Texas Baptists Office of Theological Education & Institutional Engagement to host first Higher Education Fair

On October 18, the Texas Baptists Office of Theological Education & Institutional Engagement will host their first Higher Education Fair at Churchill Baptist Church in San Antonio, where parents, students and church leaders will learn from workshops, hear from keynote speaker Fabian Ramírez, an anti-bullying speaker and motivational comedian, and visit with representatives from nine Texas Baptists universities and colleges and the San Marcos Baptist Academy. 

Texas Baptists Hispanic Education Director Gabriel Cortés said he hopes to see churches from across the state bring entire youth groups to the fair, including middle school students. 

“The goal… is we want the churches to bring their youth and their parents,” said Cortés. “Many students are first-generation students; their parents have never gone to college. So it helps the students, but it also helps the parent as well, so they have an idea of what things are like and what they need to start doing right now [to prepare their students for college].” 

There will be five workshops available for attendees. 

For middle school students, the workshops are: “Unlocked: Turning your dreams into reality,” where students will learn how to identify their strengths and interests as they focus on the future, and “Level Up: How to get ready for college now,” where students will learn what college life is like and how to start preparing now. 

For high school students, the workshops are: “Level Up: How to get ready for college now,” and “Yes, You Can: Making college a reality,” where students will discover that college is possible and within reach for them. 

For parents, the workshops are: “Peace of Mind: A parent’s guide to college readiness (Part 1),” where parents will learn how to prepare their student for college spiritually and personally, and “Peace of Mind: A parent’s guide to college readiness (Part 2),” where parents will learn how to prepare their student for college academically. 

For church leaders, the workshops are: “Faith and Future: Equipping your students for college (Part 1),” where church leaders will learn how to prepare their students for college spiritually, and “Faith and Future: Equipping your students for college (Part 2),” where church leaders will learn how to prepare their students for college by finding a spiritual community for growth and service. 

“I want them to leave the fair thinking ‘This is possible’ and ‘This is going to help me achieve the dreams and goals I have in life or get me closer to those,’” said Cortés. “I would love for [parents] to leave there… seeing the value of their students being in a Christian environment and having an opportunity to grow spiritually and academically.” 

Stephen Stookey, director of Theological Education & Institutional Engagement at Texas Baptists, said “we want to make [the] college entry experience as accessible as possible” by “providing useful, relevant information to guide not only the student, but the student's parents through the process.”

Stookey said he is praying that students will “discern God’s call on their life.”

“Every Christ follower shares the same vocational calling to make Christ known, and we have different gifts, talents and inclinations that God places inside of each of us,” said Stookey. “We want to see students come to understand the fullness of God's calling in their life and how the process of higher education can help them live into that calling and fulfill that calling.” 

He said Texas Baptists' 10 universities offer “a transformative academic experience.” 

“They are tending to head, heart and hands to help these students grow into who God has called them to be, and so that's the direction I'm praying as we lead into this. I want our growing student generation among Texas Baptists to know what God has called them to do and be, and we're trying to provide them the avenue to get there,” said Stookey. 

Find more information and register for the Higher Education Fair here.  

To learn more about the Texas Baptists Office of Theological Education & Institutional Engagement, visit txb.org/theologicaleducation.