Chancellor Visits Texas Third Graders Who 'Adopted' the University of Arkansas

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Chancellor G. David Gearhart talks to Irving, Texas third graders while Gaby Hernandez, their teacher, and Pork Chop and Sue-E look on

A third grade classroom in an Irving, Texas, elementary school may seem like a strange place to find a group of eager Arkansas Razorback fans. But the 34 students in Ms. Gaby Hernandez’s class at J.O. Schulze Elementary do more than root for the Hogs in sports — they are fans of the entire University of Arkansas. So when university Chancellor G. David Gearhart, several university students, and a pair of team mascots arrived for a visit Friday morning, Jan. 6, the students were excited to meet them. The feeling was mutual.

 “It was a real thrill to meet these students,” said Gearhart. “Their enthusiasm for the U of A is really something to behold.”

Schulze Elementary serves a predominantly minority population of economically disadvantaged students; 96 percent of the students’ parents never attended college. But the school is working to create opportunities for its students.

Hernandez introduced the chancellor and other visitors to her class more than a year after introducing her students to the University of Arkansas, back when she was their second grade teacher, and Schulze Elementary had joined a national program called “No Excuses University.” The program encourages every student to aspire to attend college, in part by having every classroom “adopt” a university and develop a partnership with that school.

That partnership has been fostered with strong support from the Dallas chapter of the Arkansas Alumni Association, whose members make weekly visits to Hernandez's class to read with students and support the college aspirations initiative. That kind of commitment is a big reason the visitors from the university were greeted by eager Texas youngsters who knew about the University of Arkansas, knew how to call the Hogs – and could even sing the Arkansas “Fight Song.”

Chancellor Gearhart thanked the students for supporting the University of Arkansas, praised them, their teacher and school officials, affirmed the importance of a college education and urged them to keep working to reach their goal.

The chancellor was joined by John Reap of the Dallas alumni chapter and incoming head of the Arkansas Alumni Association. Hernandez thanked Reap for all the volunteer work he and the chapter had done with her class since the program started.

During the visit the Hog mascots, Pork Chop and Sue-E, helped the chancellor hand out gift bags from the athletics department — tote bags with a Hog rally towel, posters, stickers and other items to add to their classroom collection and to keep the University of Arkansas on their minds.