Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – South Texas College Starr County Campus Biology faculty member Kevin Kelly says he is a life-long advocate for learning.
For this and for his efforts to elevate advising practices, Kelly was recently honored by STC with a Faculty Spotlight. Through his leadership on the Biology department’s faculty advising committee, Kelly has overseen the creation of cohesive messaging meant to empower faculty navigating degree requirements, course sequences and student resources with exceptional accuracy and consistency.
Through his efforts, these advising practices will serve a model for other college departments for years to come.
“I have had the privilege of seeing Kevin Kelly’s dedication firsthand. His leadership in faculty advising has not only strengthened our department but has also set a standard for excellence that will benefit students for years to come,” said Biology program chair Maria Cervantes, Ph.D. “Kevin’s commitment to collaboration, consistency, and student success makes him truly deserving of this recognition.”
Guided by a teaching philosophy that seeks to promote students’ confidence in the classroom, Kelly says the basic tenets of his approach to education include hard work, stemming from a working-class family background, community involvement and above all, empathy for students.
“I grew up in a working-class family and especially when I was in middle school and high school, there was not a lot of money to go around, but it instilled in me the importance of learning, which I, in turn, brought to my students,” Kelly said. “As soon as I got into the classroom, I felt excited about working with all kinds of populations of students, all backgrounds and it just felt like that’s where I was supposed to be.”
Kelly said the idea is to encourage faculty to become involved on campus in order to ensure they continue to inspire students and develop the proper channels for communication through their college journey.
“It’s part of the culture in our Biology department, where everybody seems to be involved in the camps, finding grants, and helping in any way possible with our Biology clubs. And so, when you’re in that setting, you get inspired to get involved as well,” Kelly said. “That’s really important because it’s another opportunity to get to know our students so they’re not hesitant to maybe ask for a recommendation or call for advice on careers. I believe working with them outside the classroom in different settings plays an important part in their development too.”
