A new flock of young folks are headed out to make their mark on the world. Many are bound for universities and colleges, trade schools and national service. Our three area high schools -- Alba-Golden, Mineola and Quitman -- have shared the destinations of their graduates on these paths. Below is a graphic representation of just where our young folks are headed. There are several items to note.
The relationships nurtured by Tyler Junior College (TJC) and the University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) continue to pay dividends for the institutions and for local graduating seniors. Five graduates are bound for TJC and seven will be taking classes at UT Tyler.
Viewed from a Texas perspective, it appears that 2026 graduates are spreading-out throughout the state. They will be reporting to a greater number of Texas colleges and universities than the previous class.
Texas destinations, in addition to TJC and UT Tyler, include: Criswell College in Dallas, East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Jacksonville College, Kilgore College of Radiology, Kilgore Lineman School, Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Southwestern University in Georgetown, Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University, Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos, Texas Tech University, Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Universal Technical Institute of Dallas, University of Houston, University of North Texas in Denton, and University of Texas at Arlington.
Those graduates leaving the great state for education purposes will be headed to Bethany College of Lindsborg, Kan., Coffeyville Junior College of Coffeyville, Kan., Eastern New Mexico State University of Portales, Southeastern Oklahoma State University of Durant, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Illinois at Champagne, University of Oklahoma at Norman, and the University of Tulsa at Tulsa, Okla.
The services are well-represented in the class of 2026. Local graduates will be reporting for duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Space Force. Although individual training may differ, for illustrative purposes the diagram represents these young men and women with data points drawn to the main recruit training sites for each service. For the Army that is Fort Benning, Ga.; for the Navy, Great Lakes Training Center Chicago; for the Air Force and Space Force, Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio; and for the Marine Corps, Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C.
Fair winds and following seas!