GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Education through Region 1 ESC. Brownsville Independent School District's Veterans Memorial High School GEAR UP focuses on building a college-going culture through various programs and initiatives available to students of the Class of 2017 and their parents or guardians. VMHS campus facilitators are Celina Barrera-Scott and Cecilia Hobbs. Veterans Memorial High School GEAR UP: Ready, Set, College!