Texas Border Business
By Selene Rodriguez
McALLEN, Texas – When Andrea Arechiga first arrived at South Texas College in the summer of 2019, it wasn’t for her first day of class. It was to dance.
Weeks later, as a community performer for STC’s Ballet Folklórico, she decided to enroll as an STC student, starting an educational journey that would eventually bring her back to the college as an employee.
Through it all, STC Ballet Folklórico has remained a constant, connecting her to the college, her culture and the community she now serves.
“STC’s folklorico group has given me opportunities I never imagined I would have,” the 25-year-old said. “So much in my life has changed, but dancing has always been there. I’m grateful that as I continue to grow at STC, I get to continue doing something that has become such a big part of who I am.”
A Sullivan City native, Arechiga’s relationship with STC began as a dual credit student at La Joya High School. A self-described straight-A student who balanced sports, dance and just about every extracurricular activity, said she discovered a passion for folklórico.
“I learned the basics my freshman and sophomore years, and after that, I just kept going,” she said. “I knew I didn’t want to stop dancing.”
Shortly after graduating from high school in 2019, Arechiga learned about a summer workshop at STC. The experience brought her to campus weeks before her first college class and quickly opened the door to new opportunities.
“Right off the bat, ballet folklórico started giving me experiences I had never had before,” she said. “Shortly after I joined, we were invited to perform in Guadalajara, and that was my first time ever on an airplane. I got my passport for the trip, and my parents came with me to watch me perform.”
Arechiga earned an associate degree in business administration from STC in December 2020, inspired in part by her parents, who own a small commercial plaza. She later transferred to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration in December 2022, but even as her academic journey took her elsewhere, she never stopped dancing at STC.
“STC’s Ballet Folklórico is open to everyone,” she said. “We’ve had people come in who didn’t know how to dance, and later they’re dancing everything. It’s community-based, and I love that. It has given me a family and a place where I can continue dancing.”
For Arechiga, whose parents are both from Mexico and made sure Spanish was always spoken at home, ballet folklórico has also strengthened her connection to her roots. Through the group, she has traveled throughout Mexico and the United States to perform and represent her culture.
“The program often brings dance instructors from Mexico, so we’re learning firsthand from people who know the culture and the places where these dances originated,” she said. “We learn the choreography, but also the history and traditions behind it.”
During a recent performance in San Francisco, Arechiga said she saw that cultural connection reflected in audience members who told the dancers their performance reminded them of home.
“You could see that connection,” she said. “For some people, the performance brought back memories of home. Knowing that we can create that feeling through dance and at the same time represent South Texas, is special.”
Her journey eventually led her back to STC as an employee when she joined the Cashier’s Office as an accounting assistant in November 2024. Earlier this year, she transitioned into a financial aid specialist role with STC’s Office of Recruitment and Outreach, where she now helps prospective and incoming students navigate college.
“Coming back to STC as an employee, I thought, ‘Now I get to be that help that students need,’” she said. “Students come to me with questions and open up about what they’re going through, and I realize I can be that person for them. Sometimes all they need is someone to listen.”
Currently pursuing a master’s degree in human resources, which she expects to complete in May 2027, Arechiga hopes to continue growing professionally at STC and eventually return to the classroom as a professor.
“I started here, and at this point, I’m still doing my own full-circle journey,” she said. “I was a student and now I’m working here. If I become a professor, that would make the circle even bigger. Sometimes I walk into the buildings where I used to take my classes and remember sitting there as a student. I would love to teach in those same classrooms someday.”
With her future still connected to both STC and dance, Arechiga said the foundation she gained as a dual credit student, college student and STC Ballet Folklórico dancer continues to shape where she hopes to go next.
“The education and foundation STC gave me is unmatched,” she said. “And, of course, ballet folklórico. It has become a part of me. STC has been part of every stage of my journey, and I’m excited to see where it takes me next.”
Information source: STC
