Opportunities, Engineered

Excited by the opportunity to take basic courses at a more affordable community college rate while co-enrolling at Texas A&M, Olaosebikan applied. When his acceptance letter arrived, it announced what he hadn’t thought possible: He was an Aggie. “It felt like doors suddenly opened for me,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’m about to be in a school that produces some of the brightest minds.’”

Olaosebikan enrolled in the Houston academy in fall 2020 and transitioned this fall to College Station, where he is an industrial and systems engineering major and a member of the Corps of Cadets. “I still have to pinch myself sometimes to remember that I’m attending Texas A&M!” he said.

A revolutionary partnership with community colleges, Texas A&M’s Engineering Academies produce stories like Olaosebikan’s across the state and have become a model for similar university programs throughout the nation. Aided by corporate dollars, the academies’ reach has rapidly expanded since their 2015 inception, spreading life-changing opportunities to students and the communities these future engineers will impact worldwide.
 

Biomedical engineering major Arthur Farnsworth ’23 experienced personal and professional growth during his time at the Austin Community College academy. Inspired by his experiences, he now mentors newly transitioned students as an academy student ambassador. “I might not have been a Texas A&M student without the academy, so I wanted to commemorate that by providing insights to students who were once in my shoes,” he explained.

By offering an Aggie experience at a savings of up to $50,000, the Engineering Academies also create opportunities for students from underserved communities. More than 30% of participants are first-generation students, and some are non-traditional students with families. Others, like Olaosebikan, fall into both categories. “The academies have changed my plans,” he said. “Paying for a four-year education was going to be almost impossible; it would have been a huge challenge to work and go to school while raising a family.”

With 146 graduates, the program is beginning to produce professionals who can positively impact the field. “The Engineering Academies are a win for our industry,” said Dr. Cindy Lawley, assistant vice chancellor for Academic and Outreach Programs and assistant dean for the Engineering Academies. “Many of our students have unique experiences, and we can produce engineers that better mimic the demographics of Texas.”

Isabel Eburi ’20, a graduate of the academies and an international student from Equatorial Guinea, now works as a graduate civil engineer in training at Walter P. Moore & Associates in Houston. While at the Houston academy, she studied abroad in Yucatan, Mexico. After transitioning to College Station, she landed several internships and found her current job through the university’s career fairs.

Now, Eburi is fostering the next generation of engineers with her student platform Entre Estudiantes EG. Launched in 2019, the initiative promotes educational and professional development and introduces students from Equatorial Guinea to different career paths, particularly in STEM fields. “Entre Estudiantes is my way of giving back for everything the Engineering Academies and Texas A&M gave me,” she explained.

With additional plans to expand the academies’ enrollment and locations, the program will continue fueling Aggie dreams for students like Farnsworth, Eburi, Olaosebikan and the future generations they are working to inspire. “I hope my story encourages someone, especially somebody my age who has said ‘no’ to themselves before,” Olaosebikan said. “I hope it pushes them toward something they didn’t think possible.”