College & Career Buzz

Last week, I attended a Texas Regional Pathways Network (TRPN) session in San Angelo, hosted by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The session brought together representatives from regional education service centers across Texas to share ideas for strengthening students’ pathways to college and careers.

This week, Miss Whitmer and I are attending the College 2 Cradle conference in Mission, Texas, gathering additional ideas and resources to bring back to our students.

My goal is to turn that learning into meaningful opportunities here in Meridian—helping students explore their futures, prepare for college and careers, and discover possibilities they may not have considered.

Our students are our greatest resource, and investing in their futures begins with continuing to learn ourselves. I look forward to bringing fresh ideas home to our Yellow Jackets!

**Note: Our dual credit seniors have worked hard, and they deserve a little spotlight! I’ll feature one or two seniors each week, in the order completed submissions are received. I look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and plans for the future!

Steven plans to attend McLennan Community College to study political science, with hopes of becoming a teacher or political advisor!

One school memory that still makes him laugh is getting caught by Mrs. Gilbert watching Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance documentary during eighth-grade math class.

Steven gives a special shout-out to Dr. Paceley and Miss Whitmer, two people who helped him get through high school and have been an inspiration to him along the way. 💛

💛 His advice to freshmen: “Always be a good friend to everyone. You could be the highlight of someone’s day.”

🎶 His song: “Sweet Heart” by Gavin Adcock

✨ His senior quote: “There ain’t no rest for the wicked out here in Boomtown, USA.” — Treaty Oak Revival

Steven, your reminder that a little kindness can make someone’s day is something we can all carry with us. We’re proud of you and look forward to seeing where your next chapter takes you! 🖤💛

Our Ag Mechanics students recently participated in a build-off in Dublin, Texas, putting their technical skills and teamwork into practice.

Several students are on track to earn their Basic Arc Welding Certificate from Hill College at the end of the fall term. By May, all of the following students are expected to have earned their certificates:

• Jon Cesar

• Edgar Ciseneros

• Jose Garcia

• Roman Garcia

• Casey Jones

• Landon Moore

• Mark Pittman

• Cameron Scott

• Walyn Sheppard

• AB Torres

• Derrick Williams

• Jason Wood

We are proud of these students for working toward a college credential while developing valuable skills for their futures!

🎲 Rolling into Probability!

Coach Schur’s Tarleton dual credit College Statistics class kicked off its probability unit with a game of Yahtzee! Students explored how math connects to each roll of the dice, and Afton Smith was the lucky duck who rolled the class’s first Yahtzee! 🦆🎉

11/05/26 -- Tarleton STEM Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

11/05/26 - CTE Industry Tour to Caterpillar Waco Distribution Center from 9:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

11/05/26 - CTE Industry Tour to Waco Family Medicine from 9:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

11/12/26 - CTE Industry Tour to Premier ER from 9:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

11/13/26 - CTE Industry Tour to KidStrong Waco from 9:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

12/16-18th/26 - Dual Credit Field Trip (Exact day and time TBD)

03/02/27 - Health Careers Showcase from 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. for juniors and seniors