The Mesquite Online News - Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Student Take: Transition to Residential Life
In this series, we report on how students are adapting to living on a newly developed residential campus. More In This Series »

Video: The first nine weeks of residential life

Video: The first nine weeks of residential life - The Mesquite Online News - Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Jaden Endsley, criminal justice freshman and Arnulfo Tovar, history freshman walks back to Esperanza Hall after class. They are among the nearly 300 freshmen that live in the dorm.

Texas A&M University-San Antonio welcomed approximately 280 undergraduate students to Esperanza Hall, the university’s first privatized dorm run by American Campus Communities (ACC). The private company with headquarters located in Austin, Texas is a large developer, owner, and manager of high-quality student housing communities.

In this video, we asked first year college students living at Esperanza Hall about their overall experiences, including safety, satisfaction and adjustment to living on campus.

Destiny Bass, freshman psychology major, said she’s enjoying the college experience including making new friends and trying new experiences.

Bass said this is a period in her life as a young adult where she is free from constant parental supervision and responsible for making her own decisions.  

Gage Rendon, freshman criminal justice major, thought dorm life would be fun and convenient prior to moving in to Esperanza Hall.

“The usual cliché,” Rendon said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, college kids hanging out, it’s going to be easier academic wise and easier access to campus.”

Now that he is situated on campus, “I love living on my own. I’m a very independent person so it’s very easy, the transition,” Rendon said.  “It’s been fun overall, besides the fines.”


Editor’s Note: The Mesquite reached out to Esperanza Hall’s two professional staff, assistant manager Carrie Newman and Alexis Ruiz, director and general manager, for comment. Newman and Ruiz did not grant interviews due to a media policy implemented by American Campus Communities. Gina Cowart, vice president of Branding and MARCOM Strategy for American Campus Communities replied to an email from the news outlet requesting additional information on the company’s policy: “Our media policy states that our staff need approval to speak with media. As a consideration to our residents as it is their home, we like to inform them ahead of time if there are going to be media interviews and make sure a mechanism for their consent via a media release form is provided.”

 

The Mesquite will follow up with additional articles on campus housing as the campus continues to grow and expand.

About the Authors

Samuel Mcdaniel
I am junior at Texas A&M San Antonio that majors in Mass Communications and minors in Sociology. I enjoy writing blogs and develop podcasts that are usually covering what’s happening in the sports world . When I’m not writing, I enjoy traveling and going to concerts. My major goal is to be a sportswriter for the WWE, by being apart of the Mesquite I hope to improve my writing and creative focus on stories.
Jamie Mata
My name is Jamie Mata, I am a junior at Texas A&M University-San Antonio majoring in communication. I transferred from Northwest Vista College where I earned my associates’ degree in New Media Communications. I currently do private duty care for the elderly, with six years of experience in the nursing profession. My goal is to be a business owner of a non-medical health agency for the elderly.
David Mandujano
David Mandujano started college in 2004. He quickly discovered the college path was not for him. He opted to work at various full-time jobs for the years to come. On a trip to the music store, he saw what the audio world had become and grew intrigued. He completed an Associate’s Degree with San Antonio College for Radio, Television and Broadcasting in 2016. Soon after he was accepted into the Communications program at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Now in his final semester, he currently works for Spurs Sports and Entertainment.
Rafael Gubser
Rafael Gubser is a reporter for The Mesquite and a senior at Texas A&M University-San Antonio where he studies communication and English. Rafael attended San Antonio College and was a photographer for The Ranger. He also reported for the Lake Front while a student at Our Lady of the Lake University. Rafael currently works part-time on weekends as a valet for Paramour.

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