Blinn engineering major and honors society officer building a future in robotics

Jakeb Fincher is on track to complete his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering through Texas A&M University-Texarkana at Texas A&M-RELLIS

February 25, 2026

For as long as Jakeb Fincher can remember, he has been fascinated by robots.

Now 18, Fincher is turning that lifelong curiosity into a career path through Blinn College District Engineering Program, where he is pursuing an Associate of Science in Engineering that applies seamlessly toward Texas A&M University–Texarkana’s Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering program at RELLIS.

“I was a part of my high school’s robotics club in San Angelo and I’m just very curious,” he said. “I have my own lab, and I’ve always loved building things. Engineering seemed like the one pathway that would allow me to keep pursing these interests.”

Fincher first learned about Blinn’s engineering options after touring Texas A&M University during Aggieland Saturday, when an advisor suggested he visit RELLIS.

“My family and I were looking for a more affordable program, but we had no idea there was this really modern, beautiful campus like RELLIS,” Fincher said. “After visiting the campus and looking at pricing, I never looked back.”

Fincher decided to pursue his Associate of Science in Engineering at Blinn and transfer directly into Texas A&M University-Texarkana’s Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering program, which is also located at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus. This pathway is one of the options available to students through the RELLIS Academic Alliance, a unique co-admissions partnership between Blinn and its Texas A&M University System partners.

Beyond the classroom, Fincher is actively involved on campus. He serves as vice president of service for Blinn’s Bryan and RELLIS chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges.

“My role is to connect people in the club with service opportunities to give back to the community,” Fincher said. “This role helps build my resume, but more importantly, it gives me leadership experience and a chance to make a difference.”

Blinn’s Engineering Program offers four associate degree pathways for students to transfer into engineering bachelor’s degree programs across the state. The College’s innovative co-admissions partnerships place students on a path to earning a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, Tarleton State University at RELLIS, Texas A&M University-Texarkana at RELLIS, Houston Christian University, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

For Fincher, the academic culture has been just as important as Blinn’s affordability.

“Everyone that I’ve met is serious about their academics, which is important to me,” Fincher said. “It’s been easy to find like-minded people here, because we’re all very focused.”

Those goals include a future in robotics — ideally in space or defense applications.

“Robotics is one of the most challenging areas of engineering, and that is what excites me,” Fincher said. “I plan to earn my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and eventually a master’s degree in engineering technology, which is more hands-on. Working for NASA or Boston Dynamics would be amazing. As long as I can build robots, I will be happy.”

For more information about Blinn’s Engineering Program, visit www.blinn.edu/engineering.