Orange Grove students earn associate's degrees before high school graduation

Orange Grove High School seniors are leaving campus with more than diplomas in sight. Ten members of the Class of 2026 already earned associate’s degrees through Coastal Bend College, giving Jim Wells County families a rare look at college completion before high school graduation.

The Orange Grove High School website lists the students and their degrees: Alejandra Aguilar, Gabriella Hernandez, Trey Klepac, Emmalynn Schroedter and Marycarol Walker earned Associate of Arts degrees. Andrea Garduno, Rebekah Gordon, Ondrea Loya, Leah Schroeder and Katie Thompson earned Associate of Science degrees.

The milestone points to years of dual-credit work, steady advising and family support that made the extra load possible. It also shows how a small South Texas district can move students through college-level coursework without forcing them to leave home first. As graduation season approached, with senior walk set for May 18 and graduation practice on May 21, the achievement gave Orange Grove a concrete academic marker beyond the usual end-of-year ceremonies.

For families, the payoff is practical. A student who finishes high school with an associate’s degree has already cleared a large share of a bachelor’s path, which can mean less time paying undergraduate tuition, fewer semesters of fees and a faster route into the workforce or a four-year university. In a region where college costs can shape family budgets for years, that kind of head start matters.

The partnership behind the program is formal. The Orange Grove ISD and Coastal Bend College dual-credit memorandum of understanding runs from August 14, 2025, through August 14, 2026, and says students must meet Texas Success Initiative readiness standards or qualify for an exemption before taking dual-credit courses. That requirement reinforces that these students were not just piling up electives; they were meeting college-readiness benchmarks.

Coastal Bend College, which says it has served South Texas since 1965 and describes itself as a 2026 Top Community College focused on access, opportunity and workforce-aligned programs, is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees. That makes the Orange Grove accomplishment more than a local bragging right. It is evidence that Jim Wells County students can finish high school already carrying a college credential, and that the pipeline can produce measurable results when schools, families and the college line up behind it.