Forging a Family Atmosphere

As the initial euphoria of attending Texas A&M University fades, many new Aggies are surprised to face a challenging transition to college life. Unsure of where to turn as they struggle to navigate course loads, the college environment and life away from home, new students can find themselves sinking mentally, emotionally and physically in a sea of maroon—and quickly can become at-risk of dropping out.

Understanding the challenges new students face, Texas A&M is committed to helping Aggies find their place on campus. Many organizations, programs and groups are dedicated to offering a place for new Aggies to connect. Some focus on nontraditional students, providing resources and a welcoming outreach that is tailored to these new Aggies’ previous experiences. Together, these efforts contribute to Texas A&M’s strong first-year retention rate, which regularly tops 90%.

As the new school year gets underway, learn about four groups that support a wide range of incoming students and help them find the place in Aggieland where they can thrive.

Engineering Support

The First-Generation Engineering Students Mentoring Program (FGEn) annually assists 140-150 freshmen engineering students who are the first in their family to attend college. “The FGEn program helps underclassmen avoid mistakes that come from not having parents’ guidance,” said Melissa Rivas ’23, a biomedical engineering major and FGEn mentor. “College is fantastic but full of complications that new students may not know how to handle. Having a mentor helps them solve those problems more easily.”

The First-Generation Engineering Students Mentoring Program assists first-generation engineering students through the transition to college. (Photo: College of Engineering)

FGEn’s pool of mentors includes faculty, staff and students, many of whom—like Rivas—were the first in their family to attend college. “Mentors advise their mentees based on their own experiences but can also direct them to appropriate university resources when needed,” explained Dr. Bimal Nepal, the group’s sponsor. Thanks to this support, FGEn mentees have an average first-year retention rate that is 6% higher than their peers who do not participate.

The program, which launched in 2017, also plans activities that create a sense of home for new students. “The FGEn program organizes multiple social events throughout the academic year that allow students to network and create a sense of community,” Nepal said. “We also work with other engineering programs and organize additional events that focus on important issues for our freshmen, such as time management and the process of entering a major.”

By supporting FGEn, you can help the program continue to grow and guide first-generation students to success.

Engineer your impact

Growing ALOT

Established in 1978, MSC Aggie Leaders Of Tomorrow (MSC ALOT) serves approximately 80 freshmen who show promise of becoming exceptional leaders. One of the university’s 23 Freshman Leadership Organizations (FLOs), the group provides members with both a sense of community and enrichment experiences that expand their understanding of leadership and service.

“As a freshman, I was unsure how I could get involved in a campus the size of Texas A&M, but I was very lucky to stumble upon MSC ALOT,” said Shaina Joshua ’24, the group’s chair. “Here was an organization that allowed me to hit the ground running with programming and developing my leadership skills.”

MSC ALOT gives freshmen the opportunity to provide leadership for programs such as FLO's Got Talent. (Photo: MSC ALOT)

MSC ALOT gives freshmen the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get involved. “Our five primary programs—Angel Tree, TEDxTAMU, Cultural Leadership Festival, Big Leadership Trip and FLO’s Got Talent—all offer something different and valuable to the Texas A&M campus,” Joshua added. “We are proud that our freshmen members have instrumental roles in planning those.”

These hands-on experiences inform Aggies’ freshman year and prepare them to step into top campus leadership roles, including Yell Leader, MSC president and Fish Camp chair. “As a freshman in the Culture Through the Arts subcommittee, I learned that careful planning allowed me to have successful calls with potential vendors for our annual Cultural Leadership Festival,” Joshua said. “Now, I try to plan goals beforehand for every meeting I lead as chair, which creates more effective meetings and improves the overall function of our organization.”

Interested in helping students find community and leadership opportunities through this organization?

Support MSC ALOT

Saluting Education

In partnership with Texas A&M’s Don & Ellie Knauss Veteran Resource & Support Center (VRSC), the campus chapter of the Student Veterans of America (SVA) helps student veterans build their support network to enhance their transition from the military to Aggieland. Approximately 100 new undergraduate student veterans enroll each year, and many rely on SVA to assist in their transition. “Through our organization, new student veterans can connect with those who have been at Texas A&M for several years,” explained SVA President Cory Griswold ’23. “If something is seriously wrong, those veterans are there to support the new student veterans in whatever they’re going through.”

Texas A&M's chapter of the Student Veterans of America assists new student veterans through their unique college transition. (Photo: Division of Student Affairs)

SVA invites new student veterans and their families to Vet Camp, which highlights the VRSC programs and services, as well as available campus and community veteran resources. The group also hosts tailgates, a military ball and a fallen Aggies event, while working to expand its programming to include career development workshops, volunteer events and networking opportunities with Brazos Valley veterans’ groups.

This year, the VRSC will launch VALOR², which will engage student veterans in discussions on a variety of topics that impact their academic journey. These conversations will help the VRSC and SVA develop and promote opportunities that enhance student veteran success. “Our student veterans already have life experience and have seen more than the average 18- or 19-year-old has,” Griswold said. “It’s a tremendous change to return to the civilian world, and an even bigger one to enroll in college. Our goal is to make our student veterans healthy and help them comfortably transition from the military to Aggieland and then into the civilian world.”

Want to support student veterans as they transition to college life and beyond?

Give to SVA

A Community for Top Students

Established in 1990, the Honors Housing Community (HHC) now serves 340 freshmen pursuing a variety of majors each year. This unique community, which is overseen by the LAUNCH office and encompasses two dedicated residence halls, is comprised of high-achieving Aggies, many of whom are President’s Endowed Scholars, National Merit Scholars or eligible for honors programs in various colleges.

The Honors Housing Community brings together high-achieving students to enrich their study habits and reflect on their values and long-term goals. (Photo: LAUNCH)

While facing different challenges in their college transitions, HHC members also want to deepen their undergraduate experience through enrichment opportunities.

“The focus on building good study and organization habits can be especially important for students who didn’t build these skills in high school because they didn’t feel challenged,” said Program Coordinator Jacob McCoy ’16. “Additionally, our curriculum asks students to reflect on their values and how these are related to their long-term goals. With that self-knowledge, students are better prepared to select the classes, organizations, leadership roles and research experiences that will best prepare them for the impact they want to make after college.”

HHC’s sense of community helps students learn to thrive at Texas A&M. “Instead of starting my first year of college alone, I started with a community that helped me get used to the college environment,” said Joslynne Santos ’24, who now serves as an HHC junior advisor. “If I ever needed advice or help with studying, I had a plethora of people I could reach out to in HHC who didn't hesitate to answer my questions. I didn’t feel alone, and that helped me overcome my freshman year.”

You can support learning communities like HHC and other honors and research opportunities for students in their first year and beyond with a gift to LAUNCH.

Enable excellence