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The Brownsville chapter of the Texas Exes alumni organization provided a hometown sendoff Thursday evening to members of next year’s freshman class at UT Austin who hail from Cameron County and the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
The 31st annual event took place at the International Bank of Commerce on Ruben Torres Boulevard, where it was held for the 15th year. IBC banks in McAllen and Laredo hosted similar events. Organizers said the bank goes above and beyond in making the events special every year.
Amid a festive atmosphere the sendoff was packed with people bathed in burnt orange as students and parents mingled with alumni. Mexican food was on the menu.
Miguel Wasielewski, a San Benito native and the vice provost of Admissions at the University of Texas at Austin, said this year’s incoming class includes more than 500 students from the Rio Grande Valley, about 186 from Cameron and Willacy counties and 110 from the Brownsville area.
“Overall, were seeing an increase in interest in the university. Applications are up about 10%. We’re right at around 74,000 applications, and we expect that interest to keep going up, especially with the university joining the SEC.” he said.
“One of the hardest things about going to college is that transition from going to high school to going to college. The purpose of these sorts of events is to show that there’s a community, here in the Valley and also up in Austin. So this is an opportunity to get to know each other,” Wasielewski said.
Among the incoming class is Alarie Garcia, a graduate of Harlingen High School South, who will major in biology with the intent of eventually becoming a doctor. Her move-in date to her dorm room is Aug. 22.
She said she feels nervous but excited, adding that she realized during her senior year that UT-Austin had the most opportunities. She admitted that the “Barbie” movie inspired her.
Emily Garza, from Harlingen High School, said she’s super excited about the culture in Austin. Her move-in date is Aug. 24. Being a music person, she said she’s looking forward to the concerts.
Across the room, Allen Spence, a retired physician from Raymondville, was attending his fifth UT sendoff. All seven of he and his wife’s grandchildren have attended UT-Austin, two from Brownsville Porter, three from Brownsville Veterans Memorial, one from a private school and now one from Harlingen South.
“I’m a second-generation Longhorn. My parents and his siblings were too. All three of my children went to Texas and now the grandchildren. It’s crazy,” he said.
Jasmin Rocha, a Brownsville Independent School District graduate, UT Class of 2027, and part of the Gear Up college readiness program now attending the McCombs School of Business, addressed her fellow Longhorns to be after Dr. Richard J. Reddick, a 1995 UT graduate and senior vice president for Curriculum and Enrollment and Dean of Undergraduate Studies spoke.
The celebration ended with everyone singing “The Eyes of Texas” while raising the Hook Em Horns sign.
