Summer Brings 'Younger' Students to TAMIU

A casual stroll across Texas A&M International University's campus this summer will convince visitors that higher education is starting at an earlier age than most may have realized.

That's because a number of TAMIU summer programs target middle and high school students.

This summer, you can find 250 middle and high school participants in TexPREP, a prefreshman engineering program for select students in 6-11th grades, now in its 19th year at TAMIU. Of this group, 25 are fourth year Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust Scholars and will be taking College Algebra and Trigonometry courses.

Also on campus are over 110 students from age 3 to 16 who are enrolled in summer academic and music camps. Athletics camps, offered in various sports, will attract over 275 students to TAMIU's campus.

Another 32 students are participating in the University's summer Bridge program, offered in cooperation with the South Texas Workforce Development Board. All have just graduated from high school and are taking summer University courses as they begin their transition into higher education.

Five Nixon and Alexander High School juniors that are part of the University's GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program) are taking concurrent courses at the University and high school this summer and participate in a special summer math and science camp.

The University's Office of Special Programs, directed by Dr. Julio F. Madrigal, organizes the bulk of the academic summer offerings. He says each summer brings a new opportunity for the University to expose students to the possibilities made real by higher education.

"We've seen a very high correlation between those students who engage in summer programs here and those who go on to explore higher education here or elsewhere. It's especially gratifying when former students come back as recent graduates of TAMIU or other universities and offer to volunteer to help with the program during the summer," he explained.

For additional information, please contact the Office of Special Programs at 326.2720 or visit the Office on the web at http://www.tamiu.edu/contedu/

University office hours are from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Offices will be closed this Friday, June 11, in a State-authorized observance of the passing of President Ronald Reagan.