Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
On March 1, the Treviño family was stunned by the unexpected loss of their son and brother Alexandro Treviño. He was only two months shy of graduating from South Texas College with an associate degree in Information Systems, an achievement that will be honored this Saturday, May 10, posthumously during the college’s commencement ceremony.
“He was so excited to graduate. He couldn’t stop talking about it,” said his mother Andrea Treviño. “He was full of life, had a bright future ahead and was our ‘Theodore’ from Alvin and the Chipmunks. He always had a fun fact to share. There were no signs our days with him were limited.”
Treviño, before his passing, communicated to his family how passionate he was about his future career and continuing his education at a four-year university.
“He left us,” I don’t know if I’ll ever understand why. He seemed happy. He had a heart of gold. He loved going to the gym and working out, he loved to flex his muscles and show off his arms. He had already made plans with his best friends to go on their annual camping trip to Colorado in June. Our son was truly living his best life, and we miss him dearly,” said Andrea.
The 22-year-old was the middle sibling among five and is described as the go-getter, the one that always made sure his brothers and sister were following the right track. He was the outdoors enthusiast and animal rights advocate.
Faculty at STC said it takes a person like Treviño, with a lot of determination, to earn an Information Systems degree entirely online, and so that speaks volumes as to what kind of student he was.
“He never missed a discussion or a deadline. His work and projects were always top-notch,” said STC Information Technology faculty member Norma Zaragoza, who had Treviño for multiple classes. “He was a responsible student with a bright future. He was on his way to success. He would have been a great asset to our profession. He is gone too soon.”
In his discussions for class, Treviño mentioned that one day he aspired to be part of an information technology (IT) team, and he had just taken on less hours at his job at Office Depot to focus solely on his last semester of college.
“When I graduate, I want to pursue a systems administration role since technology has always been an interest of mine. I’m not picky, as long as it’s IT-related,” he wrote in one essay.
He also gave students advice on how to find success as an online learner.
“I keep a small journal in front of my PC just for writing down assignments for the week and due dates. I intentionally leave this by my desk because it serves as an obvious reminder of what needs to be done to stay on top of the workload,” he wrote.
In addition to working toward his career at STC, he also nurtured and healed the family’s German Shephard dogs and meticulously cared for a coral reef salt water fish tank, yet another one of his unique passions.
“He was steadfast, reliable, dependable, considerate and thoughtful…what can I say, I’m a proud mom,” said Andrea. “I was excited for his future and I’m so thankful STC is giving us the opportunity to honor him – what a blessing.”
The National Library of Medicine reports that in colleges and universities in the United States, suicide is one of the most common causes of death among students. Each year, approximately 24,000 college students attempt suicide and 1,100 end up deceased, making suicide the second-leading cause of death among U.S. college students.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, STC offers counseling services for all students, faculty and staff. To schedule an appointment, visit https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/counseling/services.html or call 956-872-2173.
STC also has a 24-hour Crisis Hotline, 956-872-4444.
To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, you can call, text or chat 988 for a free confidential conversation with a trained 24/7 counselor.
