By Lindsey Norman, Student Life

Born and raised in Houston, Jeremy Rodriguez ’24 is not someone you might picture when you think of homelessness, but he spent last semester sleeping on his friend’s couch. With the intention of only staying a month, Rodriguez fled a toxic family home to improve his mental wellbeing, but couch-surfing wasn’t as temporary as he’d hoped.

As an active student in the Texas A&M University community, Jeremy is a member of Men of God Christian Fraternity and also volunteers for Save Our Streets Ministries, connecting with local high school students every Thursday night in Bryan, Texas. In addition to being a full-time student and giving back to his community, Jeremy also works part-time at Post Oak Mall.

After coming to the realization that he needed help, he reached out to several different people before connecting with Melanie McKoin Owens, a case manager with Student Assistance Services, which is part of Student Life in the Division of Student Affairs.

Student Assistance Services connects Texas A&M students with the appropriate guidance, resources and support to address a variety of personal and academic matters such as basic needs insecurity, excessive absence, accident and/or injury, family issues, funding assistance, medical concerns, mental health, welfare issues and more. Some students only meet once with a case manager; others like Jeremy may require more than one meeting. Student Assistance Services works with partners on and off campus to ensure continued student success in all areas of their lives.

“When we’re working with a student, we’re going to look at whether a student’s basic needs are being met, such as housing, food, or overall health. If we identify that a student doesn’t have a place to live, they’re sleeping on a couch or a floor, or in their car, even just temporarily, that basic need isn’t being met,” said McKoin Owens. “We see students who are navigating the gaps and we help them get connected with the proper resources.”

She connected Rodriguez with an academic adviser to help get him back on track in classes, and they worked with the Office of Financial Aid to secure additional funding so he could afford off-campus housing. In a stroke of luck, a graduating friend offered Jeremy a spot in a rental house near campus.

“Melanie was a huge help,” he said. “She provided me with the guidance that I needed and has made me feel like everything is going to be alright. That’s a really good feeling.”

McKoin Owens said many students don’t feel like they can talk to someone on the Texas A&M staff when they are struggling because they don’t want anyone to know about the situation, or perhaps they are fearful of what the response will be.

In addition to helping students in crisis, the Student Assistance Services team also serves as the family liaison for Silver Taps and the university liaison for former foster and adopted Aggies. More than 90 percent of students that seek help from Student Assistance Services are undergraduates and 30 percent identify as first-generation. On average, more than 75 percent of students seen by Student Assistance Services either graduate or persist to their next semester.

A small office with a large impact, Student Assistance Services provides students like Rodriguez with classroom materials, food and toiletries, temporary housing and other resources, largely through donations made to the Student Assistance Services Fund held by the Texas A&M Foundation.

“Just swallow your pride,” said Rodriguez in a plea to other students who may need help. “ You may not feel like you need that help or you may not feel like it’s for you, but just ask. These resources are here and they’re available and they’re here for a reason.”

For more information about what Student Assistance Services offers or to connect a student in need, email [email protected].

To learn how you can support Student Assistance Services, contact Sarah Hamilton, Assistant Director of Development or donate online through the Texas A&M Foundation.