CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Graduation is supposed to be a moment of celebration and pride, but for dozens of high school seniors in the Coastal Bend, the cost of a cap and gown nearly kept them from walking the stage.
Some students at RMA Public Schools in Corpus Christi are included in that reality. There are at least 39 high school seniors looking ahead to graduating from RMA Public Schools in Corpus Christi and majority of them face financial challenges. Those challenges have threatened to keep them out of celebrating such a milestone.
“It’s a very challenging thing, especially with the price of caps and gowns,” graduating senior, Cash Cisneros, said.
Unsure how he’d be able to afford the necessary attire for graduation, Cisneros was one of many students that looked to the teachers and staff for help. But a newly founded nonprofit connected to the school stepped in just in the nick of time.
After hosting a 'Reverse Telethon' event earlier this month, the RMA Education Foundation was able to raise at least $8,565 to cover the cost of caps and gowns for the graduating class.
“It makes me feel like someone is in my corner, rooting for me,” Cisneros added.
According to Reanin Garcia, the Student and Community Liaison for RMA Public Schools, the need was urgent.
“They didn’t know if they were going to walk that stage,” Garcia said. “It was a big thing and a big obstacle for our families. Knowing that we now have an answer for them really makes us happy. Our main purpose is to see these students reach their goals and we held our senior breakfast last week; to see the shock on their faces when we told them, that was amazing."
The foundation, created just less than six month ago, aims to eliminate barriers that may prevent students from succeeding academically or reaching graduation. While the initial donation helped cover senior expenses, organizers said it’s just the beginning.
"We serve a demographic of students that are 100% at risk, we knew that the district had a lot of needs, it can make the challenges significant. We are working on finding solutions for all of the needs of the district, which includes grants for teachers, scholarships for students and our Student Emergency Fund," Founding Member of RMA Education Foundation, Adriana Armendarez, said.
The Student Emergency Fund will help students year-round. The assistance also includes help with transportation, housing security and other financial hardships.
“It shows that we’re here to help support, remove the barriers and work hand in hand with the campuses to support our kids,” Armendarez mentioned.
For students like Cisneros, the support goes far beyond the classroom.
“It’s so worth it, to graduate, to be on that stage, to say, 'here’s my diploma. I did it.' I just want to say thank you." Cash said.
RMA Public Schools plans to collaborate with other organizations in the Coastal Bend to expand these efforts and continue investing in students' futures.
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