Beaumont, Silsbee ECHS Class of 2027 Signs Commitment

8/2/2023

The Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) Dual Credit Department welcomed incoming freshmen enrolled in Silsbee Early College High School and Beaumont Early College High School (ECHS) with a week-long Summer Bridge program and signing day celebration.  

Summer Bridge is a week-long orientation for first-time dual-enrolled students to prepare them for their first semester and college experience as a whole. 

“Summer Bridge is not just an orientation, but also an opportunity for students to shift their mindsets from middle school to high school and college,” said Melanie Pharis, Beaumont Early College High School Principal. “It also provides students the opportunity to meet their classmates from all over the city and begin forming bonds long before the nerves of the first day of school start to kick in. Students often report excitement about interacting with classmates and teachers, an eagerness to begin learning, and getting a jump on their academics.” 

Each ECHS campus spends a week on-site at LIT to familiarize themselves with the college and its faculty and pick up skills to ensure their transition to college is smooth. 

“The program includes breakout sessions on everything from Habits of College Success to an in-depth exploration of Blackboard,” said Homero Lozano, LIT Director of Dual Credit. “Students also learn about first-day instructor expectations, academic dishonesty, and understanding syllabi." 

To conclude the week, students and their families gather for a Signing Ceremony to signify their commitment to the ECHS program and to LIT. They are committing to upholding the standards of LIT and the school district they represent. 

"The pride our students and their families had during singing to ECHS was beautiful to witness as they committed to their future through academics," said Jessie Martin, Principal, Silsbee High School. 

The class of 2027 included 125 signees from Beaumont ECHS and 45 from Silsbee ECHS. 

“None of this could be possible without the amazing partnership between LIT and the many School Districts around the state of Texas,” said Lozano. “We look forward to strengthening our current partnerships and seeing each and every student walk across the stage in 2027 as they receive their diploma!" 

Learn more about the LIT dual-enrollment program at https://www.lit.edu/dual-credit.