NVC Celebrates 5th Annual PLUS+ STEM Symposium

Forty-one aspiring scientists, engineers, and tech innovators recently celebrated the completion of their summer research and hands-on professional experiences at Northwest Vista College’s (NVC) fifth annual Portal Leading to Undergraduate Success (PLUS+) in STEM Symposium & Awards Ceremony on July 30.

The PLUS+ STEM program offers students direct access to industry leaders, real-world research opportunities, and professional mentorship. This year’s cohort—which included 13 high school students—gained invaluable experience working alongside partner organizations and institutions, including Elevate Systems, UT Health San Antonio’s Greehey Children's Research Institute, and SunPro Services LLC.

Funded through a strategic grant initiative, the PLUS+ STEM program is designed to bridge the gap between academic study and professional practice. Under the direction of Grant Principal Investigators Dr. Prakash Nair and Dr. Claudia Verdin, the program focuses on four core priorities, including enhancing access to higher education and STEM fields, increasing degree attainment, persistence, and transfer rates to four-year universities, and boosting academic readiness for rigorous STEM coursework.

For students like Mia Giselle Tisdale, the program proved life-changing. After once being told she didn't have what it takes to pursue a career in engineering, Mia learned about the PLUS+ STEM program by chance through a friend.

Through the program, Mia completed two internships—one at SunPro Services LLC and another in a Chemical Engineering Laboratory at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Having recently completed her associate degree at NVC, she is now transferring to UTSA to continue her engineering journey.

"I had doubted there was a path for me, but this program gave me the confidence to know that I can do this now and in the future," Tisdale shared.

The impact of NVC’s STEM initiatives extends far beyond graduation. Emmanuel Garcia, a licensed professional engineer, participated in a similar STEM program during his time as a student at NVC—where he first fell in love with mathematics and found the academic challenges that shaped his career.

This summer, Emmanuel returned to serve as a mentor to four students in the PLUS+ STEM cohort, helping them navigate real-world engineering concepts.

Emmanuel’s connection to NVC will continue to deepen this fall semester when he joins the college faculty as an adjunct instructor, inspiring the next generation of STEM scholars where his own journey began.

As the fifth and final year of the PLUS+ STEM program comes to a close, its legacy is clear: over 100 students have bridged classroom learning with hands-on research and industry mentorship. By creating these transformative pathways, Northwest Vista College continues to expand opportunities for San Antonio students, cultivating a diverse, highly skilled workforce to power Texas’s booming tech and science sectors.