CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — As final exams loom, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi students found some much-needed stress relief today through the campus Counseling Center's "Paws on the Island" event.
The program brings therapy animals to campus during one of the most stressful times of the academic year.
What started as a small gathering has grown into one of the university's most anticipated end-of-semester traditions. While early "Paws on the Island" events drew around 350 students, current events now draw between 650 and 700 students who line up eagerly to interact with the furry stress-busters.
Student volunteer Priscilla highlighted the unique therapeutic value of animal interaction: "I think being able to just interact with another creature, especially animals, is really relaxing because they just sit there and have their own curious little systems, their own little minds. Being able to be with something different from what you see every day — I think that's what's relaxing about it."
The "Paws on the Island" has become an essential pre-finals ritual that combines community, comfort, and much-needed calm before the storm of final exams for the students and staff.
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