My education journey didn’t follow a straight line, and it didn’t come with shortcuts. My parents didn’t pay for me to attend college, but they instilled in me the work ethic and belief that education was the path forward. I got a scrappy start at Palm Beach County Community College while working and raising a young family. Like many parents, I wasn’t just trying to earn a degree, I was trying to build a better future for my children, one semester at a time. Later, I continued my studies at the University of Massachusetts, carrying with me the lessons of perseverance, sacrifice, and faith that education opens doors.
To every parent working nights, attending classes on weekends, or studying after putting kids to bed, we see you. You are teaching your children and grandchildren something far bigger than coursework. You are teaching them resilience, aspiration, and the value of investing in themselves.
That lesson matters deeply here in Galveston.
Today, the City of Galveston falls below the national average of 34.3% for residents age 25 and older with a college degree. About 25% of residents have only a high school diploma, and 10% have less than a high school education. The unemployment rate in Galveston County is 6%, a full point higher than the state average. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent missed opportunities, underutilized talent, and families who could be thriving with the right support systems in place.
You can see the educational attainment data here:
We are fortunate to have strong institutions in our county. Texas A&M University at Galveston enrolled over 2,200 students in 2022 with a graduation rate exceeding 76%. The University of Texas Medical Branch awarded over 1,200 degrees in 2023. College of the Mainland and Galveston College awarded hundreds more degrees each. These are incredible assets, but they are not reaching every family, and too many students still face financial and structural barriers before they even step onto a campus.
Galveston ISD offers dual credit and AP courses, which is a great start. But families still bear the cost, and the class options are limited. Meanwhile, other districts in Texas allow students to earn an associate degree while finishing high school or attend Early College High School (ECHS) programs at no cost to the family. College of the Mainland already has an ECHS program partnership with Texas City ISD and La Marque ISD. I have to ask: why not Galveston ISD? Don’t our kids deserve the same opportunity? Shouldn’t we be setting them up for success before they graduate?
This is where leadership truly matters, not in pretending we have all the answers, but in being honest about where we need to grow. Real leadership means being willing to rethink systems that aren’t delivering equitable outcomes, especially when those systems affect our children’s futures. It means listening, learning, and having the courage to change course when the evidence shows a better path forward.
Liz Ryan recently shared a powerful reflection on what intelligence and leadership really look like. She pointed out that truly effective leaders are the ones who can say, “I used to think…” or “What am I missing?” Those phrases are not signs of weakness, they are signs of confidence, humility, and responsibility. They signal a leader who is focused on outcomes, not ego, and on people, not pride.
Oscar Wilde once observed that experience is simply “the name men gave to their mistakes.” In other words, progress only happens when we acknowledge what hasn’t worked and commit to doing better. Albert Einstein echoed this idea when he suggested that real wisdom isn’t about knowing everything, it’s about staying curious, open-minded, and willing to evolve. Leadership isn’t static. It is adaptive, responsive, and grounded in learning.
We can acknowledge GISD’s dual credit and AP programs and still recognize they are not enough. We can be proud of our local colleges and universities and still admit too many students never reach them. We can celebrate progress and still ask, “What are we missing?” and “How can we do better for our kids?”
If other districts in Texas are offering ECHS programs and free pathways to associate degrees, we should be asking why Galveston isn’t doing the same. If students in neighboring communities can graduate with enough credits to obtain an associate’s degree and no debt, we should be asking what it would take to make that possible here. That’s not criticism for the sake of criticism, that’s leadership driven by curiosity, humility, and a commitment to fairness.
I believe that kind of leadership is what our schools, our families, and our city deserve. A willingness to say, “I used to think this was enough, but now I see we can do more.” A willingness to ask, “What am I missing?” And most importantly, a willingness to act on those answers.
For me, this is personal. I didn’t have a seamless pathway to higher education. I had grit, community college classes, late nights, and the belief that education would change my family’s trajectory. It did. And I want every child in Galveston to have a pathway that is clearer, more affordable, and more accessible than mine was.
Imagine a Galveston where qualified high school students graduate with an associate degree already in hand. Imagine parents knowing their children can enter college debt-free, with credits earned before they even leave high school. Imagine a city where higher education is not an aspiration for a few, but an expectation for many.
This is not just an education issue. It’s an economic development strategy, a workforce strategy, and a generational equity strategy. Higher education correlates with higher income, lower unemployment, better health outcomes, and stronger civic engagement. When we invest in education, we invest in the future stability and prosperity of Galveston.
We owe it to the parents working double shifts and studying after bedtime. We owe it to the students dreaming of college but unsure how they’ll pay for it. And we owe it to our city to build a system that reflects both ambition and compassion.
Leadership is about being willing to listen, learn, and act. Inspired by insights from leadership expert Liz Ryan on the importance of curiosity, humility, and adapting when new data shows a better path forward, I believe Galveston can, and must, do better.
Let’s open doors wider. Let’s create real pathways. And let’s ensure every child in Galveston has the chance to start their journey further ahead than we ever did.
Source: Liz Ryan, LinkedIn post on leadership and the value of changing one’s mind
Data sources include U.S. Census Bureau and Texas Community Health News community indicators dashboard.