McAllen entrepreneur acknowledges South Texas College as a foundation for success
Adriel Madrigal says South Texas College shaped his career direction by giving him a solid foundation for his education. Madrigal was able to attend an Ivy League university that he says was made possible through the faculty at STC who never stopped believing in him.
“I attended UT-Austin at first but I felt the classes were too big, and I felt like a small fish in a really big pond. I didn’t grasp college the way I should have,” he said. “Faculty at STC made me feel like I could do college. I didn’t have that before coming to the college.”
Madrigal graduated from South Texas College in 1999 on the President’s Honor List with an Associate degree in Biology. He then applied and was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania where he conducted research in gene therapy.
“Without my mentors at STC, I don’t think I would have stayed the course and stayed as focused. The small class size at STC allowed me to have better interaction with my teachers, and those teachers really believed in me.”
He is currently employed by Bristol-Meyers Squibb promoting cutting-edge cancer-treating immunotherapy drugs and participates in the Coast 2 Coast Cancer Ride once a year to raise money for cancer research.
In his free time, Madrigal has started his own company, Aqua Clear Water Solutions that went from three employees in his garage to over 20 in a warehouse and office.
“Without my mentors at STC, I don’t think I would have stayed the course and stayed as focused. The small class size at STC allowed me to have better interaction with my teachers, and those teachers really believed in me,” he said.