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If your lunch rotation near the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences hasn’t included the Texas A&M Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center, it should. For $5.25 you can get the “Aggie special,” a sausage wrap and a large drink, and it’s made by students earning credit for creating it.
That’s just the start of what you’ll find on the shelves in Rosenthal, which is nestled next to the Kleberg Animal and Food Sciences Center on Texas A&M’s West Campus. The store carries cheese, seasoning blends, steaks and jerky, amongst many other high-quality products, and every item passed through classroom instruction and student work in the Department of Animal Science before it reached the counter.
Sage Boleman ’22 ’24, the center’s manager, gets to see this hands-on student experience every day.
“Student workers don’t come here just to earn a paycheck,” Boleman said. “They’re trusted with real responsibility every day, whether they’re producing products, helping teach laboratory courses or working directly with customers. Those experiences build confidence that carries with them long after they leave Rosenthal.”
Since opening in 1983, every purchase, whether it’s a $5.25 special or a box of steaks, funds the wages, training and experience of students like Gavin Kubala ’25 and Rebekah Holle ’26, who get to watch their coursework turn into something a customer picks up and takes home, or carries a few hundred feet to an Aggie football tailgate.
Taking ownership of the process
Kubala, a graduate student in meat science from Schulenburg, arrived at Texas A&M with experience from a small meat processing plant near his hometown. Working at Rosenthal broadened his understanding of how a meat operation functions from production through retail.
After joining the Texas A&M Meat Judging Team, he met Ray Riley, the center’s former manager and now a visiting lecturer in the department, who encouraged him to apply for a student worker position. Now Kubala has worked throughout the facility, from harvesting and fabrication to processed meat production, while helping teach undergraduate meat science laboratory courses.
Student workers inspect equipment, prepare workspaces and verify food safety standards before processing begins. Throughout the day, they monitor product quality, troubleshoot challenges and help students apply classroom concepts during laboratory courses.
Working alongside faculty, inspectors and industry professionals also introduced Kubala to mentors whose guidance continues to shape his career goals. The experience gave him practical insight into food safety, quality assurance and the decision-making behind meat processing while reinforcing lessons from the classroom.
“I get to teach, and then learn more myself,” Kubala said. “You’re learning while you’re teaching.”
Building confidence through connections
Holle, a recent animal science graduate from Lorena, discovered Rosenthal while taking an introductory meat science course and accepted a student worker position, hoping to find an on-campus job connected to her major. Instead, the position strengthened her understanding of meat science while reshaping her career goals.
For Holle, the job became more than stocking shelves or checking out customers. Answering questions about products, recommending cooking methods and helping customers find exactly what they need pushed her to apply what she learned in the classroom, while building the confidence and communication skills she now uses every day.
"The material I was learning in class became so much easier to understand because I was putting into action while working at Rosenthal."
Rebekah Holle '26
One of Holle’s favorite things about working in Rosenthal is the connections she builds with both new customers and regulars. One of her favorite memories is when a customer shared the reason why it is the only place they purchase meat.
“She and her husband have been coming here for years,” Holle said of the customer. “Her husband’s mobility has declined, so he waits in the car with their dog while she comes in by herself. She told me she wouldn’t want to go anywhere else, because we’re always willing to help her find what she needs, and she couldn’t get that same experience at a regular grocery store.”
For Holle, moments like that are the real measure of the work.
“It’s what makes this job different,” Holle said. “It’s not just a transaction. People trust us.”
Visit the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center
Whether you’re picking up steaks for the grill, stocking the freezer or grabbing lunch on campus, every purchase at the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center supports the students who produce the products, serve customers and develop the skills they’ll carry into the meat industry long after graduation. Learn more about the center and explore its products online.
