Farewell to Summer
Graphic by Yuri Garcia
As summer draws to a close and another school year upon us, students at The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley are taking the time to look back on their vacations.
Pulse talked to several students about how their summer vacations went, what they wish they could have done, and what the fall semester has in store for them.
Mathew Castaneda, a theatre senior, worked several jobs during the summer. Most prominently, a costume designing position on a production of “Spongebob The Musical: Youth Edition” at the Weslaco Tower Theater.
The musical was the first theater production Castaneda has done outside the university, and his second show overall in his career. While it was an ultimately fun experience, it was a challenge not having the help or knowledge of professors.
“For the costumes, it was pretty fun,” he said. “It was just, ‘Oh, how can I do this? Let me figure it out myself .’”
As for what Castaneda wishes he could have done more this summer, it’s a usual Rio Grande Valley staple – going to South Padre Island. and the beach. Even if he does have an aversion towards sand.
“Even though I hate sand, it’s just like a pivotal moment in summer,” he said. “I wanna be a part of everyone else.”
Photo courtesy of Mathew Castaneda.
Daniella Munguia, a biology sophomore, spent the first part of her summer vacation in Japan and Taiwan, where they spent a lot of time with their family.
“We mostly saw temples, but also went to Universal Studios,” Munguia said.
She finished her summer by spending her time writing essays for her Government and Politics course.
Despite being busy, Munguia feels like she could have done more with her summer. Feeling like she’s only been doing the bare minimum, she finds herself missing her social life.
“I just went on vacation, and two weeks later, I went back to school,” she said. “So I wish I could’ve hung out with friends more. I was mostly in the house this summer.”
Evelyn Torres, a medical and health humanities freshman, felt that summer was a productive one for them.
Photo courtesy of Evelyn Torres.
Torres started her freshman year early by attending the university’s JumpStart program. According to the University College’s Office of Student Success’s webpage, is a 5 week summer II course for incoming freshmen as an alternative for those who did not meet the College Readiness Standards in the state of Texas.
“We went around the campus to find resources for students to look for help, or any counseling centers available for them,” Torres said.
For her, summer was a productive one, education and socially wise.. As an incoming freshman, Torres has been looking for resources and clubs to make new connections to begin her university journey.
“I feel I’ve only made friendships in class, but I wanted to be more confident in talking to others as well,” Torres said.
