Juggling unicyclist and UTSA student Ian Bexar Maurer-Stothert
Commencement Close-up: Ian Maurer-Stothert juggles roles
(May 10, 2002)--Philosopher, poet, dancer, musician, unicyclist, juggler… Ian Bexar Maurer-Stothert will soon be a 2002 graduate in international business from the University of Texas at San Antonio. And, yes, his middle name is the same as the county in which you find San Antonio.
Known around campus as the entertaining unicyclist who juggles, Maurer-Stothert is far more than an eccentric athlete, and is an accomplished individual with a passion for meeting people and learning about other cultures. Many in the UTSA community know him by face, but not by name. For the past five years he was often seen on campus riding his unicycle and juggling everything from hacky sacks to torches.
"I perform to meet people," said Maurer-Stothert. "I've been surprised how many people won't look at me or stop to talk. Those who stop are the ones I would like to befriend and learn from."
He says his interest in business was honed at an early age. "I learned that marketing myself was crucial to befriending others from different cultures, because I looked very different from many of the people I was around. At times I feel as though I need to prove myself to others, or market myself in a convincing way to learn everything I can about other cultures and countries."
His love of other cultures was a natural development. From the age of two months he has spent summers in Ecuador, and the remainder of the year in the United States. Due to his Ecuadoran summers, Ian speaks fluent Spanish. Proficient in French and Italian, and a budding student of Japanese, he has also traveled to Europe and is partial to Seville, Spain, "my favorite city in the world."
His mother, archaeologist Karen Stothert, is responsible for his Ecuadoran connection. Her periodic work in Ecuador led her to find "Los Amantes De Zumpa," a 7,000-year old cemetery. His father is Neil Maurer, UTSA art department faculty member, photographer and artist.
Initially Maurer-Stothert was a student at Connecticut College, but after a semester found that he missed the multiculturalism and friendliness of his native San Antonio. "I knew that I would find something at UTSA that would interest me. I just needed to be near the people that I knew and understood… Texans," he said.
Sure enough, he found the perfect fit and worked toward a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in international business. According to Maurer-Stothert, his goal is to represent an American company in a foreign market.
Along the way he has left a legacy with the UTSA community, as well as professionally through various internships. In the few years he has been a student, Maurer-Stothert has accumulated experience that most would envy.
One of his most valuable experiences was working in security at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. His experience during the Democratic convention led him to be asked to coordinate a press conference for a 2000 campaign stop in Texas by vice presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Lieberman.
A proud member of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he has seen the inner workings of special event and business development and honed his skills in writing news releases and designing advertising.
Additionally, Maurer-Stothert interned in the import/export department at H.E.B. Grocery Company, Casa Tamaulipas and the XIX Border Governors' Conference, a convention of Mexican and U.S. border state governors.
He is excited about his new job with H.E.B., which begins shortly after graduation
in the management training program in San Antonio and the company's Monterrey,
Mexico stores.
----------------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
Nominations
sought for Howe excellence-in-service award
UTSA
survey finds majority would vote against PGA district
President
Romo receives Women's Institute Report
Commencement Close-up: Ian Maurer-Stothert juggles roles
Commencement
Close-up: Patrick Ruettiger to try out new degree
Commencement
Close-up: Mark Galan builds relationships for life
----------------------------------------------------------
© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2002