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A 2023 evaluation from Future Ready partner Intercultural Development Research Association found that middle school counselors spend at least 75% of their time on non-advising duties. The state’s average student-to-counselor ratio is 390-to-1 — well above the 250-to-1 ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association.
San Antonio ISD and local nonprofit Students of Service partnered to address vital advising gaps to young people thanks to funding provided by the Greater Texas Foundation toward the Future Ready Bexar County Plan.
The plan is a community-wide effort led by UP Partnership and more than 100 cross-sector partners working to ensure that 70% of Bexar County’s young people are enrolled in a postsecondary degree or credential program by 2030.
Through the “Career Explorers” pilot program, around 100 seventh graders at Edgar Allan Poe and Fidel L. Tafolla middle schools went through a range of career options through two interactive workshops led by SOS in partnership with local industry leaders and school district guests.
Michelle Garcia, SOS program manager, said the program showed that pairing career engagement with advising helps students make more informed decisions about their future.
Career Explorers is part of SOS’s broader Career Atlas program, one of the organization’s flagship efforts. Career Atlas equips middle and high school students with the tools and confidence to navigate career pathways while helping them discover their passions and purpose.
The sessions gave the students hands-on opportunities to explore their futures, featured career engagement stations, presentations from industry speakers, advising on career and technical education pathways and high school choices, and the creation of personal vision boards. Industries represented during the sessions were accounting, business, education, cybersecurity and IT, engineering and manufacturing, and marketing and communications.
Early exposure to these pathways in middle school is vital, as most students across the city must make pivotal choices about which high school to attend, which career pathways to pursue, and how to map their academic futures, according to UP Partnership CEO Cathy Jones.
UP Partnership is the backbone organization for the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, aligning education and community leaders around shared strategies that help young people access the support they need to succeed in high school, college, career and life.
“These reflections highlight how early exposure to career pathways and advising can shift students’ perspectives, giving them not only information about options but also a greater sense of agency as they approach high school,” Garcia, SOS program manager, said.
By ensuring students as early as middle school gain exposure to career pathways and postsecondary options, programs like Career Explorers aim to build the foundation for higher graduation rates, stronger advising systems, and ultimately, greater success in college and careers.
Early results from the pilot suggest promising impact. SOS found that participating, students increased their knowledge of both career pathways and high school options. The largest gains were in high school knowledge, suggesting the workshops were especially effective in helping students understand their choices as they prepare for ninth grade and the selection of both their high school and their career and technical education program of study.
“I feel good about my future because now I have more choice to pick a career,” said a student from Tafolla middle school in an anonymous survey.
The enthusiasm wasn’t limited to students. Both schools and industry partners expressed excitement about participating in the workshops, pointing to a clear demand for more opportunities of this kind.
Yvonne Benton, director of College, Career, & Military Readiness for San Antonio ISD, said these types of workshops are impactful and allow students to make informed choices.
“After the second day of the MS advising workshop at Tafolla middle school, Associate Principal (Christopher) Sherrill approached me, overjoyed, explaining that one of the school’s most behaviorally challenged students shared his vision board with him,” Benton said.
The pilot demonstrates how early, hands-on career engagement can shift student outlooks and strengthen advising systems, offering a model for what’s possible as Future Ready Bexar County works toward its 2030 goal.
Volunteers joined the Career Explorers Program leading workshops and activities with students. Samara Makinsi, director of special programs at USAA and SOS board member said early career exploration gives young people a head start in understanding their strengths and possibilities.
“I only wish I had been offered these opportunities at that age — it could have helped shape my decisions and focus even sooner,” she said. “What excites me most is seeing so many bright minds and fresh ideas — young talent that will help industries like insurance and financial services continue to grow, innovate, and evolve to better serve our communities.”
Expanding initiatives like the Career Explorers pilot will require continued collaboration across education, community, and business sectors, but the impact is evident: when students are given meaningful opportunities to explore options, they are better prepared to make confident choices about their futures.
Join efforts to strengthen the advising ecosystem across Bexar County. Schools, nonprofits, businesses, and community leaders can visit uppartnership.org to explore partnership opportunities and help ensure every young person has the support they need to thrive.
