Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College is celebrating its tutors for National Tutor Appreciation Week including Architecture Engineering Design Technology (AEDT) alumna Alondra Juarez, who returned to STC in the role of a master tutor at the Technology Campus’ Center for Learning Excellence (CLE) with the goal to support the next generation of architecture and design students.
When Juarez first walked into STC’s Technology Campus as a student studying AEDT, among the first things she recalls doing was seeking a tutor who could help her navigate the demanding requirements of the industry.
Beginning her journey at STC in 2013, Juarez said she would spend hours seeking help at the Technology Campus’ CLE, which helped shape her priorities when it came to education and service.
More than 10 years later, and now as an Embedded Tutor of AEDT at the CLE, Juarez says it’s her turn to offer that same support to the next generation of architecture and design students.
“I made it a habit to come here to get tutoring as a student and I just got involved from the start,” said Juarez, who is a certified master tutor under the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). “They started getting to know me as a person and once I graduated from STC, I decided to apply here at the CLE. I have become a part of this community, and I value all the positive aspects it has given me.”
A graduate of the AEDT associate degree program with a specialization in Architectural and Visual Technology Associate of Applied Science in 2017, Juarez also went on to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership (BASOL), also from STC.
The combination of technical training and leadership has guided her toward a lifelong goal of entering a career in education, she said.
“I am looking forward to pursuing a teaching career,” Juarez said. “Tutoring has given me that experience. We go to classrooms and see the instructor teach and then we’re there to help the students. It has helped me understand how to teach, too.”
Born in Reynosa but coming to the United States as a child, Juarez said her passion for architecture sprang from a personal dream—stability.
Her family often moved from place to place and she said she longed for a permanent home that she could one day design herself.
As the first in her family to attend college, Juarez said her success inspired her younger brothers, who later earned certificates in Welding from STC.
“My parents always moved around, and I really wanted to stay somewhere permanent. I was looking for that feeling of creating something that could last,” she said. “It wasn’t easy coming from another place, but I was proud to show that I could graduate. It set an example for my brothers and showed them how college can change their futures.”
After earning her AEDT degree, Juarez said she gained experience with Troyo Design + Build in McAllen, drafting and assisting in the design of warehouses. The position allowed her to apply what she learned at STC to real-world projects and refine the skills she now passes on to those students she tutors at the CLE.
“This is so important to me because I get to help students who once felt like I did,” she said. “I help them with their homework, I show them how to study and I encourage them not to give up. Learning is a process. You have to be easy on yourself and keep trying every day.”
This week, STC joins institutions nationwide in celebrating National Tutor Appreciation Week, created to recognize the vital role tutors play in helping students achieve academic success.
For Juarez, the recognition is a reminder that tutors not only strengthen students’ confidence but also grow in their own professional journeys.
“Being a tutor is very satisfying because you get to help different students,” she said. “You’re not only helping them, but you’re also learning from them and discovering new ways to teach.”
Information source: STC
