MAY 9, 2025 — Meet Laura Barnes, a senior from Dallas, Texas, and a UTSA Honors College student who is graduating from the College of Sciences this spring with a degree in computer science and a degree in mathematics of data and computing.
From the moment Barnes stepped foot on the UTSA Main Campus, she felt destined to become a Roadrunner.
“It immediately felt like home,” she said. “I knew it was where I belonged as soon as I visited.”
This strong sense of belonging propelled Barnes toward an academic journey filled with leadership, service and exploration.
As a freshman, Barnes immersed herself in the university’s computer science community. She served as vice president and as president of Rowdy Creators, an organization where students gain access to experiential learning opportunities by collaborating on tech projects throughout a semester.
Barnes is also currently the secretary of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and has competed in multiple hackathons — one of which turned into a business venture through an incubator hosted by Geekdom, a coworking community for startups based in San Antonio.
Starting in high school, Barnes was interested in studying computer science and discovered the mathematics of data and computing curriculum as a Roadrunner. She loves how versatile her areas of study are, offering potential careers from software engineering and video game development to data science and cybersecurity.
Among her favorite courses was an artificial intelligence (AI) class taught by Ramin Sahba, assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Computer Science. Barnes describes the class as challenging but deeply rewarding and now considers herself to be well educated on the topic of AI.
“The list of possible careers with my majors is infinite and they taught me how to think programmatically,” Barnes said. “They offer flexibility that I feel not many other degrees have, which makes them a great choice!”
Outside of working with 0s and 1s, Barnes dedicates time to give back. In December 2023, she participated in an Alternative Break Experience in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she volunteered with nonprofit organizations as part of a service-learning experience that focused on youth advocacy.
As a student in the Honors College, Barnes also had the chance to explore disciplines outside her major. One stand-out experience was a course on Canoeing, Paddle Making and Embodied Ecology, where she learned about woodworking, built and used her own paddle, and studied rivers and ecology. “It taught me how fun woodworking can be and sparked my interest in volunteering to clean up rivers.”
Outside of the opportunities to pursue new interests and grow professionally, what stands out most to Barnes about UTSA is the culture.
“UTSA is different from other universities due to the friendliness of the student body, unique location and attentive professors,” Barnes said. “It truly lives up to its mission of being ‘urban serving’ by making it easy to thrive with plentiful opportunities that allow students to find their perfect fit.”
For prospective students considering UTSA, Barnes offers this advice: “Just do it! Coming to UTSA has absolutely changed my life for the better, and I do not think I would have had the same experience at another school.”
