Emily Aguillon
PSJA Early College High School, Class of 2026
Plans to Attend: Texas State University,
Major: Criminal Justice.
Awards/Honors
- 2024-2025- I was elected Vice President of the PSJA North Criminal Justice and Forensics Club
- 2023-2024- I competed for Job Exhibition where I achieved a perfect score and won an awards of Best of Show.
- 2024-2025- I placed first place in the district for 911 Call Taking at the Texas Public Safety Association (TPSA). At state in the TPSA, I placed 11th overall with competitors from all over the state of Texas. At the same competition I competed for Crime Scene Investigation where I placed 4th in the district.
- 2024-2025- I competed for Job exhibition where I achieved a perfect score on presentation and information and a perfect score on oral presentation.
- 2024-2025- I was certified on Small business Entrepreneurship by PSJA North and ESB
- 2025-2026- I became President of the Criminal Justice and Forensics Club
Now I am about to finish my Associates Degree in Criminal Justice through STC. I have a 4.3 GPA in high school and I am graduating with honors through South Texas College with a 3.8 GPA.
I am currently ranked 19/575 students in the 2026 class.
Tell us your story! What hardships or challenges have you overcome to get to where you are today? How have these experiences motivated you to pursue your educational dreams?
Doctors predicted my mom would remain in a coma for six month after an unexpected stroke my freshman year of high school. Miraculously, she woke up after two days. Within a week she was released, yet she was no longer the same. She could not walk, eat, or talk independently. The roles of mother and child reversed, I became her caretaker. My siblings had their own lives and careers, leaving me, the youngest, to shoulder the responsibility.
This challenge reshaped my high school years. While my peers enjoyed dances, sports, and carefree weekends, I spent my days helping my mom with therapy, meals, and prayers for recovery. At times, envy crept in, but I reminded myself that God had kept my mom by my side. My unique circumstance forced me to grow up quickly, balancing schoolwork with caregiving responsibilities. It taught me resilience, empathy, and discipline the qualities that now define me.
These experiences also shaped my educational goals. I aspire to pursue higher education in criminal justice. My experiences prompted to study law and become an attorney due to the unfairness that my mother received under healthcare in the United States. She was silenced despite living half of her life in the U.S and being a resident of the country.
As a first generation student I aspire to make change in the justice system we know today. I will become the voice that my people have often lacked to due the oppression by the justice. system. Pursuing my education in criminal justice will allow me to be educated and have a fighting chance in making a difference that will matter to not only my mom but to my people.
How have the opportunities offered at PSJA ISD, including the PSJA Early College Program, impacted your life?
As an incoming high school student at PSJA North, it was amazing to see the amount of opportunities that PSJA ISD offered free of cost. The PSJA Early College Program allowed me to start taking college classes my sophomore year that would eventually turn into an associates degree if the program is completed. Not only that, I am also a part of the PSJA Academies where I am able to get certified or licensed in a specific career. I am currently working on my real estate license while working on my associates in criminal justice. Thanks to PSJA ISD, its academies, and its early college program I was able to obtain certifications, credits, and skills that will set me apart when I enter the work force, completely free of charge. I will not say it was not challenging, but the opportunities are abundant, it is up to the student to take advantage of everything PSJA ISD has to offer.
What, if anything, would you say to your PSJA Family?
To my PSJA Family, we are often seen as not capable, uneducated, and unqualified because of our 2 demographic, but don’t let meaningless adjectives deter you from achieving the unthinkable. My gratitude goes to PSJA ISD who truly cares for their students future. The opportunities offered are often overlooked, but if taken advantage of, they are truly life changing.
