For more than a decade, veteran District VIII Trustee Abel Davila has worked to increase enrollment and expand opportunities offered by one of the nation's largest community college systems. An HCC alumnus himself, Davila is a strong supporter of initiatives that help the disenfranchised and minority students, those who are often at-risk for dropping out of school.
By pushing programs like the recently established East Early College High School, Davila believes HCC can be a partner in decreasing drop-out rates of students who don't adapt to traditional school settings or are economically disadvantaged. The joint HCC/Houston Independent School District model, sponsored by The Gates Foundation, offers students with academic potential the chance to earn a high school diploma and a college associate degree in five years for free.
Programs like East Early College and the popular dual credit initiative for high school students within the HCC taxing district are geared toward student success - a strategy Davila strives for with every HCC program he promotes. He believes organizational stewardship means providing for all and seeking a blend of programs that attract higher enrollment and improved student achievement.
He envisions HCC's mission as serving the underserved and offering the power of education throughout the region. To strengthen this mission, Davila believes HCC should focus on its role as a community builder through intensified recruitment efforts and an even more diverse student body. Communities thrive when their residents have hope, better jobs and more promising futures for themselves and their children, he says.
Davila, a pharmacist, earned an associate degree in science from HCC and graduated with a bachelor of science in pharmacy from Texas Southern University. He is pursuing a master's degree as he works full time and continues his community volunteer and leadership work.
Politically active since college, Davila formerly worked as a research assistant for former City Councilman Felix Fraga and coordinated several campaigns for city and state elected officials. Along with fellow trustees Diane Olmos Guzmán and Yolanda Navarro Flores, Davila founded the Hispanic Education Leadership Committee to fund thousands of dollars in scholarships annually to deserving HCC students.
