Josiah Ponce First-Ever Dual Credit Student Serving as Keynote Speaker at DMC Graduation

Del Mar College

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS (News Release) - When you look at Josiah Ponce’s accomplishments, you might not think a high school student would have a resume. However, he does with his educational experience currently being both a Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD) Collegiate High School and Del Mar College (DMC) student.

Josiah Ponce

Pursuing both high school and college at the same time takes being a “motivated” and “passionate” individual. Both these characteristics are listed on Ponce’s resume; and this coming weekend, he’ll receive first his Associate in Arts degree in Liberal Arts from DMC and then his high school diploma from CCISD.

“My experience with CCISD, Collegiate High School and Del Mar College has been truly unique — not many students have the opportunity to complete both high school and college simultaneously, ” Ponce says. “It has been a challenging but rewarding journey, and I’m proud to have reached this milestone. I’m incredibly grateful for these experiences and look forward to what comes next.”

This Friday, May 15, Ponce will “walk the stage” in the Hilliard Center arena with 923 other DMC “prospective” graduates as part of the college’s Spring Commencement. Overall, the Class of Spring 2026 includes nearly 1,250 “prospective” graduates with DMC awarding a total of 1,608 occupational skills awards, certificates, associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees combined. Among those planning to participate during the ceremony are over 75 Freedom to Dream students from the first cohort (2025-2026).

The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. with participating “prospective” graduates providing family and friends with tickets for limited seating. For anyone unable to attend, the college will livestream the event with access on YouTube beginning 30 minutes prior (6:30 p.m.) to the ceremony using the following link:  youtube.com/live/z-oFuDGaE1M?feature=share.

Before Ponce takes his next steps toward studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi as an Elementary Education major, he’ll first add another bullet to his resume as Del Mar College’s Spring 2026 Commencement keynote speaker and address other Dual Credit graduation ceremony participants as well as traditional age and adult learners alike. 

DMC is graduating about 330 Dual Credit students overall who are earning certificates or associate’s degrees and from partnering Coastal Bend high schools.

Ponce says that his message will focus on the potential of the Class of Spring 2026’s future while also celebrating the people who have supported them along the way. “It’s important to recognize the different paths each of us has taken to reach this milestone and the resilience it took to get here,” he notes.

Ponce’s most notable achievement has been involvement with the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE), serving as President (now a Past President) and in other leadership roles that earned him national recognition for his public speaking, conference presentations and peer mentoring, among other attributes. As a student leader, he has demonstrated his ability to inspire peer council members and other students to reach their potential.

When not in class, Ponce works as a sales associate at the Texas State Aquarium in the gift shop. He also has worked as a student intern for CCISD’s Director of Professional Learning, helping with professional development initiatives for educators from across multiple district campuses and gaining hands-on experience in program management inclusive of tracking processes, evaluation and improvement efforts that drive successful outcomes.

In 2024 under the guidance and mentorship of a supervisory teacher, Ponce volunteered at the Texas State Aquarium to deliver structured one-on-one and group reading lessons to students attending Metro Elementary School of Design. He also assisted with classroom management to ensure students experienced a supportive, structured and focused learning environment leading to better literacy and confidence. 

Ponce will receive his high school diploma on Saturday, May 16, during a ceremony scheduled at Veterans Memorial High School. His goal is to someday become a Superintendent of Schools and says that his passion for education began at a young age.

“I would go home from kindergarten and ‘play teacher’ with a pretend classroom,” he says. “When I came to Collegiate, I had the opportunity to pursue the teaching pathway, which further strengthened my interest in education. I aspire to become a superintendent because I see myself as a leader who wants to create meaningful change while supporting both students and educators on a broader scale.”

Given his current path as a Dual Credit student at Collegiate High School, college student at DMC and soon-to-be graduate from both, he’s well on his way.