How UT Austin's Willie Castrejon Transforms New Hires Into GEAR UP Leaders

When you're building a GEAR UP program from the ground up, one of the smartest investments you can make is in your people. Willie Castrejon, Director of GUIDES 2025 GEAR UP at The University of Texas at Austin, is doing exactly that.

With two GEAR UP grants in their first or second year, Willie turned to Study Lab (NCCEP’s online courses) as a key part of his coordinators' professional development.

"You can't sell a product — obviously GEAR UP is more than just a product, it's a movement — if you don't know much about it. We invested in Study Labs and the Onboarding Lab for our Coordinators to begin learning the ins and outs of GEAR UP and to network with GEAR UP Professionals across the nation.”

Pictured: Willie Castrejon and the GUIDES 2025 GEAR UP team.
Not pictured: Coordinators from UT Austin's MCR and ALL_IN grants, who are also participating in the Onboarding Learning Lab.

Study Lab worked well for his team because the courses are online, on-demand, and built specifically for GEAR UP. Coordinators could learn at their own pace, fit courses around their schedules, and start building real knowledge about program implementation from day one. Most courses take less than two hours to complete, and NCCEP members receive a 1:1 match discount.

Willie's team also participated in the Onboarding Learning Lab, which helped his coordinators connect with GEAR UP leaders nationwide.

When we invest in our people early, we strengthen the entire GEAR UP movement. Ready to invest in yours? Learn more about Study Lab (NCCEP’s online courses).