As the McCombs School of Business works toward fulfilling the University’s strategic pillars of people, place, and pursuits, one program on campus is helping fulfill the latter, Subiendo: The Academy for Rising Leaders. Subiendo in Spanish means “going up,” and the program has been providing upwardly mobile opportunities for underserved high school students since 2010.
“We are providing high school students the chance to experience life as a Longhorn,” said Leticia Acosta, Subiendo Academy Director. “Subiendo allows them the opportunity to work on projects so they can flex their leadership muscles.”
Also known as The Leadership Academy, Subiendo has welcomed more than 700 rising high school seniors into the program since its inception. Participants remain on campus, living in a dorm for the duration of the academy, where they learn networking skills, develop mentor relationships with business leaders, and benefit from communications workshops.
Subiendo prepares high school seniors for leadership.
“Thanks to this program, we’ve seen an increase in underserved students applying to McCombs and the University of Texas in general,” said Leticia. “The business school can sometimes feel out of reach for these students, and we want them to experience what is possible.”
Subiendo encourages first-generation and adversity challenged students to apply to the academy. 97% of all participants have gone on to pursue a college degree. Supported by individual and corporate donations, Subiendo wouldn’t be possible without outside resources, according to Leticia.
“Supporters of Subiendo are invited to engage with the program, get to see the impact their giving has on a group of students, to see what happens in that transformation, where they are part of a bigger global footprint,” she said. “Seeing that play out in real time is really cool.”
Founding donor Kenny Jastrow (BBA Finance ’69), former chairman and CEO of Temple-Inland Inc., can attest to that fact. Since the beginning, he has watched the program impact thousands of students and seen the full-circle effect of leadership in action.
Subiendo founding donor Kenny Jastrow is a firm believer in the program’s benefits.
“Once you graduate from the program, we keep up with you. Subiendo students often return to mentor others later in their career,” he said. “It is an outstanding program, providing training to the future leaders of Texas and our nation.”
Kenny and wife, Susie, have seen students grow from uncertain newbies to group motivators in just a few days of participation at Subiendo.
“The program is intended to motivate and inspire students to go onto a future life as a leader,” Kenny said. “We are very proud to be sponsorship friends of one of the greatest programs at UT. It’s been unbelievable.”
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