PossAble Dream Adult High School welcomes first class of students

PHARR, Texas (ValleyCentral) — PossAble Dream Adult High School, the first-of-its-kind institution in the Rio Grande Valley, hosted its first-ever orientation to welcome students looking for a second chance with their education.

The new tuition-free public school will serve adults in deep South Texas between the ages of 18 and 50 who are interested in earning their high school diploma.

"It's a great opportunity for all of South Texas. We have one of the highest numbers of the least educated adult population," said Superintendent Darcia Cuellar.

According to the PossAble Dream website, approximately 29.5% of adults in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area have not obtained a high school diploma.

Approximately 27.1% of adults in Brownsville and Harlingen have not completed their secondary education.

"We know that this is going to just leverage us as a community, as a region, to increase the wages that our population, our citizens, earn, and bring industry and jobs here to South Texas," Cuellar continued.

The orientation served as an opportunity for students to learn about the new campus and meet their new classmates.

One student is ready to fulfill her dream of completing high school and pursuing a post-secondary education.

"My family were migrant workers, and because we were moving a lot, unfortunately, I didn't get to finish high school," said student Nelly Muñoz. "I was going to get my GED first ... but then I heard about the PossAble Dream. That's always been my dream of mine, to finish high school."

The new campus will be located at the former Pharr Events Center, 3000 N. Cage Blvd.