NOVEMBER 9, 2023 — Exemplary of its continued commitment to supporting underserved students and creating a college-going culture, UTSA celebrated the 10th anniversary of its signature Family Summit on Saturday, November 4, at the Downtown Campus. The university welcomed more than 150 families from across the community at this free, collaborative event.
Nicole Cherry, assistant professor of violin and coordinator of the String Area in the UTSA School of Music, was this year’s featured keynote speaker. Cherry shared her story of family and community support with attendees, illustrating how it helped her advance her education and build a distinguished career in musical performance.
The summit was focused on several key themes. Attendees received information about career exploration, financial aid and scholarships, Alamo Colleges and UTSA admissions, returning to college for adults, Café College resources, mental health & well-being, and how to have conversations for success with their student’s school counselors. Guests attended sessions offered in Spanish and in English throughout the morning.
The summit concluded with lunch and a family resource fair featuring over 20 organizations including the San Antonio Food Bank, San Antonio Independent School District Adult and Community Education, BiblioTech, Alamo Workforce Solutions, the San Antonio Public Library and the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Endeavors.
“I spoke with parents, and they shared the UTSA summit taught them valuable information to support their students with their education in high school and it prepared them for the next journey into college or career paths,” said Sabrina Lara, the family engagement liaison at Northeast Independent School District.
Belinda Saldaña Harmon, senior director of the Community Outreach and Transfer Department in UTSA Strategic Enrollment, added, “UTSA has a history of family engagement. The Family Summit continues to fulfill its original vision of engaging, educating and empowering families with academic success social and emotional information and tools they can draw upon to support the success of their own children. It also provides a dynamic place where families can connect with other families and professionals to enrich their supportive networks in the community. It promotes a college-going culture.”
Key partners in planning this year’s summit include the Alamo Colleges District, the Military Child Education Coalition, Education Service Center Region 20, Communities in Schools, H-E-B, Up Partnership and San Antonio Education Partnership.
The Family Summit is offered by the UTSA Department of Community Outreach and Transfer Recruitment.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
You will get the opportunity to learn about the importance of psychopharmacology, common medications for pediatric populations, and best practices for collaborating with health care teams and families.
Virtual EventThe UTSA Veteran and Military Office will be holding a social event for our new military-affiliated students to come out and meet our office, staff, and other students.
MB 0.100, Ground Floor Lobby, Main BuildingThe Student Union invites you to join us for Kickback at the Union, a fun event designed to get you acquainted with all of the services available in the Student Union!
Student UnionInterested in learning more about the different fraternities and sororities in the Multicultural Greek Council? Come meet our organizations and enjoy free food and music.
Retama Galleria (SU 2.02,) Main CampusThe 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.
