Like Father, Like Son: Two Generations, One Calling at the Island University

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – When Dr. José Guardiola arrived at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi more than two decades ago, he never imagined that one day he would share the campus with his son as a fellow professor. Yet last year, that unlikely possibility became reality.

Guardiola, a Professor of Statistics in the Department of Mathematics, has spent more than 20 years teaching at TAMU-CC. His son, Jose Guardiola Guaderrama, joined the university in 2025. The path which brought them together was anything but predictable.

After graduating from Gregory-Portland High School, Guardiola Guaderrama earned a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Aquinas College, a liberal arts school in Santa Paula, Calif. After two Master of Fine Arts degrees — one in English fiction, the other in Spanish poetry — from the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, Guardiola Guaderrama searched for faculty positions across the country.

He found an opening which aligned perfectly with his unique background — Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, supporting Mexican American Studies. The job just so happened to be at a place he knew well, the Island University.

“Most of the literature that influences me is Latin American,” Guardiola Guaderrama said. “The second that I saw that job, I knew I’d be a really good candidate for it.”

For his father, the outcome felt almost impossible.

“There are around 4,000 universities in the United States,” Guardiola said with a statistician’s perspective. “And he got the job here.”

Today, the two professors share more than a name and a workplace. They share daily conversations, occasional lunches, and even their commute. Guardiola Guaderrama purchased a home just minutes from his parents and often carpools with his father to campus.

“Our relationship has always been very strong,” Guardiola said. “Now it just adds another dimension to it.”

Education has been a constant thread through their family’s history. Guardiola’s grandfather helped establish schools in northern Mexico, and academic life has shaped generations of the family. When Guardiola Guaderrama was growing up, books filled the household. His father encouraged his love of reading and helped guide him toward the educational opportunities that would shape his future.

“When I decided I wanted to be a writer, he sat me down at the computer, and we searched for the top creative writing programs,” Guardiola Guaderrama said.

While their disciplines appear very different, both see deep connections between them. Guardiola often compares statistics to a mystery novel, beginning with descriptions, building through evidence and ending with discoveries about what happened and why.

“In statistics, we can also be creative,” Guardiola said.

That appreciation for learning across disciplines became part of the lessons Guardiola passed on to his son. Guardiola Guaderrama grew up viewing mathematics and literature not as competing interests, but as complementary ways of understanding the world.

“I want to communicate to my students that everything is beautiful, and everything is worth loving,” Guardiola Guaderrama said. “A lot of the world’s greatest minds have a love and appreciation for everything.”

Despite working in different departments, father and son occasionally exchange ideas about teaching and student experiences. Still, Guardiola is quick to note that his son is not simply following in his footsteps.

“I think he’s following his own path,” Guardiola said. “I always encouraged my children to do what they like. If they do what they like, they will be successful.”