PIVOT program provides resources to help first-generation UTSA students graduate

First to Go and Graduate program provides mentorships and resources to first-generation students

(October 4, 2016) -- Nearly half of the students attending The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) are first-generation students and there is a program that is making sure they have a support system in place to reach their highest potential. The First to Go and Graduate initiative (F2G&G) is part of the PIVOT for Academic Success program at UTSA.

Students involved in the program are matched with a faculty coach and a peer mentor. Both faculty coaches and peer mentors know what students are going through because they are also the first in their family to go to college.

Jacqueline Contreras is a UTSA graduate student and says she finds fulfillment in being a PIVOT mentor.

“I believe the program is important because it allows students to help guide other students,” said Contreras. “We all need support to reach our highest potential and PIVOT offers that support.”

There are currently 15 faculty coaches who are top-tier researchers and scholars supporting students, though many others would like to participate.

“Since I am a first-gen myself, I share similar experiences with first-gen students,” said faculty coach Edwin Barea-Rodriguez.

Each mentee is placed in a F2G&G familia or family where they are able to meet other first-generation students.

“One thing I love about PIVOT is the sense of family. Since joining the program I have felt a sense of home,” said Kirby Dolliole, a junior accounting major from Dallas who is a PIVOT mentee.

First-generation students on campus come from different cities but have similar stories to share.

Aimee Almanza is a senior psychology major at UTSA from Weslaco and says she loves PIVOT because it has allowed her to network and get work experience.

“My faculty mentor is amazing. Dr. Harriett Romo helped me find an internship that fits my needs,” said Almanza.

First to Go and Gaduate is one of four programs included in the PIVOT initiative in place at UTSA to prepare, inspire and help first-generation students complete their undergraduate degrees.

PIVOT for Academic Success is supported by a $3.25 million Hispanic Serving Institution Title V Collaborative Grant awarded to UTSA last October.

UTSA, a designated Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI), draws 98 percent of its students from Texas, with the majority coming from Bexar County, Harris County and the Rio Grande Valley region. More than half of UTSA students are Hispanic, and nearly half are first-generation college students.

- Kara Mireles

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Events

April 15-19, various times

Spring 2024 Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Showcase

The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.

Various Locations

Friday, April 19, 11:00 a.m.

Día en la Sombrilla

Día en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.

Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main Campus

April 20-21

Fiesta Arts Fair

Fiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.

UTSA Southwest Campus

Wednesday, April 24, 11:30 a.m.

Denim Day

Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.

Student Union Window Lounge, Main Campus

Wednesday, April 24, 5:00 p.m.

Simplifying Citations With Zotero

Learn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.

Virtual Event

Friday, May 17, 10:00 a.m.

Commencement: Ceremony One

Celebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.

Alamodome

Friday, May 17, 4:30 p.m.

Commencement: Ceremony Two

Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.

Alamodome

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Spotlight

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.