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Higher Up Texas, or HUT, is a learning center where young adults aged 17 to 23 can pick up life skills to prepare them for their careers and adult lives.
CEO Hillary Gramm said HUT teaches students “how to adult,” offering training in essential life skills that traditional school curricula might omit, such as making a good first impression, networking, credit building and filing taxes.
"We're not microchipped with all the things you need to know at 18,” Gramm said.
The local impact
HUT welcomed its first class of 27 students in 2019, a year before the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted programming, according to the business's website. To date, Higher Up Texas has graduated over 800 young adults who have gone on to pursue careers in diverse fields, such as healthcare, finance and engineering.
The program’s defining philosophy, which is carried on mint green rubber keychains, is: "I’m defined by my choices, not my challenges.”
Gramm said this mantra is empowering for students, many of whom have had to face significant challenges, such as incarceration, having to raise younger siblings after parents have been separated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or even being the first person in their family to pursue higher education.
Zooming in
This year, Madilyn Pena became the first HUT graduate to land a career in law enforcement when she was hired as a conditional analyst at the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department.
Initially, the department rejected her application, leading Pena to consult Gramm about what to do next.
"When I got the ‘no,’ [Gramm] told me ... still say thank you for giving me the opportunity to interview” Pena said.
Job-seeking etiquette, such as sending a thank you note after an interview or giving a memorable handshake, is standard HUT training.
"When you start doing the handshake and looking in the eyes and writing the notes ... they're impressed,” Gramm said. “You have something very special that most 18-year-olds don't have."
About the organization
HUT is a two-part program that offers a two hour per week class for high school seniors that teaches the tools and skills needed for adulthood. After students graduate high school, they continue into Higher Up Phase 2, which is a support system where students learn to navigate adulthood and its challenges, according to the business' website.
Instead of being an after-school club, HUT partners with school districts, such as Texas City ISD to replace traditional classes, allowing students to participate during the school day, Gramm said. Currently, HUT partners with Dickinson High School, Texas City High School and La Marque High School and in two years, the program aims to enroll every La Marque High School senior into the learning center.
Pena’s story is just one of many successful HUT graduates, such as the engineering “power couple” Artemio Anguiano and Elizabeth Soto who are both the first in their family to attend college. Another couple, who were teen parents when they enrolled in HUT, recently purchased their first home, Gramm said.
"You did something no one else in your family's ever done, or even in your community ... you're a gem,” Gramm said.
