C Arce (Student)

Texas A&M-San Antonio students walking to class will likely see C Arce’s Colgate smile displayed on several University posters throughout campus. She’s a representative of the University’s diversity and welcoming atmosphere. Arce is a sophomore, part of the inaugural freshman class of 2020, who is bustling around campus with a focus on her studies and socializing with her fellow Jaguars.

She works in the Office of First-Year Experience gaining a taste of what her future career will consist of. A former JagX orientation leader, she looks back on the time as one of her favorite campus memories. She spent the week before classes began August prepping 650 items of everything the class of 2021 would need. It was her first summer participating in all student orientations on campus and creating a bond between herself and her assigned students.

It was during one of her high school college fair days that she found out A&M San Antonio accepted freshmen students. Arce realized she would be a part of the inaugural freshman class and enrolled.

Q: Why did you choose A&M San Antonio?

A: “I chose A&M San Antonio because of its small classroom sizes and because I would be part of the school’s first freshman class. I thought that was super cool.”

Growing up in a Military family she frequently moved around the country and dealt with new settings. She finds here at A&M San Antonio an intimate campus feeling and being on campus is where her Jaguar family embraces her in with loving arms.

“I love our school because even though we’re small and are still growing, I still feel like we’re a family,” says Arce.

She admits her siblings did attend college but shares that she will be the first in her family to cross the stage with a diploma in hand. She will be the first to graduate from a university and with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies After graduation, she plans to keep pursuing a career in higher education by attending graduate school for her masters and doctorate degrees.

“I want to start off working in student affairs within higher education” she says, “My eventual goal is to be president of a university.”

Arce admires President Cynthia Teniente-Matson because of her approachable and friendly attitude as well as her initiative to be involved with the university’s students. The opportunity to assist fellow students along their path in higher education is what Arce considers to be her calling.

She recently was promoted to orientation student director and sees her on campus job as a resume builder. Working on campus for Arce has made her more disciplined in her time management. She finds comfort in the fact that she can go to her bosses and they’ll be understanding as well as flexible with her class schedule.

“It’s always a student first,” she confirms.  

Arce is a bilingual student speaking English and Tagalog, the most common language in the Philippines and personally found living in the Philippines for five years as a child an awesome living experience.

She enjoys spending her free time hanging out with friends and family participating in adventurous activities on or off campus. As a positive person she looks forward to what her future holds. Arce is one of many Jaguars who is a shining example of how students can find a place called home and jump into the opportunities Texas A&M - San Antonio has to offer.