06/24/2026
Our next award recipient, we want to recognize the TACAC William W. Fleming Award- Erika Gonzalez, Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School🌟
On April 21, 1996, the executive board inaugurated an annual award to recognize an individual who has achieved unquestioned excellence in counseling young people in the transition from high school to college. The award honors a TACAC member who has served students at least 10 years and who has been assessed by colleagues as meeting high standards of honesty, decency, and commitment to a good match between student and college. The award is named in honor of William W. Fleming, who served as TACAC's first Public Service Chair and remained a loyal TACAC member throughout his career. Most importantly, he always cared about helping young people find a good college match.
Erika Gonzales has over 20 years of dedication to public education, including 11 years in college counseling, surpassing the 10-year service requirement. As a first-generation college graduate, she offers deeply personalized, empathetic guidance, connecting her personal journey to students' challenges. Working with YWPN at Irma Rangel and YWLA Grand Prairie, she has successfully matriculated over 360 girls to college. Her impact extends beyond acceptance. Through her "to and through" model, she ensures students graduate, achieving a college graduation rate 2 times the national average for similar low-income schools.Her exceptional results are undeniable, particularly in the competitive QuestBridge program. Her record of life-changing success showcases her profound dedication to educational equity and student opportunity.
To learn more about each award and our past recipients please visit: https://tacac.memberclicks.net/awards
