Alum Janet Garcia ’15 had a rough start but is now headed for success

By Joanna Carver
Public Affairs Specialist

Meet Janet Garcia ‘15. The Rio Grande Valley native never planned on going to college but is now a UTSA alum with a B.B.A. in marketing and already has plenty of plans for a bright future.

A native of Weslaco, Texas, Garcia was the first person in her family to go to college. Originally that was a path she hadn’t planned on taking.

“I was the first one to leave for college in my whole entire family,” she said. “Everyone was freaking out. The transition was tough.”

Garcia describes herself as a disciplined, positive person. She was an excellent student in high school, which compelled counselors to talk her into applying to UTSA her senior year.

“I always look for opportunity,” she said. “I never want to settle for anything. I’ll conquer one thing, say ‘I don’t wanna stop here,’ and move onto the next.”

Her first year away from home was difficult, and Garcia had problems with time management. The former sparkling student was devastated when she was put on academic probation but soon picked herself up and moved to the front of the class, taking advantage of everything the College of Business had to offer.

“I took advantage of all of the services offered by the College of Business and the college’s Center for Student Professional Development,” said Garcia. “I attended supplemental instruction sessions, and I began to get involved with student organizations.”

Business was always the plan for the avid shopper. She’s already started to build her career, having landed a job in the credit card department at Kohl’s, with 12 to 15 people working for her. There, she’ll lead her team in a call center, working with Kohl’s customers in activating, accessing and correcting issues with their credit cards.

“Customer service is underrated,” Garcia said.

Her ultimate dream, however, is to work in marketing at Victoria’s Secret, specifically for their PINK collection.

“Their stuff just flies off the shelves,” she said. “It’s amazing. And I’d love to be able to travel for an international brand, to immerse myself in cultures and report on foreign trends.”

Garcia’s getting her feet wet on that front by traveling to Spain next month, just before she starts her new job.

“UTSA has pushed me into the real world,” she said. “It’s one thing entirely to just study, read a book and take a test. Friends of mine who don’t have opportunity are amazed at what I’ve accomplished already. I have the education and the experience and I’m surrounded by people who do what I want to be doing.”

Learn more about the College of Business and the Center for Professional Development.

Connect online with UTSA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.