Family Weekend at Texas State University is a time for families to experience campus life at the university with their Bobcat through various events and activities. It’s also a time to recognize and honor families who go above and beyond to support their current students.

The Family of the Year award was given to the Peña family during this year’s Family Weekend, which drew more than 5,700 registrants for activities from Oct. 11-12.

Over Family Weekend, Abigail, a senior business administration major, attended Welcome Hour and the Dean’s List Recognition event with her mother, Valerie.

The Peña family, however, is no stranger to TXST. Abigail’s brother, Marcus, is an alum (’22) as well as her two aunts, Dalia (’09) and Rachael (’11) Hernandez. She also attended basketball camps here when she was younger and played in tournaments in addition to spending summers swimming in Sewell Park.

“My aunts always talked so highly about Texas State, and we were already familiar with some of the campus already,” Abigail said. “The second reason Marcus and I decided to go here was because of everything that happened with my dad. I know we didn’t want to leave my mom alone.”

Abigail lived in nearby Geronimo until 2016 when her father, Ruben, died after a battle with T-cell lymphoma in his lungs. When Valerie asked Abigail and Marcus if they wanted to stay in the same house, they said it would be too difficult.

The Peña family soon moved in with Dalia in San Marcos for a few years, which was during the time when Marcus attended TXST.

“Texas State was the closest and most familiar thing during such an unfamiliar season in our lives,” Abigail said. “My dad worked three jobs, and my mom picked up babysitting and baking jobs to provide for us and to buy us schoolbooks. Everything they did was for us to get to this point. So, when we debated on still going to college when it happened, the memories of my mom and dad and the role they played to put us at the front doorstep of this university was enough.”

Abigail and Marcus were both homeschooled their entire lives. Valerie’s family constantly moved when she was a kid, resulting in several school changes and starting over. She wanted to feel more connected and closer as a family, so she decided to homeschool her kids.

Even though they were homeschooled, Valerie and Ruben would take their kids back-to-school shopping at the San Marcos Outlets with the little money they had leftover so they wouldn’t feel left out.

“We would get excited because it felt like we were going back to school, too, even though there was no real reason why we needed to pick out an outfit to be at the house,” Abigail said. “I know they did those little things to make us feel special. They put us in extracurricular activities, like things with our church, canoeing lessons, dance class, and basketball. We weren’t rich in money, but we are rich in love.”

When Ruben died, it took a toll on Valerie to the point where she couldn’t continue homeschooling Abigail. She decided to attend San Marcos High School for her junior and senior years.

Abigail understood the emotional toll her father's death took on her mother and knew the decision for her to go to public school was for the best, even though she loved the homeschool setting. However, the high school was right across the street from where they lived.

Through Abigail’s time at TXST, her mom has called her weekly to give her family updates, offer words of encouragement and motivation, and to let her know she’d pray for her. Valerie would often share her catchphrase, “Speed and accuracy.”

Abigail said the roles that her family members have played in her life include teacher, principal, classmate, coach, cheerleader, teammate, role model, therapist, and best friend, and the list can go on.

“My biggest cheerleaders are my family,” Abigail said. “Through the hardest days of their lives, they kept trying to get us to go to school, and that was inspiring. No matter what I do, if I fail or succeed, I know they’re going to be behind me cheering me on. I could be a complete failure, and they’d still be by my side.”

Once Abigail graduates in May 2025, she hopes to find a steady job that she enjoys while continuing to save up for her dream of owning her own gym.

Visit the Family Weekend webpage for more information about activities and the nomination process for the Family of the Year award.