Andres Solorio Pulido has always loved the outdoors, and fondly recalls the days he and his cousins spent playing outside during his childhood on his family’s 50 acres in Tamaulipas, Mexico. His family worked the land for agriculture for many generations, but those operations ceased by the time Andres was born.
That did not stop him from developing a love for agriculture and land management. During high school, Andres and Carlos E. Gonzalez became friends. Alongside his father, Eduardo A. Gonzalez, Carlos introduced Andres to agriculture.
“We became good friends, and I started working with Carlos and his father. They had a herd of cattle, and I learned about cattle management and grazing management from them when I was a teenager,” Andres said.
Andres discovered his passion for agriculture and natural science at Gonzalez’s ranch—a passion that Eduardo Gonzalez recognized and cultivated throughout Andres’ youth. With his newfound interest and the help of Eduardo, Andres became involved as a volunteer at the Forestry Agriculture and Cattle Research Institute of Mexico.
His love for natural science grew and was encouraged by Eduardo’s mentoring, and he attended the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, earning a Bachelor’s in Forestry in 2007. In 2009, his first daughter was born, increasing his commitment to a conservation career path to support his family.
He gained experience working for the National Forest Commission in Mexico where he engaged in ecosystem restoration and wildlife habitat management, and he also worked for Veolia Environment S.A. and CEMEX Mexico S.A. de C.V. Working for those two prestigious organizations allowed him to grow personally and professionally.
In 2015, his second daughter was born, and he now had even more motivation to build a successful career. Despite his meaningful work in Mexico, Andres knew he wanted to pursue a Master’s degree in the United States to fulfill his potential. With this goal in mind, he began private lessons to learn English. After six years of tutoring, Andres became fluent in English and felt confident enough to seek opportunities in the US.
At that point, Andres received a life-changing phone call from his friend Carlos Gonzalez, who was now a research scientist at the Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. Gonzalez offered him a chance to work for BRI and pursue his Master’s degree. With the support of his family, Andres applied and was accepted for the position.
Once his high school pal, Carlos Gonzalez is now Andres’ advisor, a relationship that Andres treasures.
“He has known me for more than 18 years. He knows how to guide me, he’s always in tune with me, and he knows how to encourage me. He’s one of the best professors I’ve ever had, because he knows how to keep me engaged and reminds me to never give up,” Andres said of Carlos.
In another twist of fate, Carlos’ dad, Eduardo Gonzalez, accepted a position with the Borderlands Research Institute last summer, reuniting the trio.
“That was a wonderful surprise for me,” Andres said, “When I started dreaming about what I wanted to do when I was a child they were there, and now I’m finishing my degree and they are here. They are like family to me, and I’m really happy to be here working together.”
Andres is currently working on the restoration of native vegetation in areas invaded by Lehmann’s lovegrass and hopes to pursue his PhD after completing his Master’s. Although moving to a new country and learning a second language has not been easy, Andres knows he is exactly where he is supposed to be.
“It was a challenge for me trying to learn and understand my second language. But it was really easy for me to become a part of this family at Borderlands Research Institute because they are friendly and encouraging, and that helped me to continue achieving my goals. That is what I am trying to show to my daughters; even if something looks hard they need to work and find the correct support to get it. That’s why my experience has been amazing.”