Texas A&ampM biology majors and brothers Kyle ’24 (left) and Henry Nguyen ’25 credit the chance to be Science Leadership Scholars as one particular of their deciding things in deciding upon to attend Texas A&ampM.

Chris Jarvis/ Texas A&ampM University College of Arts &amp Sciences

When the Nguyen brothers opted to come to be Science Leadership Scholars (SLS) at Texas A&ampM University, they simultaneously laid claim to a exclusive distinction: the very first-ever sibling pair in the program’s history.

Kyle Nguyen ‘24 and his younger brother Henry Nguyen ’25, who describes himself in his SLS biography as “the tiny brother of the guy on my suitable,” grew up with each other in Sugar Land, Texas. Presently, they share their Aggie status, the Texas A&ampM campus, a biology significant, a passion for medicine and an exclusive array of possibilities afforded to them although the SLS System.

Effect Of Former Students

SLS was launched in 2016 with generous underwriting from dozens of Texas A&ampM former students, donors, and faculty to present assistance to very first-generation, higher-performing students from low-revenue households who are majoring in science-connected disciplines. For Kyle and Henry, the chance to be SLS Scholars was one particular of their deciding things in attending Texas A&ampM.

“I owe a lot of my choice to be an Aggie to SLS,” Kyle mentioned. “I do not believe I would be right here devoid of SLS, and it surely helped guide me via having into college.”

Yet another issue, Kyle and Henry mentioned, was the assist of former SLS academic advisor Victor Castillo ’13.

“Going into freshman year and not being aware of something and getting your personal private advisor that aids you is in all probability the most beneficial factor,” Kyle mentioned. “He surely led by way via freshman year and set me up for the subsequent handful of years.”

For Henry, Castillo helped him navigate via his very first year on campus — figuring out registration and resolving challenges with Sophisticated Placement (AP) credits.

Castillo, at the moment an assistant director in the Workplace of Diversity and Inclusion at Mays Organization College, also recalls his time with the Nguyen brothers positively.

“They had been my best-notch children in the system, and they’re each undertaking wonderful points,” Castillo mentioned. “It’s surely a testament to their parents and how they had been raised that they are two students in the identical system undertaking wonderful points at Texas A&ampM.”

Household Help

In terms of their parents and the rest of their loved ones, Kyle and Henry’s connection with them is one particular of the causes they operate so really hard, they mentioned.

“A element of striving to do effectively in common is to give back to our loved ones and folks that have helped us along the way,” Kyle mentioned. “Our loved ones has sacrificed a lot for us to be here — our parents had the life, and they chose to give it up.”

Henry, age three (left) and Kyle, age four, in their hometown of Sugar Land, Texas.

Courtesy photo

In truth, Henry mentioned his choice to pursue a profession in medicine with his biology background stems from its relevance inside their household.

“I’ve constantly been surrounded by human anatomy because I was young, and I wanted to go into it for the reason that a lot of our loved ones members are in medicine, so I wanted to dive into it as well,” Henry mentioned.

Elite Scholars

Kyle’s academic profession at Texas A&ampM started in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, inhibiting his capacity to connect with his classmates and make mates about campus. This posed an problem for him in his freshman year — and SLS was a welcome resolution.

“With COVID year, not becoming in a position to meet anyone…it was surely the pathway for me becoming right here and having began,” Kyle mentioned.

Like his brother, Henry also located solace via SLS in terms of obtaining a group of mates.

“I believed it was going to be really hard to meet new folks and make new mates for the duration of my freshman year, and meeting with the members in my year surely helped me,” Henry mentioned. “Five folks from SLS have been my mates because then, study buddies and all that stuff.”

Castillo notes that the scholar choice method is rigorous, governed in element by achievements as effectively as SAT/ACT scores. When Henry was selected a year just after Kyle, it was totally by possibility.

“The truth that they’re coming from the identical household, each higher-reaching students, very first-generation, low revenue — it is crazy how they each got into this elite system,” Castillo mentioned. “We only choose about 20 children every year out of the 800 incoming freshmen, so the truth that they each got in was wonderful. They’re each funny, fantastic children. I enjoy them to death.”

In addition to crediting Castillo and SLS, Henry mentioned his older brother’s leadership and assistance have also been beneficial.

“I definitely appreciate my older brother for paving the path for me,” Henry mentioned. “We’re the identical significant, we take the identical classes, so any concerns I have, I can just ask him.”

To discover additional about supporting very first-generation students in the College of Arts and Sciences, make contact with the improvement group.