Edinburg Student Union North Patio Diego Montano /Vaquero Radio
Students gathered from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday at the North Patio Edinburg Student Union for the Next Gen Takeover. An event designed to connect first-year students with campus resources and leadership opportunities.
The event was organized by the Office for Student Success and First Year Experience, with help from student volunteers and staff members.
Member of Center for Student Involvement, Rachel Garbayo, said the planning process presented a few challenges at first but ultimately came together successfully.
“It was a little bit difficult at the beginning, organizing everything and just, like, trying to organize the layout of the event, but we got it done at the end,” Garbayo said.
Trailblazer Carolina Camacho shared her experience and the importance of mentorship for incoming students.
“What motivated me to be a Trailblazer was, well, when I was a freshman, I had a Trailblazer, and I felt very seen,” Camacho said. “I didn’t feel lost because I had him as a guide of the campus life.”
Student Success Specialist at First Year Experience Keili Garza, expressed her excitement about the strong student turnout and engagement.
“It’s really great to see everybody interacting. I know that in at least our department, our job is to make sure that our first-year students are getting connected with resources,” Garza said. “So it’s really great to see such a huge turnout interacting with the different resources that we have here on campus.”
The Next Gen Takeover highlighted the university’s ongoing efforts to create a supportive and engaging environment for new students as they begin their academic journey.
For more information on upcoming student success events, visit the Get Involved webpage.
