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Rio Grande Guardian:
The story behind the start of CSLAP

"When he was just 19 and studying at Princeton University, Thomas R. Garcia went back to his alma mater, PSJA ISD and told the then superintendent, Daniel P. King, that he wanted to give back." Read More

Princeton University

Year of Forward Thinking:

Thomas Ray Garcia ’16 Builds Relationships and a Nonprofit to Help Latino Students

"As a Princeton undergraduate, Thomas Ray Garcia ’16 began mentoring students from his Texas high school during summer breaks. The near-peer mentoring program evolved over the years into the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program (CSLAP), a nonprofit that serves high school students living near the Texas-Mexico border." Read More

Rio Grande Guardian (Zoom Interview): During COVID-19, nonprofit pivots to address digital divide

“Normally the group would be hosting college access workshops at local high schools and providing near-peer mentorship for graduating students. However, thanks to a unique partnership with the Intercultural Development Research Association and Arise Adelante, CSLAP is now offering parents bilingual assistance with online instructional tools like Google Classroom and software like Zoom.” Read More

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Rio Grande Guardian:

CSLAP's Response to COVID-19

"In addition to ensuring a smooth transition to college for students, we are uplifting Rio Grande Valley communities by addressing directly the precarious living conditions of low-income high school and college students." Read More

Speaking of Princeton: College Ready, Connected, Complete

"My college application days have long passed, but I still vividly remember when I had no mentor but myself. Remembering my own difficulties while applying to Princeton, from learning about the concept of college to writing essays, motivates me to serve as an alumni mentor for my school district." Read More

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Princeton Alumni Weekly:

First in the Family

"And while Garcia has found his place at Princeton, he has not forgotten his home or his rocky college transition... perhaps his most significant work is back home in Texas, where he has co-founded a summer college-mentoring program for high school students in the Rio Grande Valley. More than 50 students participated last summer, its second year of operation. Garcia hopes it will continue to grow. He sees it as his way to give back." Read More

Rio Grande Guardian:
Garcia: I Want To Help More Young People Get Civically Engaged

In an in-depth interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Garcia points out he taught in schools throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. He also points out he founded a college access program at PSJA ISD at the age of 19. And he incorporated this program into a nonprofit organization servicing Rio Grande Valley schools. Read More

Rio Grande Guardian: Near-Peer Mentorship During COVID-19

“Outside the traditional roles of teacher or counselor, near-peer mentors connect with mentees on levels beyond academics: They open life pathways that otherwise seem closed to low-income students from the U.S.-Mexico border.” Read More

IDRA, Partners Provide South Texas Families Tech Support for Distance Learning During COVID-19 Crisis for Virtual Classroom

“When communities work together to educate their children, we all prosper,” said Thomas Ray Garcia, CSLAP executive director. “Connecting CSLAP mentors to families has enabled students’ distance learning to continue unabated during these trying times.” Read More

IDRA: College Students Describe What a School's College-Going Culture Really Means

"When I introduce myself as being from Princeton University and having graduated at the top of my class, high school students automatically assume I’m not from the barrio and not from their school district and not even from the Valley. I tell them I am an alumnus from this school district, that I sat at the same school desks and that I came from the same neighborhood. It becomes easy for them to connect with me." Read More

Rio Grande Guardian:

PSJA alumni mentor students on going to university

"We are trying to redevelop this idea of what college could be, the love of learning and this idea that you go to college to have a transformative experience that really can be fun.” Read More

CSLAP In The Media

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