UTSA Graduation Initiative helps transfer student accomplish academic goal
(June 17, 2011)--Michelle Duenas is a proud, recent graduate of The University of Texas at San Antonio, and rightly so. After 10 years, she has accomplished her goal and in May received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology -- and the UTSA Graduation Initiative had something to do with that.
"I came to UTSA as a transfer student in fall 2000. Then I stopped out in spring 2007, just two courses short of a degree," she said. "I had lost motivation and was not sure that this major was really for me."
During her stop-out period, a term used for students who withdraw temporarily from a university or college, Duenas worked in her family's floral business and gained a real-world perspective. Going back to college was always on her mind, but like so many people, she said she just got caught up in work and as a result pushed college to the backburner.
An answer came in fall 2009 when Duenas participated in the UTSA Graduation Initiative's Welcome Back program. Launched at that time, the program's mission is to help UTSA students who stopped out for one to seven years, then return to complete their degrees. The program utilizes a case-management approach with its 71 participants and offers financial assistance in the form of a graduation incentive grant for the first semester back.
"I received the Welcome Back invitation letter in 2009, and it just brought back the feeling that I had left something unfinished. I thought it would be a great opportunity to close a chapter in my life," Duenas said. "I returned with a different perspective and commitment level of responsibility. It felt good."
According to Duenas, the Welcome Back letter reminded her that people cared about her education and believed in her ability to obtain a degree. She said that such caring gave her the extra push to complete her goal.
"Increasing the number of students earning bachelor's degrees is critical to the long-term success and stability of UTSA, the state of Texas and the United States," said Kristi Meyer, director of the Graduation Initiative. "The initiative is committed to contributing to that success through programs like Welcome Back."
Meyer said the key to Welcome Back is that it pairs financial assistance with personalized and individualized assistance in overcoming barriers to graduation. Students such as Michelle are the way that the university, state and nation will meet their respective goals for increasing the number of Americans with college degrees.
"I am a redeemed quitter," Michelle exclaimed with a huge warm smile. "I'm ready for the next chapter in my life."
>> Read more about Welcome Back and other programs at the UTSA Graduation Initiative website.
Events
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 CampusLearn 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 EventThis 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 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.