College recruiters on how to maximize resume, dual-credit programs, enrollment tips

High school seniors are preparing for a new chapter coming up in a few months, and college enrollment season can be stressful for a student to handle on their own.

Operation College Bound is a partnership between EPCC, UTEP and local high schools to assist students on whatever help, answers they may be looking for.

"They're looking for answers, right? Transparency on not only opportunities we have in our college, but how much is the cost, how to get their students registered, and also how to support systems that are available for them while they're in school," said Michael Talamantes, Director of EPCC Recruitment Services.

The initiative offers assistance from departments like admissions, financial aid, registration, testing, student orientation, counseling, and more.

Some tips EPCC has for high school seniors are to:

• Go big on your resume -- it's their your to brag about their achievements.
• Make sure you visit your advisor to making sure you're taking the right courses.
• Attend orientation and get familiar with the campus.

EPCC partners with Canutillo High School to offer Career and Technical Education, which pushes them one step closer to starting their career. 

They say dual credit programs give students a full time schedule where they can graduate high school with an associate degree, leaving them about only a year and a half to finish college.

CHS has a p-tech program that allows students to start criminal justice education from their freshman year — all the academics coming from textbooks and online curriculum from EPCC. 

They learn tactics, codes for radio, presentations, and have mock interviews related to private security.

Their teacher, Gilbert Aguirre, who's retired from the police department, shared even though it can be challenging, there's advantages in the long-run.

"For the students that are actually doing it now at a younger age, that's the advantage that they have is not only are they, not paying for these classes, it's offered through the district," said Aguirre. It's kind of a win-win for them, when they take the courses, it'll prepare them, academically, mentally."

Operation College Bound will be at Canutillo High School on Monday starting at 12 p.m.