UTSA Meet a Roadrunner: Linda Santos is making dreams come true

Linda Santos

Linda Santos

Share this Story

(Sept. 10, 2014) -- Meet Linda Santos. She never thought she would come back to school, but the 47-year-old mother of two always knew she was meant to teach.

"When I decided to come back to school in 2011, I looked at several universities in the area," said Santos, a student in the College of Education and Human Development. "I chose UTSA because it seemed like a place where I would be comfortable, a place that was inviting."

Several years earlier, Santos attempted to go back to school, but decided to put her education on hold so she could devote herself entirely to her family.

"When my son left for college, my husband and my children said it was my turn to get a degree," she said. "I honestly didn't think I could do it. I had just lost my mother, who was killed by a drunk driver here in San Antonio. I had to help take care of my elderly father, and I have a younger brother who has an intellectual disability. I had a lot on my plate and I didn't think I could do it."

But she did, and in fall 2011, Santos began taking two classes at the Downtown Campus in pursuit of a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies. She's since increased her course load and is now a full-time student.

Santos has become a mentor to younger students she initially thought she wouldn't be able to keep up with over the last three years.

"When I started, I was a little guarded," Santos said. "I didn't expect to be welcomed the way I was. My classmates call me 'Mama Linda' because I could be their mom. We work collaboratively, and we help one another, and the age difference doesn't seem to even bother them. I think the younger students need me as much as I need them. We motivate and help each other. It isn't just them helping me all the time, it is also me helping them."

This December, Santos will have the chance to walk the stage and receive a degree that has been a lifetime in the making.

"If it's your passion, you should so go for it," she said. "Don't let the idea that you're too old or that it's too late hold you back. It's never too late to embrace something that you know you love. Yes, it's hard, but it being hard is what makes it so good, what makes it so valuable to you because you are in a different place in life."

-------------------------------

Do you know someone connected to UTSA who is achieving great things? Email us at social@utsa.edu, and we will consider your submission for an upcoming installment of Meet a Roadrunner.

Read the stories of other UTSA students, faculty, staff and alumni on the Meet a Roadrunner website.

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

 

 

Events



Spotlight

UTSA Bold Promise CTA

UTSA’s Mission

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.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

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.