More than 400 seniors in the UT San Antonio Honors College are expected to graduate this month, marking the largest graduating class in the college’s history.
Fifty-one students in this cohort will graduate with distinction, the highest level of recognition in the Honors College. This designation is awarded to students who complete at least nine signature experiences — such as honors courses, research, service, internships and other experiential learning activities — along with at least one capstone project.
One such student is Mitchell Foster, who is graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. Foster was the featured student speaker at the Honors College Graduation Celebration earlier this semester.
During his time at UT San Antonio, Foster took advantage of many experiential learning opportunities, including an independent study with the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, a 10-day study abroad course in Costa Rica and a skill-development experience where he learned to play the piano.
For his capstone, Foster participated in the Citymester program, serving as an aviculture intern at the San Antonio Zoo.
During his sophomore year, Foster was selected for the prestigious Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Through the program, he interned at the National Weather Service and recently presented his research at the American Meteorological Society Conference.
After graduating from UT San Antonio, Foster plans to pursue a second bachelor’s degree in meteorology at Texas A&M University, with a goal of returning to the National Weather Service for a full-time career.
During his speech at the Honors College Graduation Celebration, Foster reflected on the collaborative spirit that defines the Honors College experience and the initiative that students bring to their opportunities.
“Where some may see competitors, we have found companions — a community of peers who support one another, celebrate each other’s successes and offer encouragement during challenges,” Foster said.
He also spoke about the importance of going beyond what is required.
“What truly sets us apart is not just our ability to do what is required, but the extra effort we choose to put in beyond what is expected,” he said. “The Honors College creates space for that choice by providing opportunities that allow students to go further.”
Many Honors College graduates will pursue graduate degrees at prestigious universities or are preparing for entrance exams for law, medicine and other health professions programs.
Others are transitioning into full-time roles with notable employers such as Apple, CPS Energy, General Motors, HP, accounting firm KPMG, Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance and Yahoo.
Other Honors College graduates this spring are preparing for impressive next steps:
- Leah Alvarado, a biomedical engineering major, received a Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award from the National Science Foundation, which will support her pursuit of a PhD in biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.
- Ashlie-Chellsie Aminkeng, a biochemistry major, was awarded a merit-based full ride scholarship to attend the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine in Pasadena, California.
- Brandon Aviado, an economics major and U.S. Army Veteran, will be moving to Seattle to work full-time for Yahoo after completing an internship there.
- Suzanna Bridges, an English major and Russian minor, won a competitive scholarship to pursue a Master of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University with a focus on national security and diplomacy. She also received funding through Arizona State University’s Critical Languages Institute to study Russian in Daugavpils, Latvia, this summer before beginning graduate school.
- Mariana Larios Munoz, an electrical engineering major, will serve as a researcher in the U.S. Army’s Organ Support and Automation Technologies department, contributing to advanced medical and automation technologies.
- Neil Liu, a kinesiology major, has his sights on becoming a pediatric nurse and will begin the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the UT San Antonio School of Nursing this fall.
- Ana Vallejo, a Top Scholar double majoring in psychology and neuroscience with a minor in French, will begin a master’s program in neuroscience at Aix-Marseille Université in France, where she will study on a full scholarship from the French government.
Home to more than 3,200 hardworking, achievement-oriented and conscientious students across all majors, the UT San Antonio Honors College offers one of the most unique experiential honors curricula in the nation. Its practical, hands-on approach to learning empowers students to chart their own path and achieve their highest potential.
To graduate from the Honors College, students complete a variety of transformative learning experiences — both inside and outside the classroom — that align with their academic and professional goals.
