El Paso, Texas, April 28, 2025 – El Paso Community College (EPCC) and The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) continued their partnership on Monday, April 28, 2025, with Operation College Bound (OCB) at Eastwood High School.

The OCB program is an annual series of events that brings representatives from UTEP and EPCC to high schools in all local school districts in the region. Seniors who have been accepted to UTEP or EPCC are invited to register for their first classes, sign up for priority orientation and ask about the process of transitioning to college life.

Presidents of both institutions, Dr. Heather Wilson of UTEP and Dr. William Serrata of EPCC, were greeted by Eastwood Principal Ms. Bonita Torres and Ysleta Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre, the Eastwood Trooper marching band, dance, and cheer teams. Both presidents spoke about the longstanding partnership between UTEP and EPCC, before meeting students at the Operation College bound facilities at Eastwood High School.

“Along with our partners at EPCC, we are proud to support students heading to college from around the region,” UTEP President Dr. Heather Wilson said. “We’re especially grateful to YISD and Eastwood High School for hosting us. And I couldn’t ask for a better partner in that effort.”

“Operation College Bound helps students realize their higher education potential and get them on a path to higher education,” Dr. William Serrata said. “We value this collaboration with our ISDs, UTEP, and our other educational partners. Together, we will help more students in our region earn college degrees or certificates.”

“Our goal is not to simply provide our students with a high school diploma,” Dr. Xavier De La Torre said. “It’s a big step, but it’s just the beginning and what we want to do is to prepare our students so that they have a better quality of life than their parents and grandparents, because that is what their parents and grandparents would want for them.”

EPCC and UTEP started this partnership in 2018, and in 2025, recruitment services for the two institutions collaborated to visit 21 schools in the Sun City.

While the percentage of adults with college degrees is on the increase, OCB helps ensure that this trend continues which is especially critically since by 2030, most jobs will require some sort of degree or certificate.

Students like Eastwood senior Marley Lopez are looking forward to the college experience. “I plan to take some summer courses at EPCC before I go to Lubbock Christian, so I think college is a great opportunity for so many students here, very blessed and privileged to have this opportunity,” Lopez said.

Operation College Bound will finalize the 2025 schedule with their last stop, Thursday, May 1, 2025, at Bel Air High School.
Photos courtesy: EPCC.

EPCC president Dr. William Serrata, left, talks with UTEP president Dr. Heather Wilson during Operation College Bound Monday at Eastwood High School

EPCC president Dr. William Serrata, left, talks with UTEP president Dr. Heather Wilson, center, and Eastwood High School principal Bonita Torres Monday during Operation College Bound

EPCC president Dr. William Serrata and UTEP president Dr. Heather Wilson enter Eastwood High School together during Operation College Bound Monday

UTEP president Dr. Heather Wilson left, and EPCC president Dr. William Serrata took part in Operation College Bound Monday at Eastwood High School