Texas Border Business
Sara Reyna
IDEA Donna senior Christian Salinas was ecstatic to learn about the convenience of the Biology Technology camp taking place at the Pecan campus, thanks to a $65,000 merit grant aimed at launching various no-cost summer camps for young students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“This summer, I looked into various summer camps, but I saw that the Biology Technology summer camp at STC was free and I jumped at the opportunity to join,” said the 17-year-old. “It seemed like the best fit for me because I hope to be a heart surgeon or cancer researcher one day and I plan to start that journey at STC upon graduating high school.”
The Governor’s Summer Merit Grant was established by the Texas Workforce Commission to enhance Texas students’ exposure to post-secondary educational opportunities in STEM fields, aimed at fostering interest and career pathways in these areas of study.
STC Continuing Education and Workforce Development Program Coordinator and Developer Xenia Munoz described the financial assistance as an opportunity to collaborate with various programs at the college to serve the Rio Grande Valley youth.
“These camps offer hands-on projects and laboratory activities to reinforce students’ knowledge and skills,” shared Munoz. “Students are not only trained, but mentored and coached by STC professionals working in the field associated with the camp. We’ve been able to provide departments with the opportunity to collaborate with each other and to be able to serve our RGV youth, at no cost to the students.”
The grant enabled students to explore cutting-edge camps in biology technology, introduction to robotics and both introductory and advanced welding throughout the month, hosted across the college’s Pecan and Technology campuses.
Associate Professor of Biology Thomas Ndolo, Ph.D., emphasized that with the accessibility to the camp, students can gain an outstanding introduction to biology research.
Cultivating future leaders in STEM, Ndolo explained, that the camp equips students with essential research skills that are valuable and applicable across a wide range of STEM fields and programs.
“At no-cost to these young students, we’ve been able to host another successful biology camp curated to teach these students highly marketable and transferable skills in diverse science fields,” Ndolo stated. “In our first meeting they’ve learned a few of the core skills of biological research like aseptic techniques, microscopy and micro-pipetting. It’s our pleasure to get these students familiar with a laboratory setting or biology as many of them gear up for their senior year of high school or maybe they leave the camp curious to explore a degree or career in STEM.”
For more information on all the camps being offered this summer at STC, visit
https://www.southtexascollege.edu/youth-camps