As Camille Valdez completes her last couple of classes for her bachelor’s degree at New Mexico State University this summer, she recalled the first summer she spent at NMSU just before her freshman year.
“It was because of my test scores on the math placement exam. I didn’t score well,” Valdez said. “I got an email inviting me to Aggie Jumpstart in the summer of 2022.”
Valdez, a New Mexico native from Santa Fe, is among many success stories in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Aggie Jumpstart program, which launched in 2019. Her cohort of incoming freshmen received help polishing up their math skills to get a head start on their college career.
Aggie Jumpstart offers high school students who fit the category of college readiness four weeks of summer mentorship to strengthen their skills in college-level math, English and writing. The program is free for students and includes on-campus residence and meals along with the math and English classes.
“My best friend since second grade got the same email,” said Valdez. “We saw they would house us for free, feed us for free and offer us iPads, which was cool because I didn't have a laptop or an iPad. She didn't have any of that either, so it was really nice.”
Cody Womack has been coordinating the program over the last three years. “It’s growing every year, he said. “Every year we learn what strategies work best for the students. Camille’s group had 11 students, and last year it was 15 students. This year I maxed out our spots and we have 30.”
In 2023, students in previous groups started paying it forward serving as mentors for the new summer cohorts. Womack implemented peer mentors last year as the program continues to grow.
Aggie Jumpstart classes gave Valdez the confidence to pursue a degree in business administration. She also enjoyed taking summer classes so much it helped her earn a degree in just three years.
“Having a smaller class you really get one-on-one attention,” Valdez said. “And we did a lot of partner work, which is not something that you do often. We bounced ideas off each other and built relationships with everybody else because we spent so much time together that summer. Building those connections with people and having one-on-one time with the teacher if we needed it was very helpful.”
Valdez started working part time at Los Alamos National Laboratory after high school. With her bachelor’s degree in business administration, she now has a full-time job at the national lab in personnel security.
“I do plan on staying at the lab because it’s really nice up there,” Valdez said. “There are so many opportunities.”
Aggie Jumpstart is funded through the James and Angela Holland Aggie Jumpstart Program Excellence Fund. James Holland earned his degree from NMSU with a double major in chemistry and biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is the Chief Operating Officer at Kinder Morgan, one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America.
The Hollands have been supporting the Aggie Jumpstart Program since 2021, hoping to extend the encouragement James received at NMSU to current students. “I hope students in Aggie Jumpstart achieve their full potential,” he said. “I want their past academic struggles to no longer hold them back.”
-30-
CUTLINE: Camille Valdez, gives credit to Aggie Jumpstart for providing support to strengthen her math skills and give her an early introduction to college life before her freshman year at New Mexico State University. (Courtesy photo)