April 2016, Issue 4
Message from VPSA
Sam Gonzales
Courage and Perseverance
We have reached the end of another successful academic year. We are enjoying a hectic and wonderful Fiesta season, getting ready to support students in final exams, welcoming our newly admitted students, gearing up for Orientation and the list continues. The festive atmosphere serves as the perfect catalyst as we move closer to Commencement. You can feel the excitement and anticipation as our students move closer to their goals.
Many of you know that my daughter, Christine, has been pursuing her doctorate at UTSA. Last week, she successfully defended her dissertation with all of us in attendance. As I watched the presentation, I couldn’t help but think of the courage that it takes to pursue a big dream and to persevere in that process. She sacrificed valuable time and showed an incredible amount of dedication to her studies.
No words can adequately describe my pride and the experience made me think of the courage displayed by each and every one of our students. This is not just a story from my personal family album; it describes the essence of our work. We must continue to recognize the courage in every student — to support them in their studies and foster success.
They will face roadblocks and uncertainty and we need to be there for them. They will face doubt in their abilities and we need to provide validation and mentoring. With each interaction, we are reminded of what it feels like to witness courage and dedication. It is the heart of our work and we do a great job. Thank you for an amazing year.
Best wishes,
Sam
We Are UTSA! We Are Student Affairs!