Texas Border Business
By Veronica Salinas
Four Mercedes Early College Academy (MECA) students enrolled in dual credit courses through South Texas College (STC) earned top honors at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology (AACS) Virtual Conference, demonstrating their ability to conduct research, communicate complex ideas and compete at the collegiate level.
Kaisey Garza, Sebastian Balderas, Jimmy Flores and Jeremiah Ramirez represented MECA at the conference, where they presented their work alongside college and university students from across the country. Their achievements marked a milestone for the program as they became the first dual credit students from MECA to participate in the AACS conference.
Garza tied for first place in the Research Poster Competition, while Balderas and Flores each received honorable mentions, tying for third place in the same category. Ramirez tied for second place in the Three-Minute Thesis Presentation Competition.
For the students, the experience provided an opportunity to challenge themselves academically, step outside their comfort zones and gain confidence in their abilities.
“Being able to tie for first place means so much to me because it reflects the time, dedication and hard work I’ve put into everything I do,” Garza said. “As a MECA student and dual enrollment student, balancing two different academic experiences every day can be challenging, but this opportunity makes it all worthwhile. I’m proud to represent both my school and my town at this conference, and I’m grateful for the chance to show that hard work and perseverance truly pay off.”
Ramirez said one of his greatest challenges was narrowing his research into a brief presentation while maintaining depth of information that made the topic interesting.
“I think the hardest part of condensing all the information was trying to pick out the most important data to present and to still summarize it in three-minutes,” Ramirez said. “I could not fully explain all the information I gathered or even go into detail on why it is so fascinating. If there was no time limit, I could have gone for at least 20 minutes explaining it all.”
For Balderas, qualifying for the conference and earning recognition helped him recognize his potential while navigating the demands of dual credit classes and extracurricular activities.
“Being able to even qualify for something this big helped me realize that I can achieve more than I believed,” Balderas said. “As a dual enrollment student and band student, there were moments where it was hard balancing both lifestyles and managing my time. Nevertheless, I am happy I followed through with the conference and I’m grateful for the experience.”
Flores also described the conference as a valuable opportunity to explore higher education and engage with students beyond his usual academic environment.
Flores added that the experience will benefit him, as he pursues future educational and career opportunities, expressing gratitude to Jenny Chamberlain, Sociology faculty for encouraging the students to participate.
“Participating in the virtual AACS conference with Ms. Chamberlain, Sebastian and Kaisey was a meaningful step beyond what I am accustomed to,” Flores said. “I was nervous at first, but once I got settled in, moving out of my comfort zone felt rewarding. I got to interact with college students and gained valuable insights into higher education.”
Chamberlain said the students’ participation alone was a significant accomplishment, making their competition results even more rewarding.
“To think that these students competed against university students from around the country and ended up winning such high recognition is absolutely amazing and so rewarding,” Said Chamberlain.
She added that their success demonstrated the academic potential of students from the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) and the value of providing them the opportunities to participate in collegiate-level experiences.
The students’ achievements reflect their dedication and perseverance while highlighting the opportunities available to students through the partnership between STC and MECA.
The students will present their work to the community and get their awards at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at STC’s Mid-Valley Campus. The presentation is free and open to the public, offering community members an opportunity to learn more about the students’ research and celebrate their academic accomplishments.
STC congratulates the four students on their accomplishments and their representation of the RGV on a national academic stage.
Information source: STC
