More than 70 freshmen from Americas High School’s Class of 2029 embarked on an exciting new chapter in their academic journey as they were officially welcomed into the school’s Libertas Academy during the academy’s pinning ceremony on August 27.
During the ceremony, students received pins to commemorate their first step into the advanced academy, which prepares scholars for career and college readiness in law, government and public administration.
Freshman Hayden Clark applied to the Libertas program because he is interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“The Libertas program helps you study law. It gives you a better understanding of law, even government. It has both pathways, and I went through it because I wanted to go (into) law enforcement. So, I want to better understand the law and help me interpret it in my job,” said Clark, who was pinned by his mom.
Libertas Academy is a one-of-a-kind program in El Paso and one of four programs in Texas focused on law, government and public administration careers. Scholars experience the rigor, depth, and intensity of college-level work. They have the opportunity to earn college credit through dual credit and advanced placement courses, develop leadership and public speaking skills, and become more competitive for college admissions, scholarships, and future careers. Students are selected for the academy through a lottery process.
Nikki Silvas, the El Paso district director for Texas state Rep. Mary González, encouraged her daughter, Aubrey Erives, to apply to the program. She said her daughter has always had an interest in law and thought participating in the program would be an excellent opportunity for her to gain valuable insights into the field.
Silvas was aware of the incredible opportunities the program provided, having successfully established an internship in the state representative's office for seniors from Libertas Academy last year. Both Silvas and Erives were thrilled when Erives was selected for the program.
“I'm excited that my daughter's finally a freshman, and she got into the program,” Silvas said. “We were really praying for her to get into the program, and since it's a lottery, we were just like, let's just hope for the best, and if you get it, it's great. And she got it!”
Libertas Academy coordinator Amanda Stevens said the pinning ceremony was a meaningful way to welcome Libertas scholars into the legal community. She said that the students engage with this community by reading legal cases, analyzing policies and learning to become civic leaders.
“Perhaps they will pursue legal careers or government careers. They'll be our lawyers, judges, and politicians of the future. But if not, they're going to be engaged citizens who are going to vote and be active and know what it is to partake in our democracy. That's really important for us. We really want them to have a civic engagement experience at the end of the four years in the program,” Stevens said.
Families, educators and community leaders gathered at the ceremony to celebrate the students’ achievement.
Each student was pinned by a significant person in their lives, such as a friend, family member or a mentor who represented their support system.
For Aiko Redix, an aspiring lawyer, that person was her uncle, Alberto Yoshimoto.
“He's always been there for me when I needed it the most, and I appreciate that,” Redix said.
Yoshimoto proudly attached the pin to his niece’s lapel. He believed that it was his responsibility to support her choices.
“I think our job as adults is just to back them up, whatever they want to do as long as they do it for the right reasons,” Yoshimoto said.