(Aug. 27, 2018) -- UTSA freshman Kaylee Trevino has been through more in her life than most 18-year-olds. In 2016, over Memorial Day Weekend, rains caused her home to flood.
“We were lucky then, only three feet,” recalls Trevino, a Conroe, Texas native.
But that was enough to ruin everything the family owned. Family members and friends helped the teen’s family get back on its feet. They washed flooded clothes, pulled and replaced sheet rock and helped make repairs to the damaged home, which was inhabitable for five months.
Then, a year later, by the time the Trevinos had made their house a home, the devastation hit again. The family was forced to leave their home a second time. Hurricane Harvey was barreling toward the Houston area.
“Our entire house was submerged. The water was four feet above our roof,” Trevino recalled. “The roof caved in, but the mailbox was still standing.”
Once the water receded, Trevino received some life changing news in that mailbox.
“I got my acceptance letter from UTSA!”
Excited to capture the moment in a picture, Trevino faced a dilemma.
“Where do I take my picture? There’s no house,” she said.
The high school senior proudly stood outside her damaged home, smiling with her “Future Roadrunner” sign.
Trevino’s journey to become a Roadrunner began the summer before Harvey when she came to San Antonio to visit UTSA.
“I fell in love the moment I saw campus,” Trevino said. “UTSA offers the degree plan I was looking for, has strong traditions and so many great ways to get involved.”
Prior to applying to UTSA, Trevino faced other storms. When she was 11 years old, she was bitten by a Copperhead snake.
“It was terrifying,” Trevino said. “The doctors told me I could lose fingers or my hand.”
After weeks in the hospital, several surgeries and countless doses of anti-venom, Trevino returned home but the health concerns lingered. She developed Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, which causes chronic pain in the legs and arms.
“People would bump into me and it would send my body into shock,” she said. “Kids at schools didn’t understand because they couldn’t see the pain I was going through.”
The snake bite also impacted her ligaments and blood circulation.
Following years of surgeries, she’s found a treatment that works for her and has been pain-free for almost three years.
Through it all, Trevino has kept a positive outlook and is now looking forward to her experiences at UTSA.
“I know that no matter what, the problems I’m having aren’t going to be here forever. I know I’ll always have a place to stay and a home to go to,” Trevino said.
The first-generation student, a public health major, now calls UTSA her home. She’s living on campus and is looking forward to joining a sorority, attending Roadrunner football games and, as a huge Harry Potter fan, joining the UTSA Quidditch Club.
“I’m so ready to start this chapter of my life and soak in everything it means to be a Roadrunner.”
Connect with Kaylee Trevino on Twitter at @Kattrevino or on Instagram at Kayleeade116.
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The Secular Student Alliance is proud to present guest speaker Dave Troiano, Board Secretary for the Greater Houston Chapter Americans United for Separation of Church and State. This event will emphasize how reproductive health care is intertwined with separation of church and state.
Student Union, Willow Room (2.02.12), Main CampusThis 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 CampusJoin us for a tribute to Willie Velásquez, honoring the legacy of Willie Velásquez, a pivotal figure in shaping the history of Latino and Hispanic participation in the American voting process. Delve into his life and contributions as a champion of Latino voting rights. Moderated by UTSA's Teresa Niño, the event will feature influential voices, including Jane Velásquez, María Antonietta Berriozábal, Dora Oliva, and Anthony Gonzales.
Buena Vista Building, Gregory Luna Room, Downtown 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.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.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
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.