SAN ANTONIO – As the fall semester kicks off at the University of Texas at San Antonio on Monday, incoming freshmen are already gaining valuable experience on campus. This summer, a select group of new students participated in a hands-on STEM lab program designed to give them a head start before classes officially begin.
Fatimah Majeed, who recently graduated from Clark High School, will begin her freshman year at UTSA on Monday. However, she’s not a stranger to the campus, as Fatimah has been involved in the N-PRE (Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology Pre-Freshman Research Experience) program, which has given her a head start with hands-on lab work.
“These experiments helped me learn about how things work in the lab and how to work on different experiments,” said Fatimah. “I had the opportunity to meet new people. So, I was able to make new friends.”
The N-PRE program pairs incoming freshmen with faculty mentors, immersing them in real research environments.
“You know, a lot of students come into the classroom and they sit in the classroom and they read the books and they listen to the lectures,” said Dr. John McCarrey, a UTSA professor. “That’s very different than getting hands on experience in a laboratory.”
Stephanie Villalon, a third-year Ph.D. student at UTSA and founder of the nonprofit STEM-START, which initiated the N-PRE program. She said the program stemmed from an assignment that she was working on as a master’s student.
“After a few months of research, I found that there was actually a really big need for, STEM education, exposure and STEM career exposure,” said Villalon. “So, that actually seeded STEM start enrichment where I thought, you know, I can do this.”
Now in its second year, the program has expanded its reach. Nataly Ibarra, a UTSA sophomore who participated last summer, shared how the program prepared her for her current studies.
“It helped me prepare with like my conversion, especially in my genetics classes and biology,” she explained. “I felt more advanced in my classes and understood the concepts better.”
Villalon also noted the broader benefits of the program, including networking opportunities, professional development, and scientific writing skills, all before students even start their freshman year.
“This is different even than being in a laboratory class, this is a real laboratory where we’re doing real research, and they get a chance to see how that works and hopefully, get excited about it. And, that motivates them to do even better in their classes and in their studies, and eventually go into science as a career,” McCarrey said.
