Anchored By Opportunity – From PSA to Proud Islanders

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — At Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, each semester brings a new wave of students eager to begin their college journey on the Island. Some come with a clear plan. Others, like J.R. Valentine ’25, discover that the path they thought they’d follow takes an unexpected yet welcome turn.  

Originally from Ohio, Valentine was part of a group of students participating in the Texas A&M Program for System Admission (PSA). This alternative pathway requires students to complete a year of study at another Texas A&M University System campus before transferring to College Station. Valentine’s plans changed when he received a packet in the mail from TAMU-CC and caught a glimpse of the university’s palm-tree-lined walkways and unique Gulf Coast charm. After one visit, he was hooked.

Valentine and his mother visited the Island University for Islander Launch new student orientation, where they went on a tour led by Islander Ambassadors. These student leaders serve as the welcoming faces of TAMU-CC, offering prospective students and their families an authentic glimpse into the university’s vibrant community. During their visit, Valentine and his mother also made a stop at the beach — an experience that was rare for someone accustomed to Ohio’s chilly weather, and one that changed everything.

“My mom called it,” Valentine said. “She said, ‘I don’t think you’re going to College Station. I think you’re coming here.’ And she was right.”

Valentine fully embraced Islander life, from cheering on Islanders Basketball during March Madness, to playing recreational lacrosse, to performing with the university’s pep band, both on campus and on the road. Inspired by the students he met during his first campus tour, he became an Islander Ambassador himself.

One of Valentine’s favorite memories was traveling with the pep band to Dayton, Ohio, when Islanders Men’s Basketball earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The trip gave Valentine’s Ohio-based family the opportunity to see him perform.

“This university has given me experiences I wouldn’t have had elsewhere,” said Valentine, an accounting major. “At TAMU-CC, I feel like I’m part of something special.”

Houston native Taylor Garcia ’27 also found her permanent academic home at TAMU-CC after entering the PSA program. Initially drawn by the beauty of Corpus Christi, she fell in love with the Island campus after her first visit.

“I’d heard about how beautiful Corpus Christi was, but seeing it in person was breathtaking,” said Garcia, a mechanical engineering major.

Smaller class sizes, personalized attention from faculty, and distinctive opportunities made Garcia’s decision to stay an easy one. Now in her second year, she’s become an active and engaged member of the campus community. As a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, she is on the fuel team of a student-led rocket-building project — an opportunity she says would have been unlikely for a second-year student elsewhere. Beyond academics, Garcia serves as the community outreach chair for the Islander Catholic Student Organization. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, crocheting, playing frisbee golf, cooking, listening to live music, and collecting seashells.

“TAMU-CC’s culture embraces student involvement,” Garcia said. “I’ve felt like I’ve been a part of something meaningful since day one.”

For both Valentine and Garcia, TAMU-CC’s strong sense of community has been transformative. Surrounded by faculty who know them by name, tightknit friend groups, and opportunities that match their passions, both students have found not just an education, but a true sense of belonging on the Island.

“There’s a reason I have a big Islander flag in my room — I love being an Islander,” Valentine said. “The community here is incredible.”