Finding Their Direction: ACTIVATE Program Helps Texarkana College Students Turn Uncertainty Into Achievement

By Kailei Batts
Texarkana College Student Worker, Office of Institutional Advancement

For many students, the transition to college can feel overwhelming, especially for those who are the first in their families to pursue higher education. At Texarkana College, the ACTIVATE program ensures those students are not navigating that journey alone.

Achieving Completion through Innovation, Vision, and Team Engagement (ACTIVATE) was founded in 2022 to support first-generation and underrepresented students in completing degrees and certificates. Through mentorship, weekly meetings and leadership development, the  program equips participants with tools for academic and personal success.

“We thought that if we could get students collectively together on a weekly basis to talk,
connect, see what the issues are, and see what resources the students need to be successful, they would excel and complete,” said Lee Williams III, executive director for Student Success, Retention, TRIO-EOC and ACTIVATE program manager. “And that’s been the case for this program.”

For many participants, ACTIVATE becomes a defining part of their college experience. Ryan Sims, a psychology major who joined in fall 2025, recalls feeling lost during his first semester.

“I didn’t know where to go or know anybody,” Sims said. After attending a meeting with former ACTIVATE member Samuel Jones, he realized the program was what he needed. “From that day forward, I knew ACTIVATE was something I needed in my life.”

Program leaders say ACTIVATE provides not only accountability but also a sense of belonging. Chad Moore, director of multimedia production and ACTIVATE program manager, said the program creates a supportive space focused on completion.

“ACTIVATE is a great place not only to make sure that young men complete and graduate, but it’s also a safe space for everybody to join and go toward that one goal of completion,” Moore said. “That space allows anybody that joins ACTIVATE to go from point A to point B.”
Since its founding, ACTIVATE has graduated 17 students, many of whom have gone on to pursue advanced degrees and careers.

One of those alumni is Joshua Wright, a registered nurse who joined during the program’s first semester in fall 2022. Encouraged by friends to attend, Wright said he quickly discovered ACTIVATE would shape more than his college experience.

“My favorite part of ACTIVATE by far was the weekly meetings,” Wright said. “It was a place where we could destress, talk about what’s been going on, and help each other out.” Known as “Chalk Talks,” the weekly sessions allow students to openly discuss academic pressures, personal challenges and goals. Wright said one of the most important lessons he learned was the value of communication.

“If you don’t talk about it, nobody will know about it,” he said. “You can only help yourself so far until it gets to the point where you might need some outside help.”

Wright credits ACTIVATE with building his confidence and leadership skills, qualities that now serve him in his nursing career. He has since spoken as an alumnus on a panel during the college’s Black History Month Luncheon.

“A couple of years back, before ACTIVATE, I never would have thought about public speaking,” Wright said. “It has helped me come out of my shell and have that courage and willpower to talk in front of people.”

Program managers hope to expand ACTIVATE’s reach through increased community partnerships and student engagement opportunities.

“We’re hoping for more community engagement and partnerships,” said Nicholas Watson, student success coach and ACTIVATE program manager. “Our students really do want to give back to the community they’ve been raised in.”

More than an academic initiative, ACTIVATE continues to serve as a catalyst for growth, connection and completion. The program helps students move from uncertainty to confidence and from enrollment to graduation.