This year’s Mr. and Ms. UTSA, Roger Frigstad and Krystal Nicholson, are ready for a reign of community service and spreading UTSA pride.
The UTSA Alumni Association sponsors the annual contest that recognizes students who embody the spirit of UTSA, excel academically, are involved in campus life and community service and support giving back to UTSA.
Anne Englert, director of alumni programs, said the contest, held during Homecoming, has been a signature student event on campus since 1985.
"A lot of people who have been named Mr. and Ms. UTSA have come back to serve on the Alumni Association board as well as several committees," Englert said. "They just never turn it off."
For the first time, this year’s contestants were challenged to raise money for the association as part of their campaign. The purpose, Englert said, was to educate the public about the association’s mission of providing scholarships to students. The contestants raised a total of $11,000 during their campaigns.
Englert said fundraising accounted for 30 percent of the selection process. The students were also ranked according to their applications, which made up 10 percent of their overall score; interviews, which counted for 30 percent; and student votes, for another 30 percent.
"I think what’s great about Mr. and Ms. UTSA is they get to become the face of the student body throughout the year," Englert said. "It crosses many generations–when a 22-year-old is talking to a 30-year-old or a 55-year-old, they all have one thing in common and that’s UTSA."
The pair will make appearances at more than 20 venues throughout the year, including Fiesta events, the UTSA Ring Ceremony and the Convocation ceremony.
Nicholson, a UTSA Ambassador, volunteers at commencement ceremonies and is a campus tour guide. The junior education major from Houston works with the Boys & Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, the UTSA Ring Ceremony and the annual UTSA Diploma Dash 5K San Antonio City Championship Race & Fitness Walk.
Nicholson raised $1,500 during her campaign for the crown and said she’s proud to have been chosen. Her biggest surprise was that she had reached her fundraising goal to the penny.
Nicholson and her supporters, playfully called Team Krystal, sold $8 fish fry plates in her hometown of Houston and $5 chicken plates in San Antonio. She also gathered orders from faculty, students, friends, family and local businesses.
Her message to fellow students on campus is to "give it your all, you never know what the results will be unless you try."
Frigstad, a senior management major from Chicago, is the Student Government Association treasurer and member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Frigstad and his campaign team went door to door and visited more than 20 organizations. They handed out brochures asking for support and raised $3,000 in donations.
During his campaign, Frigstad said his best quality as Mr. UTSA would be his leadership and his ability to motivate people to achieve goals and maintain a positive outlook.
"Being Mr. UTSA is a huge privilege that I am excited to have," Frigstad said. "I am more than grateful that I am Mr. UTSA and plan on being the best."
By Vincent T. Davis