Scorpion Scholar: Nicolas Alfaro

Rio Hondo native Nicolas Alfaro knows he is never too far from his mother's home cooking even though he left for college last fall.

Alfaro, 19, a sophomore health and human performance major and a University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Scorpion Scholar, recently wrapped up his first year at school.

He resides at the Village at Fort Brown residential housing during the fall and spring semesters, which is paid for through Scorpion Scholars.
The program is for students living in the four-county Rio Grande Valley.

"I did a lot better than I thought I would," Alfaro said. "I maintained a good GPA for my first two semesters. I'm excited and I'm pretty much done with my basics and I'm going to start my field classes. Living at the dorms is pretty nice because I'm the person that doesn't like to wake up and drive, so it's fine for me."

Although his hometown is small, Alfaro credits his grassroots, which he misses occasionally, with his success at school and inspiration for the future.

"It's a one-street town," Alfaro said. "I like it. I have San Benito right there, or Harlingen right there."

He ran cross-country and track and played trumpet in the marching band while at Rio Hondo High School. Alfaro wants to coach track and cross-country after he graduates from college.

Alfaro said being one of the 100 UTB/TSC now-sophomores in the program has eased his parents' minds about paying for college.

He got a head start on college while in high school taking 13 dual enrollment courses in English and mathematics through Texas State Technical College Harlingen.

Perry is an informational writer for The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.
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