KINGSVILLE (July 22, 2024) — The Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) played host to 64 college engineers from around the state for the three-week Integrated Pathways of Excellence for Seamless Transition of Engineering Minority Students (IPE-STEMS) Summer Bridge Program.
The program, which ran from July 1-19 and funded by National Science Foundation Grant #1928611, is meant to motivate attending freshman, sophomores, upcoming juniors and students transferring from two-year colleges to be successful in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.
Attending students worked on design projects with faculty members from the College of Engineering and Department of Mathematics, attended daily seminars and lectures, and participated in lab demonstrations and non-engineering student success sessions.
“I think (the program) was great and students were very enthusiastic,” associate professor of chemical engineering Dr. Matthew Alexander said. “A vast majority of the students were all community college students, freshman and sophomores who are early on in the academic careers. The whole purpose of the grant program is to better motivate the students to persist and graduate with their bachelor of science degree. We’re trying to give these students the motivation to get through all four years of an engineering degree.”
Of the 64 in attendance in person or via Zoom, only 10 were undergraduate students from TAMUK, with the rest coming from colleges from all over the region and relished the opportunity for a true university experience.
Jesus Cantu, a Mission High School graduate who completed an associate’s degree via a dual enrollment program at South Texas College, who was informed about the bridge program by Regional Admission Counselor Valerie Ramirez said he thought he would have trouble adjusting to the program with his lack of engineering experience.
That would not prove to be the case as his experience proved to be a positive one thanks to faculty and staff.
“The staff was friendly and the professors here were willing to go one-on-one with you to help solve the slightest of problems,” Cantu said. “They encouraged us to just ask questions even if it’s something we don’t know. They even helped us get started on software we needed to learn, any vocabulary we didn’t understand. Even the students were very helpful. They are very connected, close and willing to lend a hand.”
Those helping hands belonged to TAMUK engineers who volunteered their time as student mentors, including computer science major Michael Flores.
“I’ve encountered and spoke to a few students who are transferring from wherever they were this fall semester to TAMUK,” Flores said. “I think the bridge program was definitely a great way to introduce them to the Javelina family. It’s definitely bringing some over here to our side.”
