For YES Prep juniors, college planning does not start in senior year. It starts earlier, with intentional experiences designed to help students see what is possible for their future. 

Junior Spring Trips are one of those defining moments. 

Each year, 11th grade students travel to college campuses across the country, many leaving Texas for the first time and stepping onto a college campus in person. For some, it is their first time on a plane. For others, it is their first time seeing a university beyond a screen. 

These trips are part of YES Prep’s College Initiatives programming, which focuses on helping students explore their options, build strong college lists, and make informed decisions about their future. Junior year is a critical point in that journey, and these experiences help turn preparation into something tangible. 

This year, students visited college campuses in Austin, San Antonio, and across Tennessee and Georgia, as well as cities nationwide including Nashville, St. Louis, New York, and Boston. 

Possibility to Reality 

Inside the classroom, college can feel distant. On these trips, it becomes real. 

Students walk through campuses, sit in information sessions, and hear directly from admissions teams and current college students. They begin to understand not just how to apply, but what it actually feels like to be there. 

“In those moments, college becomes more than just an idea,” said Aaron Ledesma, director of creative strategy at YES Prep. “It becomes something within reach.” 

For educators like Erkenis White, English III teacher and course facilitator at Gulfton Secondary, that shift is what makes the experience so powerful. 

“Junior Spring Trips give students the opportunity to experience colleges they may have never heard of before,” White said. “For many of our students, these experiences have been truly life-changing.” 

Learning Through Experience 

Each trip is intentionally designed to immerse students in college life. 

Students visit multiple campuses, participate in guided tours, and attend admissions presentations. They eat in dining halls, explore campus spaces, and in some cases, connect with YES Prep alumni currently attending those schools. 

“The day usually includes visiting two campuses and hearing directly from admissions and current college students,” said Nicholas Terrell, college counselor at Fifth Ward Secondary. 

Beyond the itinerary, something else is taking shape. Students are building connections, with colleges, and with each other. 

Across trips, students from different YES Prep campuses spend days traveling, learning, and reflecting together. By the end, what started as unfamiliar groups becomes a community grounded in shared goals for the future. 

Moments of Impact 

While every campus visit adds to the experience, it is often one moment that leaves a lasting impression. 

For students on the Austin trip, that moment came through hands-on learning. During a visit to the University of Texas at Austin, students participated in an engineering activity that allowed them to apply their learning in real time.  

For others, it is a feeling. 

On the Tennessee and Georgia trips, one student visiting Sewanee: The University of the South immediately connected with the campus and added it to his college list after seeing himself there.  

And for many, the moment comes through representation. 

During campus visits, students met YES Prep alumni currently attending those universities, offering a firsthand look at what their own future could look like. 

“It goes from ‘Can I do this?’ to ‘If they did it, so can I,’” Ledesma said. 

Why It Matters 

For many students, these trips are full of firsts, from leaving the state for the first time to stepping onto a college campus and beginning to imagine themselves in that environment. 

For educators, they are a reminder of why this work matters. 

“It expands their perspective and helps them envision their future,” said Maya Whitehurst, college counselor at North Forest Secondary. 

Junior Spring Trips are a reflection of a deeper commitment to ensuring every student has access to opportunities that open doors. 

Because when students can see what is possible, they are better prepared to pursue it. 

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To view photos of the Junior Spring Trips, click here.