Growing up in a military family, Anthony Quintero moved frequently until his stepfather’s career as a microbiologist for the U.S. Army brought the family to the San Antonio area. As a top-ten-percent graduate from Steele High School in Cibolo, he considered universities across the country, but UT San Antonio became the clear choice after learning he qualified for Bold Promise, and later, an unexpected acceptance into the companion Bold Scholars living-learning program.
“Looking back, I’m so grateful I took a chance and applied,” he says. “Being accepted as a Bold Scholar is what convinced me to come here.”
UT San Antonio’s Bold Scholars program is transforming the undergraduate experience for high-achieving, high-need students by pairing financial assistance with on-campus housing, mentoring, community-building and tailored academic guidance.
Bold Promise is the university’s commitment to make college more affordable by covering tuition and mandatory fees 100% for eligible students. Students who qualify for Bold Promise may be invited to join the Bold Scholars program, which offers the added benefit of living on campus during their first year with a portion of the housing cost covered; Bold Scholars live in triple-occupancy rooms in Chisholm Hall.
In its fourth year, the program supports about 500 students annually — 75% of whom are first-generation college students — and early indicators show promising trends in retention, academic performance and engagement.
Quintero hangs out with some friends at Chisholm Hall, where he lived his first year at UT San Antonio.
Quintero, a cybersecurity major and Honors College student, describes his first year living on campus as transformative.
“It was amazing. I actually miss it,” he says. “Being on campus helped me focus on my classes, but the best part was definitely the community.”
Friendships formed quickly in the Bold Scholars living-learning community in Chisholm Hall, where students studied together, had fun together and helped each other out.
Quintero joined the Sigma Chi fraternity during his first year and held several leadership roles that strengthened his communication and confidence. He also completed a cybersecurity internship with ASRC Federal, contributing to the Department of Homeland Security’s zero-trust implementation strategy — an experience that solidified his career goals.
He credits Bold Promise and Bold Scholars with giving him the financial stability to thrive.
“Without Bold Scholars, I don’t think I would have been able to accomplish all the things I have,” he says. “It removed so much stress and let me focus on school and growing professionally.”
A key source of encouragement has been Margaret “Margie” Dettloff, who oversees the program.
“Margie has been really supportive. She helped me believe in my potential, to not settle for less and always reach for more,” Quintero says.
After graduating this month, Quintero is preparing for a future that blends service and advanced study. He has enlisted in the U.S. Air National Guard and hopes to commission as an officer, where he plans to serve in a cybersecurity role. He also intends to continue his education at UT San Antonio by beginning a master’s degree in cybersecurity in Spring 2027.
Building Confidence and Leading Others
For Yareli Lira, a pre-medical biology major and neuroscience minor, being a part of the first cohort of Bold Scholars has been about learning how to lead.
Raised in Matamoros, Mexico, she crossed the border daily starting in sixth grade to attend school in Brownsville. Learning English and navigating cultural differences were challenging, but her parents encouraged her to pursue every opportunity available.
When it came time for college, UT San Antonio’s Bold Scholars program made her decision clear.
“There is no other college in Texas that supports students this much,” she says. “I also loved the idea of living on campus with a built-in community.”
Her first year provided the confidence and friendships she’d been searching for.
“If I didn’t have that, I don’t know how I would have made it,” Lira says.
Several Bold Scholars workshops were especially impactful, including the CliftonStrengths assessment, which helped her shift from focusing on her weaknesses to embracing her natural talents — a mindset change she describes as life-altering.
Fast Facts
- Bold Promise provides full tuition to eligible Texas students who rank in the top 25% of their class and come from households earning up to $100,000.
- More than 4,000 students have benefited from the program.
- UT San Antonio graduates leave with an average of $5,000 less student loan debt than the national average, and nearly 40% graduate with no education-related loan debt at all — a number that has been significantly influenced by the Bold Promise and Bold Scholars programs.
When the Bold Scholars program launched its peer mentoring initiative in time to support the second cohort of scholars, Lira applied to become a peer advocate. Her interview “went horribly,” as she recalls, and she didn’t get the position.
Instead of giving up, she worked hard to improve her interview skills and reapplied the next year. She was hired and was soon promoted to the lead peer advocate position.
Lira meets with a student as a peer advocate for the Bold Scholars program.
In this role, she supports a team of peer advocates and mentors roughly 70 students, meeting one-on-one with an average of 10 students a week. She also helps plan and lead events, supports the program’s workshops, and takes care of various administrative tasks. The experience, she said, has been one of the most meaningful parts of her time in school.
“I feel every college student should have a peer mentoring opportunity,” she says. “I learned from my mistakes, and now I help my students so they don’t make the same ones.”
Now planning to graduate early in December 2025, she aims to attend medical school and eventually become a general surgeon.
“This program has been a door opener for me,” she said. “Since English is my second language and I was teased growing up, I came to the university with very little confidence. But I’ve been able to blossom and realize that I am enough — and I am a leader.”
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