51���� welcomed students from across the Rio Grande Valley on Friday, July 11, 2025, for the first session of this year’s Project Pipeline Camp, a national architecture summer camp designed to introduce students to careers in architecture through hands-on learning and mentorship.

Project Pipeline is a nationwide summer camp initiative organized by the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). Since 2020, the Central Texas Chapter of NOMA has coordinated camps at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Texas at Austin, and, most recently, in the Rio Grande Valley through a partnership with 51����.

Launched in the RGV in 2024, this iteration of the camp represents an important step in expanding access to architectural education and mentorship for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

While last year’s inaugural RGV camp welcomed 12 students, this year’s installment has seen enrollment more than double to 30 eager participants. The Project Pipeline camp has a unique approach in that it is designed to appeal to both students who have already decided to become architects as well as those who are curious about the field as a whole.

“It’s not only for the students who have already decided that they want to pursue an architecture degree,” said Dr. Adriano Rios, an instructor in TSC’s Architecture Program. “This program is mostly designed to introduce students to the profession of architecture. We invite local and regional professionals to share with them what their pathways were to become a licensed architect or designer, as well as what options they might have.”

The success of Project Pipeline is made possible through the support of local and regional Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) professionals, including volunteers from the American Institute of Architects – Lower Rio Grande Valley Chapter (AIA-LRGV). These mentors donate their time and expertise to guide students through their first steps in architectural design, strengthening the profession locally while also paving a path for future talent.

“At the local level, we make sure that we are offering all of the services that our architects need, providing them with professional development and continued education, “said Maria Sustaeta, Executive Director of AIA-LRGV. “We advocate for the profession, and we also do a lot of fundraising to offer scholarships to our future architects in the Rio Grande Valley.”

As part of the camp, the students had opportunities to engage in a number of activities, including a detailed look into the intricacies of architectural renderings and an interactive board game exercise, before being assigned a dedicated design project in order to test their skills and offer up a golden opportunity to receive direct feedback from their mentors.

One of the unique aspects of the Texas Project Pipeline camps is the statewide collaboration. Camps in Austin, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande Valley are held simultaneously, giving students the opportunity to connect via video call, present their projects, and learn from one another across cities. This shared experience fosters a broader sense of community and shared learning beyond regional boundaries.

Through continued collaboration and mentorship, the Project Pipeline Camp at TSC is inspiring the next generation of architects from the Rio Grande Valley, as well as expanding their ability to create opportunities for students to envision themselves in a field where diverse voices and ideas are increasingly vital.

51���� (TSC) welcomed students from IDEA Riverview for a dynamic, four-day career exploration summer camp at the college’s International Technology, Education, Business and Commerce (ITEC) Center from Monday, June 2 through Thursday, June 5 2025. The event provided hands-on learning experiences and early exposure to in-demand career pathways across a variety of technical and professional fields.

The summer camp is part of TSC’s ongoing efforts to engage high school students in career exploration and connect them to meaningful educational pathways early in their academic journeys. Throughout the course of the three-day camp, students were divided into rotating groups and guided through a series of activities led by 51���� staff and instructors from departments including Allied Health, Construction Technology, Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Technology (IMMT), Computer Science, and Cybersecurity.

Our students need to be able to have access to career exploration, and we want to partner with TSC because we want our students to pursue career exploration through Computer Science, because that’s the pathway we have,” said Elvis Delgado, Assistant Principal of Instruction and P-Tech Coordinator at IDEA Riverview, who was accompanying the students during their visit. “We know that Computer science is a part of a bunch of programs that TSC has, so we want our kids to understand that what they’re learning in class can apply to several different areas of study here.”

Each area introduced students to foundational concepts and real-world applications of their disciplines. Instructors provided overviews of their respective programs and discussed the types of careers that graduates can pursue in each field. The sessions also included interactive, hands-on components designed to give students a tangible feel for the tools and tasks involved.

In Allied Health, nursing instructors showed off their state-of-the-art medical training equipment before leading a session on sanitation practices, including how to properly wear, remove, and dispose of latex gloves, which is a critical foundational skill in medical settings to prevent contamination. In Construction Technology, students learned standard safety procedures before getting to handle basic tools and power tools under close supervision, assembling their own wooden tool caddies as a practical project.

“I enjoy how we’re able to learn to much new stuff that we are going to be able to use in the future,” said IDEA Riverview student Andres Meza in between finishing up his assembled project with a coat of paint. “We’re getting to learn whether we like some careers better than others, and it really helps us figure out what we want to do in the future.”

The students were also given the opportunity to dive headfirst into technological-related fields. Similar hands-on sessions with the Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Technology (IMMT) and Cybersecurity programs gave them a golden opportunity to start learning about concepts that drive each field. For IMMT, the kids learned basic soldering skills they used in order to assemble small model robot kits, and Cybersecurity gave them a closer look into the still emerging field of Artificial Intelligence and how it will continue to shape industry in the future.

Excited voices rang out across Scorpion Field as, for the second year in a row, 51���� hosted its three-day Scorpion Youth Soccer Camp, bringing young athletes together for skill-building, teamwork, and fun on the field.

Designed to help children strengthen core athletic skills like endurance, coordination, and communication, the camp gave participants an opportunity to actively engage in a variety of soccer-focused drills and exercises led by some of the most dedicated athletes in the community.

This year’s camp was powered by the TSC Scorpions Soccer program, with coaches and players from both the men’s and women’s teams leading small groups of campers through their training. Their guidance provided a unique opportunity for young players to learn directly from collegiate athletes, gaining both technical tips and valuable encouragement from figures they could look to as positive role models.

Just the same, the players were just as eager to work with their little understudies. “What I enjoy the most about this camp is the kids,” began Camila Gil, a Midfielder for the Scorpions Women’s team. “The most important thing to me is that they have fun and are learning. In addition to making sure they stay hydrated and cooperate with each other, you just have to get them to focus, and giving them a little game to play or some basic drills keep them engaged and having fun.”

In the stands and along the sidelines, parents watched proudly, showing strong support for the program and cheering on their children as they joyfully built confidence and athletic ability.

“I’m really happy that TSC is offering this camp again this year,” remarked Selene Rodriguez. “My son was so excited for today when he woke up this morning, and I think something like this is good for the kids overall, whether they choose to pursue the sport or not, it gives them something to be excited about.”

At the end of the final day, each young participant was presented with a certificate of completion, courtesy of camp sponsor Raising Cane’s, and a group photo with the camp coaches and members of TSC administration. With continued successful turnouts, the camp continues to grow as part of TSC’s wider community outreach efforts—offering young students a chance to develop not just as athletes, but as teammates and learners on and off the field.

“The camp has been our way of giving back to the community,” began TSC Scorpions Head Coach Mario Zamora. “It’s a great way to be able to connect with our fans and also our future Scorpions.”

Local students had a unique opportunity to receive hands-on experience with a variety of exciting activities and projects as part of this year’s 51���� (TSC) Summer Camp Program.

Over two weeks, from June 24 to July 5, students participating in the TSC Texas ACE program visited 51����’s International Technology, Education and Commerce (ITEC) Center and the Recreation Center Annex, where over a dozen different themed sessions awaited them.

TSC Texas ACE provides no-cost activities before and after school for K-12 students in Title I schools. It is federally funded through 21st Century Community Learning Centers and administered on the state level by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The TSC Texas ACE Summer Camp brought in participating ACE students from ten BISD schools, comprising five middle and five high schools.

Dr. Prisci Roca Tipton, Director of 51����’s Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, emphasized the importance of collaboration in the program’s success. “Our program is a testament to the power of collaboration,” she said. The achievements of the summer camps are largely attributed to the robust partnerships established across the community and within the various divisions of 51����. Additionally, collaboration with BISD’s Food and Nutrition Services ensures that students receive nutritious meals, while BISD’s Transportation Department provides reliable transportation throughout the year. The involvement of TSC Texas ACE Site Coordinators, BISD-certified teachers, and BISD paraprofessionals in life skills training from the respective campuses further enriches the students’ learning experience.

For this installment of the TSC Texas ACE Summer Camp, several experienced TSC faculty members willingly joined in to share the benefit of their knowledge and experience in their respective fields with the young campers.

“At the heart of our summer program are the exceptional faculty at 51����,” said Dr. Tipton. “Their dedication and expertise are the backbone of our summer camps. We work closely with faculty from various disciplines, offering students hands-on experiences in Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM). The program also includes contributions from the Division of Workforce Training and Continuing Education, offering forklift certifications to the students and their family members, and the Criminal Justice Institute, which hosts a Law Enforcement camp. Additionally, the Division of Student Services offered wellness camps encompassing volleyball, basketball, dance, yoga, and indoor soccer.”

Jaime Rodriguez, a Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity instructor, held an Everything Information Technology (I.T.) camp, giving students a closer look at the basic skills necessary for those who may be interested in the field. “We start with the basic PC hardware, so I guide the students along as we use tools to open up the computers, look at the parts and go over what functions they have,” said Rodriguez. “Then, as the week goes on, we’ll move on to the basics of computer networking, so they have exercises like building network cables, and eventually, we start talking about the basics of cybersecurity.”

The scope of the overview given by Rodriguez to the students ties directly into one of the main purposes of the camp in the form of introducing them to several different pathways they can explore in any field in which they are interested. “Something like this can help them decide whether or not they feel that they identify more with the hands-on work of an I.T. technician or if they lean more toward the networking or cybersecurity aspects of the field,” Rodriguez added. “But they have all been very receptive toward what they’re learning, and they feel comfortable asking questions.”

In addition to the available workforce-related sessions, students could participate in activities focused on more broad subjects like art, history, and mathematics.

“Ms. Jamie Saenz and I developed the Math in History ACE Summer Camp this year, and we aimed to take students on a journey from BCE cultures through World War II,” said Britnney Gillespie-Porter, a TSC Mathematics Instructor. “Each day, we began with an introductory lesson to the historical era or culture on which we would focus that day, and then we integrated a math-based activity that built on the historical knowledge.” Some of the concepts covered by the students included the Mayans and their numbering system, the Renaissance period and its devotion to art, encryption, and codebreaking during World War II, and developing their own coded messages and corresponding ciphers.

The activities were specifically designed with the intention of showing students how much crossover exists in the Liberal Arts. “When we, as educators, take the time to show how our fields are interconnected, students begin to see the importance of the different content areas and the skills developed within those areas,” Gillespie-Porter continued.

“Highlighting the STEM fields through the lens of Liberal Arts makes each of those subject areas less intimidating to students. When tying a subject like math to more approachable topics like art or history, the stigma and difficulty of the intimidating subject is minimized. It’s no longer a barrier to understanding and educational advancement.”

Ultimately, one of the program’s primary goals is to show students the numerous academic and career possibilities available to them in a wide variety of fields. By giving them a chance to have hands-on experience with the basic concepts of many different fields, TSC Texas ACE is fulfilling that goal and helping create more opportunities for these young students as they look toward their futures.

51���� (TSC), in conjunction with the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), hosted an installment of the Project Pipeline Architecture Summer Camp on July 12 and 13, 2024 at the college’s International Technology, Education and Commerce (ITEC) Center.

The two-day camp introduced 11th and 12th-grade students to the various aspects of architecture with hands-on activities and games facilitated by mentors with whom the students would work. These mentors include professional architects, students in TSC’s architecture program, and professionals from related fields who were eager to share their knowledge and guide participants through their activities.

Since 2020, NOMA of Central Texas has hosted the Project Pipeline camp at UT Austin and UT San Antonio, but now TSC will have the unique distinction of hosting the camp for the first time in the Rio Grande Valley.

“We have a lot of people in central Texas who are part of our group and are originally from the Rio Grande Valley, so many of them really wanted us to start a camp here. We have a strong connection with the valley in terms of our membership, so it was important for us to come down here and be a new resource for the youth in this area who would like to journey into this field.”

The overall goal of the camp is to help inspire and empower young students who are interested in studying to become architects. Under the guidance of the program mentors, students gain valuable information about architecture as both an educational and career pathway, learning and gaining insight from experiences that the professionals have had throughout their careers. Additionally, they can develop a greater understanding of the impacts that architects can make in their line of work.

“The purpose of these camps is to help introduce young students to the field of architecture by giving them a rough introduction to architectural concepts and a little bit about what we do as professional architects,” said Albert Condarco, Chair of the Planning and Activities Committee with NOMA of Central Texas. “We have mentors, who are either professional architects or architecture students, come in and guide the students and give them more information about the field and what paths they could take should they want to pursue architecture as a career.”

Included among the mentors were professionals from various local architectural services, as well as members of the TSC faculty. A diverse group of mentors contributed to a wealth of experience from which the students could learn. “We have people with various backgrounds in the profession, so if the students want to learn a bit more, they have the opportunity to ask questions like what to expect from the profession, how we work, and other specific things they might be curious to know,” said Jose Gonzalez, an Architecture instructor with TSC.

Toward the end of the camp experience, students will put their newfound knowledge to the test in the form of a design project. In addition to building a physical model of their projects, they must demonstrate how their project can have a positive community impact through its design.
“This camp is a great opportunity for students to interact with professional architects and currently enrolled college students in our architecture program,” said Dr. Angelica Fuentes, AVP of Workforce Training and Continuing Education at TSC. “We want to create more opportunities like this in which TSC students and future Scorpions can engage with professionals working in the field, as well as ensure that what we teach our students is aligned with industry standards.”

The unmistakable sounds of violins, guitars, trumpets, and dynamic sung vocals rang throughout the 51���� Performing Arts Center on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Once the dozens of young musicians adorned the stage in their colorful trajes concluded their piece, the gathered audience showered them with resounding applause.

It was as amazing a conclusion as they could have hoped for, especially considering that they had learned the entirety of their performance in only three days.

The second installment of TSC’s Mariachi Summer Camp once again managed to attract a large number of young students to participate in interactive music lessons. Over the course of three days, they studied under the tutelage of a selection of talented and accomplished music clinicians, including an assortment of skilled music instructors from different BISD schools. Many of them have seen the positive impacts that music education can have on students.

“Some of the benefits I have seen, both with the students here and with my students, is that these kinds of opportunities can open their eyes to a new world of possibilities,” said Anahil Suarez Gaytan, Mariachi Director at Rivera Early College High School and member of Mariachi Margaritas. “It’s empowering to them, and they’re so happy to be able to perform with wonderful teachers and people who they admire.”

In addition, Adrian Vaca, an accomplished member of the renowned Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, filled the important role of Master Class Conductor. Vaca’s lifelong love of and devotion to music made him a natural choice, as he could share the benefit of his years of experience with students.

“It’s a privilege to be able to give back the knowledge that I’ve obtained over the years because I’ve been lucky enough to have great educators throughout my life, so having the ability to give back is an honor,” said Vaca. “The kids are so fortunate to have people who believe in them and in Mariachi education, so it’s been a true honor to be here working in these great facilities and giving these kids the opportunity to work with educators who can help them grow.”

Perhaps none are prouder to see the camp draw in so many students and performers than Avigai Gonzalez, TSC’s Music Program Administrator and Director of Mariachi Escorpion. Her experiences in teaching and performing mariachi music have created a genuine desire to help others develop the same appreciation for the learning process involved in studying music and the cultural aspect of mariachi music.

“The importance of the cultural connection with the Mariachi Camp and our campus at 51���� is how the music plays a huge role in our culture, students, and our future,” she said. “Bringing these camps into our campus and allowing our students to have these opportunities to study music and get hands-on experience with our clinicians creates a scenario in which they can learn about their own cultural heritage through the history and style of mariachi.”

The participating students came from different schools and backgrounds, but they were all united by their genuine appreciation for music and a desire to continue improving their skills, regardless of whether they were already seasoned musicians or only picking up instruments for the very first time.

”It’s really fun here, and I’m having a good time,” said Matteo Lopez, a 7th-grade student with IDEA Pharr. “The school is very pretty, and I love that the teachers are professionals and are really good at teaching. I’ve only been involved with music for about a year and a half, but the camp has really helped me with my mariachi skills, especially learning to be a leader and grow more as a person.”

In news that will be music to the ears of students looking for a unique and enriching opportunity, 51����’s Fine Arts Department will once again hold their Mariachi Summer Camp, running from July 1-3, 2024 at the TSC Performing Arts Center.

“The summer camp provides a unique opportunity for students to enhance their musical skills and focus on their instruments,” said camp organizer Avigai Gonzalez, who is also TSC’s Music Program Administrator and Director of Mariachi Escorpion. “It’s a non-competitive atmosphere in which students from different school districts can receive guidance from skilled clinicians as they learn, play the same music, and end build new friendships together.”

Over the course of three days, students will participate in exercises and group clinics taught by an assembly of mariachi experts, all of whom are eager to share the benefit of their cumulative years of experience. Among them are master conductor Adrian Vaca, a graduate of Berkeley University and a member of the renowned Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez. Additionally, clinics will also be led by local talent including Karina J Vela, Antonio Delgadillo, Aide de Anda, Anahil Suarez Gaytan, Fabiola Ahuja, Doris Zedillo, and Gonzalez herself.

“One of the great benefits about this camp is that personalized learning experience that students will have with the clinicians,” said Gonzalez. “They work closely with each student, ensuring that they are progressing at a comfortable pace.”

Although the clinicians bring with them several years of experience, Gonzalez stresses that students of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, are encouraged to join in.

“It’s important for students of all levels to participate in the mariachi camp because it creates a perfect opportunity in which they can learn from one another. Regardless of whether one is a beginner or an advanced musician, there is always something to learn, and the true learning experience occurs when we step out of our comfort zones and open ourselves up to learning from others.”

While a large portion of the camp is devoted to teaching students the technical aspects of playing instruments and performing, Gonzalez feels that it creates a perfect opportunity which can help students understand and appreciate the rich cultural history of mariachi and spark a genuine interest in exploring the genre further. “When we think about the concept of cultivating a larger interest in mariachi music, one word stands out: opportunity. Our camp can provide all students with an opportunity to develop a sincere passion for the music as they learn from leading experts in the field.”

With the Mariachi Summer Camp less than a month away, Gonzalez is eager to see a fresh new batch of students join in and contribute to an ever-growing chorus of mariachi appreciation and education. “Music is a field that welcomes individuals of all ages, skill levels, and cultural backgrounds. Even the most renowned musicians in history have undergone music education to hone their skills and achieve success, so please don’t hesitate to give it a try, as I believe that anyone can embark on a musical journey to discover their true potential.”

For more information or to register, please visit the TSC Mariachi Summer Camp webpage or email avigai.gonzalez@tsc.edu.

Mariachi Escorpion