Promise student envisions bright future

Tisha Reid is one proud mom who will not have to stress about how to pay for her son's college education. Evan Mayes, currently a Deer Park High School senior, will join the San Jacinto College family in fall 2022 as a Promise Scholar.

"We are a combined family with seven kids, so to get one of them through college that's fully paid for is a huge benefit to us," Reid said.

To Reid, a long-term benefit of the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship is it will allow Mayes to finish his degree and jump right into his career field "with no loans, no debt, and he can immediately start benefitting from his income."

Looking ahead

"I feel pretty awesome about having an opportunity to go to San Jac, especially with the Promise program where I can attend for free," Mayes said.

Mayes plans to major in instrumentation and chose San Jac because of all the positive feedback he has heard from others who've attended.

"I think it's a good environment to meet new people, especially in the classes I'll be taking," Mayes said. "I feel like I'll be with the people who are learning the same stuff and want to do the same things I'm going to be doing on the job."

The future Promise student plans to focus on his coursework and get good grades to complete an Associate of Applied Science degree. While he appreciates the various course delivery options available, he is more of a hands-on learner who prefers "experiencing while learning the material."

Outside of career planning

Mayes loves playing music for fun, namely drums and guitar. He plays the tuba and is a section leader for his high school band and is a drummer for his church band. He can solve a Rubik's Cube in up to 20 seconds and has a huge collection of them in all sizes.

"I want to say thank you to San Jac because the Promise program is helping so many people, especially people who cannot afford college," Mayes said. "I feel like that's a really great thing that's happening."