Editor’s Note: Pulse magazine welcomes everyone back to school and wishes the best for this upcoming fall semester.
Whether you are a freshman, transfer or graduate student, orientation is the first step for everyone to officially become a Vaquero.
In Fall 2022, UTRGV welcomed more than 31,500 students, which included nearly 5,800 freshmen and more than 4,000 graduate students, according to the UTRGV Office of Strategic Analysis and Institutional Reporting.
Maggie Hinojosa, senior vice president of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs, told Pulse that UTRGV is ahead of last year in terms of enrollment.
“Our enrollment at this point in time is over 32,000,” Hinojosa said. “We are [some] days out to first class day, so it’s still a bit early for a more finalized number.”
Andrea Yen, director of UTRGV Undergraduate Recruitment, said she encourages new Vaqueros of all classifications to find the place where they fit in. UTRGV offers a variety of student organizations and academic departments for anyone to join.
“We are an institution that serves students where they’re at,” Yen said. “The experience of UTRGV is really something we like to promote and talk about the uniqueness of our programs, the uniqueness of our campuses, our students and the area that we’re located [in].”
Management sophomore Nadyeli Tejada transferred from UT Austin this semester after feeling homesick and not belonging to that university’s community.
She said she believes UTRGV will provide her with a good education without breaking her pocket and an opportunity to stay close to home while reconnecting with old friendships. She said this semester cannot start soon enough.
Chemistry graduate student David De Los Santos joined the graduate program in Spring 2022 after obtaining a Bachelor of Science from UTRGV. He said he is thankful for his research group and invites students to choose UTRGV as well.
“Being a Vaquero provides a lot of opportunity,” De Los Santos said. “Thankfully, at this institution, you are required to perform research before you graduate, so that kind of gave me some insight on what I was going to expect as a graduate student. Not all colleges are like that. That’s actually one of the main reasons I’m here as a graduate student.”
International students are an important part of the student body. Students from many diverse countries attend UTRGV, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mexico, India, Ecuador, Thailand and New Zealand.
UTRGV International Admissions Specialist Jessica Cantu said she welcomes international students with open arms.
“We have a lot of good programs as an undergraduate and masters and Ph.D.s, and we’re very cheap [compared to] other universities,” Cantu said regarding UTRGV’s appeal to foreign students. “We’re starting the fall semester and we are just very happy and anxious to receive all of our new students. … We just pray to have a good semester.”
Fernanda Flores, a manufacturing engineering freshman, is an international student from Matamoros. Flores chose UTRGV after receiving a scholarship to cover the first year of her higher education. She said she found orientation both helpful and tiring as she had to walk a lot but at least she will not be lost on her first day on campus.
At orientation, Flores said she made new friends, enjoyed the food and felt a warm welcome to the beginning of her Vaquero life.
“I have not been in a school with that many students,” she said in Spanish. “I am excited for that but also a bit scared to get lost on campus with so many people. … [Still], go Vaqueros!”
Andrea Maldonado