When students walk across the stage to accept their diplomas from UTSA, they receive more than a degree. They walk away with the caliber of knowledge, skill, confidence and professionalism required for life beyond the classroom.
This transformation is not only the result of hard work but bold investments from university supporters who firmly believe that UTSA students are truly first class.
Through the generosity of donors and the momentum of Be Bold: A Campaign for Our Future, career-readiness opportunities, innovative spaces and mentorship programs have rapidly expanded across UTSA campuses, reinventing how students prepare for their futures.
Today, Roadrunners are connecting their education to something deeper: purpose, impact, and careers that reflect who they are and what they care about in the world.
That transformation looks different for every student, but for many, it begins with an advisor, a program, or an experiential learning opportunity that helps them find their way.
For Anna Almaraz ’23, M.B.A.’25, that moment came through her experience at the Harvey E. Najim Center for Innovation and Career Advancement. As a first-generation student, Almaraz found more than financial support. She found a mentor who helped shape her path.
WATCH: The Najim Center helps alum stay on degree path while being a small business owner.
“Donors at UTSA do more than just provide scholarships,” she says. “They show up. They take time to get to know us, understand our goals and help us figure out what we want to do with our lives. That kind of support is rare, and it has changed the entire course of my journey.”
Almaraz’s connection with Harvey Najim led to mentorship, professional development and a job with the Harvey E. Najim Charitable Foundation. Through that experience, she discovered her passion for nonprofit leadership and her desire to give back to the San Antonio community. Almaraz is now expanding her two businesses, Sophie’s Sweets Cookie Co. and Sophie Social Marketing, LLC with the goal of using her entrepreneurial skills to support local causes and eventually lead a nonprofit organization focused on community impact.
In the engineering field, that same kind of hands-on, purpose-driven learning is thriving in the Makerspace at the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (Klesse College). There, students use tools like fabrication labs and laser cutters to bring ideas to life and complete their senior design projects.
Longtime supporters Ed and Linda Whitacre purchased a metal 3D printer for the Makerspace, contributing to students’ hands-on learning. In addition to their generous support of tutoring, student organizations, professional development programming, undergraduate research experiences and the Student Success Center within the Klesse College, this gift has created unparalleled educational opportunities for students.
“For me, learning about the Makerspace was a turning point in my engineering experience,” says Gladvin George ’25, an electrical engineering graduate. “I started as a volunteer and eventually became a staff member. Helping others with their projects or guiding them as they considered their futures while I was thinking about mine was genuinely fulfilling.”
Students work on their projects in the Makerspace on the Main Campus.
Innovation and real-world problem-solving are also taking center stage in the School of Data Science. At this year’s Draper Data Science Business Plan Competition, established by philanthropist Timothy Draper and his wife, Melissa Parker Draper, a UTSA team earned second place and the fan favorite award for their project, SURV AI. The student-developed tool uses artificial intelligence to help law enforcement automate the analysis of bodycam footage and streamline report generation.
For the students behind SURV AI, the experience marked the beginning of something bigger.
“This was a great jumping off point for us,” says John Wilburn ’25, team member and recent computer science graduate. “We started talking seriously about turning this into a real venture after graduation. The Draper Competition helped open that door and now we’re exploring what it might take to make it happen. That’s a really exciting possibility.”
These are not isolated stories. They are the outcome of a campaign that helped the university reimagine how it could prepare graduates to be among the most qualified professionals across multiple workforce industries throughout the world.
As Almaraz reflects on her time at UTSA, she is clear about what made the biggest difference.
“To the donors who made all this possible, thank you. Your investment didn’t just help me earn a degree. It helped me find a career that’s meaningful to me,” she says. “And the impact doesn’t stop with one student. It spreads across this campus, into our community, and into the next generation of Roadrunners.”
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