Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
Hiram Moya always dreamt of attending Texas A&M University’s College of Engineering to follow in his father’s footsteps, but when things didn’t go as planned, South Texas College, with its Texas A&M Engineering Academy, stepped in to help make his dream a reality.
The Dallas native grew up in College Station, also known as Aggieland, but moved to McAllen with his family at a young age because of educational opportunities located in the Rio Grande Valley.
Moya’s family had their eyes set on South Texas ISD’s Science Academy for their young son, who aspired to pursue engineering.
“For most of my life, my dad has worked as an industrial engineering consultant and inspired me to pursue my own path in the same field,” he said. “My dad is Dr. Hiram Moya, we have the same name, and I plan on earning a doctoral degree too. It just hasn’t happened as smoothly as I thought it would.”
When Moya first applied to Texas A&M University as a senior in 2023, he did not get accepted, and just as he felt like giving up, he heard a story on the local news about a new partnership between STC and Texas A&M that gave students the opportunity to be co-enrolled at both institutions with automatic admission to the university’s highly-competitive Engineering program.
“Not long after hearing the news, I was in contact with Dr. Kelli Davis and her team at STC, beginning the enrollment process to become a “Jaggie,” said Moya. “I had a choice to make – stay in the Valley or settle for one of my other choices – I decided to stay, and I’m so glad I did.”
Davis, Ph.D., is the director of the college’s Transfer and Educational Advancement Center and “Jaggie” refers to a student who is an STC Jaguar and Texas A&M Aggie through the academy.
Beginning his journey in the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at STC soon after graduating from high school, he became one of nine students to make up the academy’s first cohort and graduating class.
This is when he met Maricruz Hinojosa, Engineering Academies project manager, who he said, along with Davis, helped him find opportunities he never thought possible.
Overcoming some challenging classes, even retaking a couple for a higher grade and an improved GPA, Moya also found time to remain active on campus through Intramural Sports, especially soccer, and engineering organizations and events that gave him hands-on experience and impressive knowledge in the subject he could list on his resume.
Additionally, he worked closely with Hinojosa, as an advocate and recruiter for the program, including becoming the events coordinator for the student-led Jaggies Club.
“Hiram is a resilient and driven young man who has shown remarkable persistence in the face of academic adversity,” said Hinojosa. “He always seeks out opportunities to improve and grow. He enjoys connecting with others, is exceptionally resourceful, and inspired by his father’s career, he passionately pursues engineering and demonstrates a strong sense of purpose in everything he does. He refuses to give up, no matter the obstacles he encounters.”
The most recent obstacle Moya has faced came when he began his transition from the academy to the Texas A&M campus in College Station. Again, he was not accepted into the university’s competitive Industrial Engineering program.
Instead, he accepted an offer from the university’s Architecture Engineering program, using it as a steppingstone.
Moya has returned to his childhood home in College Station, while he attends the university, and although he still isn’t where he wants to be, he credits STC and the academy for opening doors once shut, to the university.
“Despite challenges, I really did have a great experience at STC,” said Moya. “From hands-on experiences and engineering conferences and competitions to now being at Texas A&M, the college and the academy have brought me a long way. I’ve grown and matured, and I won’t give up until I’m in that industrial program. Thank you STC and Texas A&M for giving me the chance to go from Jaggie to Aggie.”
Moya is currently reapplying to the Industrial Engineering program and expects to graduate within the next two to five years, staying active as a Texas A&M Engineering ambassador for the South Texas region and pursuing summer internships for more experience.
For more information on the STC, Texas A&M Engineering Academy, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/partners/tamu-engineering/
Information source: STC
