Just say yes: Andre Archuleta’s journey from Puerto Rico to Tarleton State

BY DREW FLEMING

Associate Producer

Four years ago, Andre Archuleta boarded a plane to Texas, leaving behind the familiar island of Puerto Rico he had always called home.

This December, he will proudly walk across the Tarleton State University graduation stage, marking his journey defined by determination, boldness and intentionality.

From Stephenville to Washington, D.C., Archuleta has made his mark as a business management major, planning to attend law school after crossing the stage in December.

He juggled his studies with his many accomplishments both on campus and professionally. Initially attracted by the PSA program and planning to eventually attend Texas A&M, after two weeks at Tarleton, Archuleta knew he had found a second home.

“I miss my family, but the people at Tarleton have also become my family. So, I feel like it wasn’t something I was giving up; it was something I was gaining. I had to learn how to balance my home family with my college family,” Archuleta said. “I’ll miss seeing the same people, structure and place that I’ve called home for the last four years.”

Archuleta is no stranger to staying busy at Tarleton, from the round-up leadership team, student government association and a student worker in the president’s office. For him, it was all a matter of saying yes.

“I didn’t know what life was going to be like outside of Puerto Rico, what college life would be like in Texas. But time goes by so fast,” Archuleta said. “Before you know it, all these things will happen, and you don’t want to stay in the same place.”

Above all else, Archuleta says yes. He grabs any opportunities in front of him, catches every door before it closes and stays resilient through the stressful times such accomplishments can bring.

Archuleta’s accomplishments have brought him farther than Stephenville. In the summer of 2023, he was an intern in Washington D.C. for the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, who is now the Governor of Puerto Rico.

Through networking and connections in the D.C. area and Tarleton, he spent the following summer in Austin. He worked in the Texas Senate, doing an internship for the office of El Paso.

He spent the entire summer in Austin for the internship, while also juggling being a Tarleton Transition Mentor (TTM) and part of the Round Up Leadership Team.

“That summer was a really hard summer. I had to be proficient in time management, but it was one of the most rewarding summers,” Archuleta said. “Being able to do that pushed me and my boundaries. I was definitely able to learn more about myself and my commitment.”

Throughout his time at Tarleton, he has excelled in every aspect of being involved on campus, from the Texan Legal Association (TLA), Round-Up, TTM’ing and as a beau for the Delta Zeta sorority.

A major part of Archuleta’s Tarleton experience was also his time spent in the FarmHouse fraternity. He has been a member for four years and helped grow his brotherhood as vice president of administration, judicial board member and public relations chair.

He was also honored with one of the fraternity’s highest honors, the FarmHouse Builder of Men Award, and was chosen for the Power 7 seminar within the fraternity, a chance to expand his leadership skills and network.

Dr. Amanda Arrambide is a communications professor at Tarleton and adviser for the FarmHouse fraternity who has seen Archuleta flourish in his time here.

“Andre is a natural leader. He is a go-getter and mature beyond his years. He would do anything for anyone; he would literally give the shirt off his back to a stranger,” Arrambide said. “He is a great leader, not only with his brothers in FarmHouse, but with just people in general. He’s such a remarkable human, he loves the Lord, he lives everyday for the Lord.”

In every aspect of his life, Archuleta strives to be the best version of himself and make connections everywhere he goes. In high school, he led a men’s group and went on a missionary trip to help people affected by Hurricane Maria, one of the biggest hurricanes to hit Puerto Rico.

That experience helping others and putting others above himself is what encouraged Archuleta to pursue a career in business law. Archuleta’s mother is a lawyer and judge, so law has always been an interest of his. He hopes to combine his love for service and business law in his future career.

Enlisted in the National Guard back in August, Archuleta is going to go through basic training in North Carolina for 10 weeks, then transition to advanced individual training for another 10 weeks. After that, he’ll be back in North Texas, hopefully to pursue law school.

“Tarleton will be losing a great student due to graduation, but he will go out and represent Tarleton well and make a huge impact on the world,” Arrambide said.

Archuleta is resilient through his natural leadership and networking skills, but above all, he is a good person, a hard worker and a true testament to what it means to be a Tarleton Texan.