When Akins students showed up at the regional Texas Association of Future Educators conference in San Marcos, they arrived in force.
Legislature passed House Bill 5, and this allowed Human Services students to participate in TAFE competition. This change allowed the team to increase in size from about 25 students to 38 with the addition of students who take Human Services classes at Akins.
“This year we found out that TAFE has a branch that is education training and human services and so this year counseling and mental health went as well,” Human Services teacher Misty Lindsey said.
Out of the 38 students from both groups that competed, 27 of them advanced to the state competition.
“It is our first year doing competition like this and most of our group advanced, so we did pretty well,” senior Aaron Mclnnes said.
During the competitions, students follow criteria for their respective contests and to help create projects for their programs.
TAFE uses a set of supporting guidelines called TRAFLES, which they use to create a successful program of future educators.
“We had a lock in this year for one of the TRAFLES, and we sell candies at Blue and Gold Night,” TAFE president Kourtney Herrera said. “We also watch the teachers’ children on work days.”
Counseling and Mental Health do services for the school including involvement in Best Buddies, which works with Life Skills students, and organizing the No Place for Hate campaign.
According to tafeonline.org 15 differest counties competed in region 13 of TAFE’s competition.
“I’m not going to lie, I was just hoping I wouldn’t mess up the whole time,” TAFE secretary Elena Maldonado said. “I was nervous but I had to remind myself that I was well prepared.”