LSC-Montgomery sponsored a 'free ride' for students interested in Texas A&M tour

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - When Lone Star College-Montgomery advertised a "free ride" for selected students who wanted to transfer to Texas A&M University, it didn't take long for Matthew Samford's phone to start ringing. Samford, an academic counselor and one of the coordinators of the college's newly-formed Transfer, Recruitment and Career (TRAC) Center, knew students would be interested. The only catch was that it was a bus ride to College Station – part of an effort to promote a culture of transfer among the students at LSC-Montgomery. Indeed, more than 30 students accepted the "free ride," which included round trip transportation, an exclusive tour of the Texas A&M campus, meetings with university admissions advisors, and a lunch with Texas A&M officials.

Several of the students had recently been notified that they'd been accepted to Texas A&M; others were on a scouting trip to see if Aggieland was the right fit.

"It was a really awesome thing," said Ruben Balli, an LSC-Montgomery student interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree in business when he finishes at the community college. "I learned a lot – specifically, what it's like at Texas A&M, but also generally, what it's like to attend a university. It was definitely worth my time."

Samford said that all the students on the trip agreed with Balli's assessment.

"Our goal is to do this several times throughout each semester – visiting a variety of area universities," said Samford. "Texas A&M is ideal, though, because it can easily be done in one day. The students who went on the trip universally enjoyed themselves. It was a great inaugural event."

The LSC-Montgomery TRAC Center was created in early 2013 to, among other things, "create a culture of transfer among students," according to Samford. "Through the TRAC Center, students can get all kinds of transfer-related resources, as well as find out about careers that interest them. It's become a very popular spot for students who are looking for the next step in their educational journey."

The TRAC Center also sponsors regular recruiting sessions with dozens of universities, transfer and career workshops, and one-on-one career and transfer-oriented advising for students.

For more information on the LSC-Montgomery TRAC Center, contact Matthew Samford via e-mail or visit the website below.