Donna, TX (KRGV) —Donna North High School students can complete a new program to automatically be accepted into the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Junior Desteny Elizondo and sophomore Joisias Ramos were the first students enrolled in UTSA's Early Birds Spanish program to learn Spanish and prepare for future careers.

Students in grades 10 and 11 can take six Spanish courses that count toward a Spanish minor.

UTSA Program Coordinator David de Leon said the program helps address the need for bilingual professionals, especially in health care.

"Our country is short of medical staff, and our people need to have the communication correctly in the medical field, clinics, hospitals, and other areas. And sometimes their children are translators," de Leon said.

The students plan to apply their bilingual skills to future careers as a NICU nurse and a chiropractor.

"It will help me so I can communicate with them, because I know there are a lot of people that might not know Spanish," Elizondo said. “So it will be easy for me to communicate with them and help them with their trouble with what they have.”

Ramos said the program will also help him communicate with others.

"Most people here in the RGV don't speak English; I'm going to be able to speak Spanish," Ramos said. “So, people from the RGV can come to me. I can translate for someone who is not from here and vice versa.”

Spanish Teacher Claudia de la Garza says learning the language can also help students strengthen their critical thinking.

"It not only assists them by providing knowledge and analytical skills, but also fosters and deepens their critical thinking— which will prove beneficial for their future professional and academic endeavors," de la Garza said.

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