SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio Independent School District graduate is headed to Harvard University, and he’s crediting a program based out of San Antonio College that he says helped him make it all possible.
Pyriel Munoz, a recent graduate of Highlands High School at SAISD, said the journey wouldn’t have been possible without the Upward Bound Math & Science program at San Antonio College, which supports high school students interested in pursuing STEM degrees and preparing for college.
“When I thought about Harvard, (I thought) I couldn’t go there. There’s no possible way I could get in,” said Munoz. “But when I actually visited the campus, it made it real to me. It seemed more attainable, watching the students walk around and just seeing the campus.”
That visit to Harvard was made possible through an educational field trip organized by Upward Bound Math & Science at San Antonio College, which offers extensive support services like tutoring, college application assistance, and multiple college campus tours each year.
Munoz joined the program as a freshman in high school and said it played a big role in his academic growth and confidence.
“The college process can be a scary thing to someone who has no help navigating it,” Munoz said. “Hearing from my peers — how they were writing their essays, where they were applying — it helped a lot.”
The program, which is currently offered at Highlands and Edison high schools, begins recruiting students as they transition from eighth to ninth grade. From the start of high school, students have access to on-campus advisors and tutors, and they are enrolled in a six-week summer program at San Antonio College.
“We just want them to see that the opportunity is there,” said Esmeralda Nandin, director of Student Success for Upward Bound Math & Science. “You just have to work hard at it. Don’t give up.”
While the program emphasizes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), students are encouraged to explore all academic paths. Munoz began high school with a focus on engineering, but now, he plans to major in philosophy.
“Philosophy gives me a way to explain my ideas better and understand others,” he said. “It helps me navigate my own beliefs more clearly.”
Munoz also hopes to go to law school, and he wants to inspire younger students along the way.
“Getting in, I hope to show other kids my age and younger that these things can happen if you just work hard to achieve them,” he said.