Dominic Rios works on putting on a fresh coat of stain to the wooden perimeter during the Volunteer with The Texas Zoo event held on Friday, Sept. 4.

Dominic Rios spent one of his first Saturdays as a college student at Texas A&M University-Victoria not easing into campus life, but rolling up his sleeves to get to work.

Along with him, nearly 20 other students participated in the Volunteer with The Texas Zoo event held on Friday, Sept. 4. The initiative was part of the university’s Weeks of Welcome celebration to welcome students back as they began the new semester.

Hailey Watson

“I hope the students get an understanding and a joy in helping the community,” said Hailey Watson, Student Involvement coordinator. “Especially those who are first-time volunteers.”

That morning, students worked to paint on a fresh coat of stain along the perimeter fence of the home of one of the community’s most recognizable zoo residents: jaX, the university’s beloved mascot.

Working under the guidance of Leanne Bloomfield, assistant director at The Texas Zoo, the students focused on the wooden “people perimeter” that surrounds the jaguar enclosure, an area identified as a high-visibility space that would benefit from both maintenance and aesthetic improvements, Bloomfield said.

“We’re really excited to have extra volunteers here at the zoo,” Bloomfield said. “We have a small staff, so having these student volunteers here is amazing.”

By waterproofing the wooden structure with stain, the zoo hopes to improve the enclosure’s appearance with a broader design and to better align it with the zoo’s overall color scheme, she said. This particular area was chosen not only because it needed attention, but also because it offered the students a meaningful connection by working on the area surrounding their own mascot, Bloomfield said.

Rios, a 31-year-old freshman, is pursuing a bachelor's degree in health studies with the goal of entering the university’s nursing program. While some students may enter college straight out of high school, Rios arrived at A&M-Victoria with more than a decade of work experience and a determination to build a more meaningful future.

Originally from Ingleside, after high school Rios attended a job training institute but left when that path didn’t turn out as expected. He left his schooling behind and went straight to the workface, where he spent the next 11 years holding a range of jobs that included working in fast food, grocery stores and shipping companies.

He later went on to work at a plant, until a near accident ultimately forced him to consider the course of his life. Those years working taught him discipline and responsibility, Rios said. But they also left him wanting something more.

The turning point came close to home. Rios’s older brother, once caught up in legal troubles and addiction, decided to change his life around. He now attends A&M-Victoria, the same school as his little brother, and is set to graduate in one year.

“He was a high school dropout, and he switched his life around,” Rios said. “He decided one day he was done with that life, he wanted more for himself, and I thought to myself I wanted to do it as well.”

Tired of a job that just felt like work, he began to look for a career where he could make a tangible difference. He explored different fields – welding, pharmacy, and phlebotomy – before taking an EKG certification course. The material came naturally to him, Rios said, and he found himself genuinely interested in the medical content. The experience confirmed his decision to pursue nursing.

Now entering his third week of classes at A&M-Victoria, he is already focused on the long game. He plans to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing, work his way into a nursing supervisor role and eventually become a telemetry supervisor specializing in monitoring heart rhythms and related EKG work.

“Getting back into the school mindset, I’ve had to make sure to keep track of everything,” Rios said. “But just coming to school every day, man I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.”

While some students are sharing memories of local schools and hometown events, Rios is still getting to know the city and its inhabitants. That is part of why he signed up to volunteer at the zoo, he said. He has always been a lover of animals and had previously helped at a zoo near San Antonio.

“These next four years, I’m going to stick it out because I know what I want,” Rios said. “I’m not from Victoria, so I’m excited to meet more students and colleagues, but I am excited for what’s ahead.”