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Texas A&M University’s Higher Education Center at McAllen is offering a chance to earn an Aggie diploma in one of Texas’ fastest growing regions?

By Dorian Martin ’06

Photography by Brenda Bazan

Spanning Texas’ southernmost tip and extending into Mexico, the Rio Grande Valley is experiencing significant growth in both population and economic opportunities.
 

The Inaugural Aggie

Why Belinda Bernal ’22 joined the center’s first class

As the oldest sibling, Belinda Bernal ’22 serves as a protector and role model for her three sisters. Sadly, that role took on additional weight after her father died suddenly when Bernal was a high school junior.

At the time, the Mission, Texas, native planned to follow in an Aggie uncle’s footsteps and enroll at Texas A&M’s main campus, but her father’s death changed that trajectory. “I couldn’t go to College Station and leave my family,” she explained.

Remembering her father’s excitement about the then-new McAllen campus, Bernal enrolled in the center’s inaugural class. “I absolutely loved it,” she said. “It allowed me to stay at home and created an amazing support system I have to this day.”

The public health major, who relied on scholarships, Pell Grants and part-time jobs to cover tuition, took full advantage of the center’s offerings, including smaller classes and strong relationships with faculty. She also did field work, which gave her a better understanding of preventable health issues experienced by many Valley residents who live in poverty. “There were major health disparities happening right in my backyard,” she said. “I realized that change needs to happen here.”

Now, Bernal is pursuing a master’s degree in cell systems and anatomy from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio before attending medical school. Aware of the underrepresentation of Hispanic doctors who can understand and empathize with the Valley’s underserved communities, Bernal plans to dedicate her career to the area’s populace. “I grew up in this environment and witnessed firsthand the critical need for support,” she said.

Of equal importance, Bernal is proudly watching as two of her sisters attend college and her youngest finishes high school. “I want to show my sisters that anything is possible,” she said. “If you have the opportunity, take it.”

Texas’ portion of the Valley is home to approximately 1.5 million residents. That number climbs to approximately 2.7 million when Mexico’s adjacent border city populations are added—making the Valley larger than the San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas. And the bi-national area is projected to reach 7 million by 2040.

Prospective employers and investors are attracted to the area’s strategic location and youthful demographic, with nearly 60% of the population under age 35. As a result, significant economic opportunities are emerging, with local leaders beginning to rebrand the area as “the RioPlex.”

However, the region’s bright prospects face challenges due to a lack of educational opportunities. According to the Texas Comptroller’s Office, less than 19% of the population of the South Texas region that includes the Valley held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2021.

To help address this gap, Texas A&M University established the Higher Education Center at McAllen in rented space in 2017 before moving into its current building in 2018. The center builds on Texas A&M’s prospective student center that was established in the city in 2002 and further plants the Aggie banner in the heart of the Valley. “Our passion is helping students realize they can earn an Aggie Ring right where they are,” said Rick Margo ’89, the campus’s executive director.

Over the course of its short history, the center has awarded 97 Texas A&M degrees, and enrollment continues to grow. In 2023-24, the rapidly growing institution served 375 Aggies and welcomed a record freshman class of 205 new Aggies in fall 2024. The center’s student body is 96% Hispanic, while approximately three in five students are first-generation college attendees.

The Spirit of Aggieland-South

What it’s like to be an Aggie in McAllen

As an extension of the College Station campus, the Higher Education Center at McAllen brings the Aggie Spirit into the heart of South Texas. Texas A&M’s core values and traditions—whether “Howdy,” the Aggie Ring or the 12th Man—are proudly integrated into the campus culture. “We want to reinforce that we’re part of the Aggie family and have access to what is in College Station,” said Manny Vela, the center’s associate vice president and chief operating officer.

Approximately 370 miles from main campus, the center strives to strengthen its bonds with Aggieland by providing opportunities for faculty, students and staff to travel to College Station. About 20% of its students transition to finish coursework at the College Station campus.

But the center is also putting a unique South Texas twist on its offerings through new Aggie traditions such as the Tailgate Pachanga, an annual festival during football season that strengthens community among every current, former and prospective Aggie who lives in the Valley.
 

Student life at the McAllen Center

The Trailblazer

How Andres “Andy” Garza ’26 is pursuing his passion for health

At just 12 years old, Andres “Andy” Garza ’26 witnessed a freak accident in his own backyard when gasoline-fueled flames from the family barbecue pit engulfed his grandmother. Horrified, he rushed to extinguish the flames, but his grandmother suffered severe burns on 21% of her body.

Over the ensuing years, that experience has informed Garza’s choices. After participating in its Fire Explorer program, he volunteered at the Alamo, Texas, fire department after graduating from high school. “The act of selflessly helping your community and others is a really gratifying feeling, even if you’re not getting paid,” he explained.

Now Garza is meshing these experiences and his love for science in his biomedical science and public health studies at the McAllen campus. He wants to pursue a career in health care in the Valley and is deciding whether that will be as a nurse practitioner, a physician’s assistant, or a physician working in emergency or family medicine.

The junior is grateful for what the center has offered academically as well as the scholarship support that is making college affordable. “I’m building bonds and connections that are helping me gain impactful opportunities,” he said.

One of those opportunities involved his professor’s encouragement to delve into researching firefighters’ health risks. As a result, Garza won first place at the center’s annual Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Poster Symposium and is being invited to share his research findings more widely. He’s also taking the lead in creating the campus’s new Border Pre-Medical Society Club so students can learn more about health care professions.

Now the Alamo Volunteer Fire Department’s first captain finds he’s setting the bar for his younger sister and others he knows. “I want to be an example for other young people to show them that they can do better if they do what they like,” he said. “You just need to have a hustle mindset and refuse to settle for less.”

Major Thought in Majors Offered

How academic offerings cater to the region’s needs

The campus is dedicated to preparing a well-educated workforce to meet the Valley’s changing needs. As of April 2024, Workforce Services-Lower Rio reported that job growth was predominately in the education and health services sector, followed by leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and trade, transportation and utilities sectors.

Understanding the potential for the center’s significant growth, its leaders are working with main campus officials on strategic planning. “We’re excited about all we’ve accomplished, but there’s a lot to be done to keep momentum going and make more programs available to students,” Margo said.

To that end, the center now offers nine degree programs in its Higher Education Center building: agricultural economics, biomedical sciences, construction science, education (fourth through eighth grade math and science), human resource development, interdisciplinary engineering, maritime business administration, multidisciplinary engineering and public health.

Not resting on those laurels, a new building is under construction to house the center’s new nursing program, set to launch in spring 2026, and provide a small space for veterinary medicine research. A third building dedicated to student life is also on the drawing board.

A Bright Future for the Valley

How your support can drive the center’s success

The center’s growth means that more philanthropic opportunities continue to emerge. Currently, leaders have identified two areas as top funding priorities: creating more scholarships to support first-generation college students and funding student research and experiential program offerings. Endowed gifts of $25,000 or more, payable over a five-year period, can support these efforts for generations to come.

Some donors—like DN Tanks—are expanding their relationship with Texas A&M to include supporting the center. The company, which builds water storage tanks, already had a relationship with Texas A&M’s Department of Construction Science but realized that a significant portion of its employees live in South Texas. “We created a scholarship specifically for the McAllen campus because we believe in building community and giving back through community reinvestment,” said Patrick Scott ’05, the company’s director of learning and development.

Other donors like Randy Margo ’89 ’92 have very deep ties to the Valley and want the area to thrive. He and his wife, Kayla ’89, established a health care-related scholarship to honor his father, Dr. Rodolfo Margo ’59, an ophthalmologist renowned for his selfless service in treating the region’s most needy patients. “He was an Aggie’s Aggie. He bled maroon,” Randy said. “I hope that students are honored to receive the scholarship, knowing his story of selflessness.”

Invest in McAllen Aggies through a scholarship or endowed support for high-impact student experiences. To discuss options for an immediate or after-lifetime gift benefiting the campus, contact Karen Slater ’88, executive development officer, at the information below.

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  • Karen Slater '88

  • Executive Development Officer
  • Business Development
  • Call: 979.436.9108

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