• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Ingenium Blog

College of Engineering Twitter hashtag #NewZachry Instagram hashtag #NewZachry College of Engineering Facebook
Texas A&M College of Engineering

Ingenium

  • Blog
    • Internship experience
    • Academic activities
    • Study Abroad experience
    • Entrepreneurial activities
    • Future Students
    • Graduate Students
    • Student life
  • About
  • Video
  • Contact

My home in the Rio Grande Valley

From the personal connections to the peaceful campus environment, I can enjoy a quality Aggie education while staying close to my family, friends and culture.

You are here: Home / Academic activities / My home in the Rio Grande Valley

March 30, 2022 By: Guest Blogger

Learn about the benefits of studying engineering at Texas A&M University by attending the Higher Education Center at McAllen, where students have the unique opportunity to earn an engineering degree while living in a thriving, close-knit community in the Rio Grande Valley.

Higher Education Center at McAllen

young woman wearing Aggie T-shirt and standing in front of motorcycle

For me, the best of both worlds lies between home and school. Therefore, I chose to attend the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center in McAllen, which is approximately 13 miles away from my house. From the personal connections to the peaceful campus environment, I can enjoy a quality Aggie education while staying close to my family, friends and culture.

I arrive on campus just before 8:00 in the morning every day; this allows me to get to class early and snatch the best parking spot. My footsteps echo through the building as I enter, with not a single person in sight. Leaving class once the clock approaches 9:15 am, I can hear several voices and footsteps below bouncing up to the second floor. Coming down the stairs, students have filled all available seats and tables.

Walking toward the lobby, the smell of free coffee grows stronger with every step. In the fall, various treats are also provided, including conchas, Mexican hot chocolate and, during some events, tamales. This campus is full of life. It is not hard to find a quiet place to study and the big open windows bring me clarity. When I need help, I can always find my professors in their offices. Meeting with them face-to-face is one of the best parts about the McAllen campus. During my working schedule later in the afternoon, you can find me on the first floor in the tutoring room. It is great to see several students line up for tutoring and even recognizing them as your own classmates or friends since our campus is so connected.

From the personal connections to the peaceful campus environment, I can enjoy a quality Aggie education while staying close to my family, friends and culture.

When I am not studying or working, I hang out with my friends or attend school events. The wide-open field provides a great space for soccer games and our big lake allows for a relaxing kayak ride or calm fishing spot. Although we do not have Aggie football games or Midnight Yell, the special part about the Higher Education Center is that we get to create our own traditions and clubs, like our student garden cared for by El Jardin de Cultivo.

On the outside, our building seems small but after taking a step inside, it is easy to appreciate the personal closeness yet physical openness of it all. As I ride forward here in McAllen, I am excited to see how Texas A&M will change the city around me for the better and where this road will take me next!

Paloma Lyke

Guest Author: Paloma Lyke

Interdisciplinary Engineering

If you found this blog post interesting, you may consider reading “My Engineering Experience at Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen” and “Why Engineering?.”

Topics: Academic activities, Future Students, Student life

Primary Sidebar

Related Posts

  • Ingenium blogger Austin Kees in the Playa de Espana 3 Ways to Maximize Your Time Abroad | March 15, 2023
  • Ingenium guestblogger Joel Lopez posing in front of pyramid on Yucatan peninsula in Mexico IRAP: Two weeks in Yucatán that changed my life | March 1, 2023
  • four Texas A&M University students studying in the Zachry Engineering Education Complex Dear Aggie Engineer… | February 15, 2023

Learn More

Texas A&M Engineering SoundBytes podcast logo next to a broadcast microphone image

Have you heard?

Texas A&M Engineering: SoundBytes is the podcast where faculty, students and staff across the engineering program can share their passion, experience and expertise.

Listen now

College of Engineering Twitter College of Engineering Instagram College of Engineering Facebook

Footer

Ingenium, written by students for students, a blog of the Texas A&M University College of Engineering

Learn More

College of Engineering

Texas A&M University

Engineering Resources

Options for Study

Student Life

Admissions & Aid

Study Abroad

Texas A&M College of Engineering

Copyright © 2023 · Texas A&M University College of Engineering · All Rights Reserved

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Texas A&M University.

State of Texas • Texas Homeland Security • Open Records • Risk, Fraud & Misconduct Hotline • Statewide Search • Texas CREWS • Site Links & Policies • Environmental Health, Safety & Security • Employment