all required books for each course!

Who is eligible to apply?

The program is for advanced TIA students in their junior and senior years. Students need to pass an entry exam to get into each course, and TIA provides transportation to the Pima College campus for the exams.

How long does it take?

Three classes are available. The reading course and the writing course can be taken in the fall semester and the math course is available during the spring semester. In order to complete all three classes, you should sign up by your junior year. You do not have to complete all three classes to be in the program.

How do I get started?

Mr. Wu is the chairperson for TIA’s dual enrollment program. To get started, meet with him and he will assist you through the registration process. Mr. Wu is really excited about this program and he works tirelessly to help students who participate make huge strides toward college and beyond. Does TIA sound like the school for you? Enroll Here!

Color Wars – How to Build Team Spirit

Color Wars originally started at the TIA East Campus several years ago with great success. This year TIA Broadway and TIA West campuses joined together with the East campus for the Color Wars. How to Build Team Spirit: The Draft...just like the Pros! Six seniors and six juniors worked together with Mr. Montemayor to draft all the students into teams. They tried to make sure that the teams were as even as possible. Instead of just picking names at random or by order of the grades to create the groups, they used the attendance list with all the student’s names on it and started working their way through the lists, grade by grade, picking students for each team, all the way from the seniors down to the kindergartners. Each team captain says, "I want so and so." The Older Kids Know the Younger Kids...Amazing! A lot of the seniors and juniors were surprised to find out that they actually knew many of the younger students. For example, one senior would say, "Who is Johnny?" And the other senior would say, "Johnny is the one that did this and this on that day” or “Johnny is the one that dresses this way” or the one that “has the hair that looks like this." Among them all, they pretty much knew everyone. Because the older students really interact with the little ones during the school year at different events (which is something special one doesn’t see in most schools), they really get to know the younger kids. After they picked their teams, each captain picked a teacher and team color. They had a lot of fun doing the draft this year. Cheers, Ping-Pong, Popping Balloons and Paper Airplanes Each year during one week in May, the teams of students meet with their captain and teacher each day at a specific time to do a specific challenge. On Monday teams create cheers. The one with the best and loudest cheer gets points. Tuesday is Field Day, so the competition for the Color Wars is based on attendance. The teams get one point for every student that attends. Wednesday is a day of races with a ping-pong ball and spoon race, and another race having to do with popping balloons. Thursday is a paper airplane contest to see which airplane flies the longest and also to see which one can fly the farthest. Friday from 12:00 to 3:00 is the grand finale. There are different games for each grade level so everybody can participate. Events include hula-hoop and jump rope contests in addition to relay races, basketball shoot-outs, and many other games. This is a great week of fun for everyone! Join the Fun at TIA!!! One Fine Charter School in Tucson Tucson International Academy is an independently-run charter school in Tucson, AZ. It is a team-based learning community that prepares students for a global society. Events such as Color Wars help build team spirit and cooperation between the different campuses and students at TIA. Let us bring the world to your child and your child to the world. Enroll Now!

Cinco de Mayo Celebration in Tucson at TIA

Cinco de Mayo celebration in Tucson at TIA were held on four different days. Every student in attendance had a part in the program. Each campus celebration was unique—the Midvale, Broadway and West campuses opted to host the events in the evening, while the East campus hosted their event after school. In keeping with Cinco de Mayo tradition, good Mexican food is a crucial component in all of our festivities. Not only did the holiday celebration make for lots of fun, it is a great opportunity to reinforce cultural appreciation for our students. More about TIA TIA is a Charter School that is an independently-run public school. It is a team-based learning community that prepares students for a global society and offers in-depth foreign language programs such as Spanish and Chinese. Learning other languages and about other cultures inspires understanding and community involvement. Events such as Cinco de Mayo celebrations are another way to bring history and fun together for our students here at TIA. History of Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo, or the 5th of May, commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over French forces in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Many people think Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexico’s independence, which was actually declared some 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th. While the Cinco de Mayo holiday is not celebrated widely in Mexico, it has become very popular in America in area’s with big Mexican-American populations. Many cities have parades, festivals, mariachi band performances, parties, and of course, lots of traditional Mexican food and drinks. Let us bring the world to your child and your child to the world. Click here! Story by Kim Murphey~TheJ3Effect

TIA 2014 Career and College Fair

This year’s Career and College Fair was a huge success, with over 250 students in attendance. The keynote speech was given by Martha McSally, a retired Air Force colonel and the first woman to fly a combat mission (she is now running for the US Congress). Then the students had the opportunity to choose among the booths of 27 different local businesses and organizations, and listen to their 20 minute demonstrations on what such a career would be like. After lunch, the final part of the day was to visit the college booths; close to a dozen colleges participated. Their representatives talked to the students about their college options in light of the students’ interests and future career plans.

History of TIA Career Days

Mr. Montemayor and Mr. Von Croft started the TIA Career Days six years ago with 20 students in Mr. Montemayor’s class. Each student who was interested would be paired up with a local business person to shadow on the job for 2-3 hours. The next year Mr. Montmayer offered the shadowing option to two of his classes. It was so successful that they decided to offer the program district-wide. The overwhelming number of students interested in the program made it impossible to provide shadowing opportunities for them all, so four years ago the Career & College Fair was born. Now local businesses, organizations, and colleges come to the students in one place.

Local Businesses That Participated

Some of the local businesses and organizations that participated this year were; Costco, Target, Tucson Airport Authority, F.B.I., Sandoval Creative, R.O.T.C., Tucson Sheriff & Police Departments, and Arizona Public Media.

Schools That Participated

Among the schools that participated this year were University of Arizona, Tucson College of Beauty, ITT Technical Institute, Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, Tucson College, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, The Drawing Studio, Inc., and The Art Institute. For more pictures, click here to go TIA’s Facebook page. Enroll Your Child Now Article written by Kim Murphey~TheJ3Effect

Martha McSally & Dr J Career & College Days