Del Mar College’s TexPREP Summer Camp Participants Showcased Robotics and Engineering Skills on July 15, DMC prepares campers for potential future careers in STEM
TexPREP alumni aided as college-minded campers demonstrated competencies learned throughout 2026 Texas Prefreshman Engineering Program supported by 14-year Lead Sponsor Flint Hills Resources
Article by Richard Guerrero, Jr.
When campers attended this year’s Texas Prefreshman Engineering Program (TexPREP) at Del Mar College (DMC) need guidance to work through problems that arise during projects, they turned to someone who walked in their shoes before. TexPREP mentor Adriana Ayala Pascasio participated in the summer camp while she was a student at Kaffie Middle School between 2019 and 2021. The experience proved transformative for Pascasio.
TexPREP is what really brought me more into the engineering program itself. When I started TexPREP, I just wanted to be a math teacher. I was really good at math, but I hadn’t really explored all the other options that went with that. At TexPREP, I discovered the robotics programs and realized that it was fun. And that’s what got me into engineering.
Today, Pascasio is a sophomore studying computer engineering at Texas A&M University after graduating as the valedictorian of the Class of 2025 at the Collegiate High School at the college and earning an Associate of Applied Science degree in Liberal Arts from DMC. She’s just one of several TexPREP alumni who have returned to serve as mentors for the next generation of campers according to TexPREP Director and DMC Mathematics Professor James Shollenberger.
A longtime summer staple at the college, the Texas Prefreshman Engineering Program was first launched at The University of Texas at San Antonio in 1979 as a statewide initiative to encourage middle school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math or STEM. TexPREP has been offered by DMC for 26 successful summers, and the program’s longevity has been made possible by the 14-year lead sponsorship from Flint Hills Resources with overall donations reaching nearly $300,000.
TexPREP is helping students connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities. This program is preparing young people to become the problem-solvers and leaders our communities will need in the future. We are proud to continue our partnership with Del Mar College in creating these opportunities for local students.
Shollenberger says this year’s program had 40 campers, including the largest Year 3 group ever with 14 students working on six different research topics.
“Campers participated in activities like bridge breaking, robot races, the Corpus Christi chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ project and multiple STEM research projects,” he said.
The college’s rigorous TexPREP is accredited by the Texas Education Agency. Students who complete each program year can earn one elective credit for every camp they attend. The coursework and projects become more advanced each progressive year that students complete.
Shollenberger noted campers can start high school with almost a half semester of credits by completing all three program years and even use those credits to graduate early.
The college’s TexPREP utilizes project-based learning that progresses as students continue their participation each summer. Bridge building introduces campers to civil engineering, robotics to mechanical engineering and computer programming and vehicle model building to electrical engineering and aerodynamics. Members of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects also teach and mentor second-year students as they build models while learning the principles behind designing such wonders.
As a mentor and TexPREP alumna, Pascasio said that she advises participants to take advantage of the programming that camp offers because they set the foundation for the challenges students will discover in advanced math and science courses in high school and college.
“I think that being in a college environment helps young students to become more focused. Once they get to high school, teachers there will see that TexPREP campers are more advanced and disciplined,” she said.
“These kids know that once they get to class, they’re expected to sit down, take notes and really understand what’s going on because they have to the homework and there’s no one that’s going to help them. So, it really does set you up for success. It teaches you the discipline as well as the topics that will help you get to more advanced classes once you get to high school,” Pascasio added.
Shollenberger could not agree more.
Our goal is to prepare these students to excel while attending college, not to just get into college. We believe students who complete Del Mar College’s TexPREP camp are going to progress forward and finish their bachelor’s degree and any further academic work that they choose to pursue.
To learn more about the college’s TexPREP, visit www.delmar.edu/ccprep. And start thinking about enrolling your young genius next summer.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.
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