Each year, the Campus Ministry Council kicks off the school year with a community-bonding “SPLASH” event to help our students gets acquainted with each other in a fun setting. Although it was hot outside on Saturday, August 17, students enjoyed the inflatable water slides and playing various “cool” games around campus. Students were randomly assigned to 10 different “family” groups for the activities, and then everyone joined together for a pool party after dinner.

In a special opening Convocation service on Friday, August 9 in the chapel, new students were presented with a bilingual Bible containing their native language in one column and English parallel to it. Students will use these Bibles throughout their years at Pan Am - in the classroom, in worship, and in their time of personal reflection. We were honored to have two special guests join us today – Mr. Bert Alvarez, who worked at Pan Am from 1983-1986, and Esteban Gonzalez, PPAS Class of 2019, who will be attending TAMUK in the fall. Both shared encouraging words and advice with our students, and we are grateful for their participation and support.

We are working hard to form partnerships with various agencies to ensure a smooth transition for our families from Mexico. As part of this effort, PPAS Admissions Team members attended the 2019 Student Visa Intergovernmental Symposium on May 22 at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley-Brownsville. They had the pleasure of visiting with Samantha Lopez, the UTRGV International & Student Services Director; Rafael Hernandez, the U.S. Consular Officer in Matamoros representing the U.S. Department of State; Mario Campbell, HSI Supervisor; and Maria Kishore, Assistant Port Director for the Office of Field Operations Port of Brownsville U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Hats off to the Class of 2019 who graduated on Saturday, May 18. Best wishes to our Eagles as they leave our nest and move on to their next adventure!