Wanda Guntz has served as a staff member at The University of Texas at San Antonio for over 21 years, and has spent 14 of those years proudly giving back to the university. She began her career as an administrator in the College of Education and Human Development’s Kinesiology Department and is now the Senior Academic Administrative Manager in the College of Sciences’ Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology. She has worked with and mentored many students over the years, and she says they inspired her to begin giving back to UTSA through the College of Education and Human Development’s Dean’s Fund for Excellence.
“I just really wanted to be involved and provide support. I worked with a couple of student organizations and served in an advisory role. It was just such a pleasure and inspiration to work with them,” recalled Guntz. “I want students to engage in their academic careers without financial barriers so they can take advantage of all the resources UTSA has to offer.”
After her transition to the College of Sciences, Guntz decided to increase her philanthropic contributions and began giving to the College of Sciences’ Dean’s Fund for Excellence. As a member of UTSA’s Black Faculty & Staff Association, she also started contributing to the association’s Black Student Initiative Fund. Her support helped to establish the Black Student Leadership Council, where student leaders are elected to help decide how their resources will be used, including events and programs that support unity and community-building. Guntz shared that it is important for her to play a role in helping black students acclimate to the university and understand that they, too, play an important and integral role in campus life.
In the spring of 2021, Guntz took her generosity one step further and began contributing to the Roadrunner Staff Emergency Fund. The fund was created in 2021 to act as a source of hope and support for university staff who have been adversely affected by emergency situations.
“When UTSA’s staff have emergencies and need assistance because of unforeseen circumstances, it is wonderful that they can come to the place where they work and get assistance to help them through that. That’s a worthwhile expenditure for me, knowing that I am helping my colleagues,” expressed Guntz.
Having had such a positive experience working for UTSA, Guntz is proud to support the university and looks forward to growing her contributions in the future. In fact, she already has her eyes set on the next area of support - Roadrunner Athletics. She encourages other staff members to join her in giving back, pointing out the value of starting small.
“I want to tell others that they don’t have to be major donors to make a positive impact. We’ve got to start somewhere, and if all of us start with just five, ten, or 20 dollars, it can truly make all the difference when multiplied by the masses,” said Guntz. “For myself, it is really such a pleasure working here. In the 21 years that I have worked here at this university, there has not been one day where I woke up and did not want to come to work. I have been energized and excited every single day. How can I not invest in that?”
-Jordan Allen, Development Writer
