Meet a Roadrunner: Business major Kellyann Elam is helping new ’Runners get acclimated to UTSA
UTSA undergrad Kellyann Elam dreams of working in tourism
UTSA undergrad Kellyann Elam dreams of working in tourism
Share this Story(July 27, 2016) — Meet Kellyann Elam. This Orientation Team Leader and UTSA Sport, Event and Tourism Management major is using the skills she’s developing at UTSA to become a true leader to her peers.
Born in Oregon and raised in Austin, Elam was shy growing up. She preferred to focus on school and keep to herself, but that all changed once she decided to pursue a top-tier education at UTSA.
“After looking up various schools in the UT System, I applied to UTSA and was able to take a tour during UTSA Day,” Elam said. “I fell in love with the campus immediately. It felt like home.”
Now an incoming junior, Elam has surprised herself by becoming deeply involved in campus life.
“I decided I wasn’t going to be that shy, reclusive person,” she said. “At UTSA, I really came out of my shell.”
Along with being an Orientation Team Leader and the Vice President of the Orientation Leader Association, she is also a resident assistant, a regional delegate for Phi Sigma Pi fraternity and involved in the Residence Hall Association and Business Student Council on campus.
After a challenging sophomore year, with two jobs, multiple extracurricular commitments and an 18-hour course load, Elam says she’s mastered time management and has her sights set on the future.
“I want to go everywhere. My biggest goal in life is to travel the world. I want to one day be able to work in the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai,” she said. The Burj Al Arab has been voted the world's most luxurious hotel and offers the finest service and facilities throughout - right down to an optional chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce.
No matter how far she travels, though, Elam says UTSA will always be home and she will never forget her experiences as an Orientation Leader. As part of a dedicated group of UTSA student leaders that uphold a strong tradition of excellence and professionalism in their work, Elam serves as a guide to incoming students and their families. She takes great pride in belonging to the UTSA community.
“As an Orientation Team Leader, my biggest advice to incoming students is to get involved and make new friends. There are so many opportunities here that you get to choose the path you want to take at UTSA,” she said.
The advice she most often gives to incoming students is to be themselves.
“Once you come to college, you realize that no one is here to judge you and you can be whoever you want to be,” she said. “Just be genuine and true to yourself.”
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Events
This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.
