Chevelle Garcia (bottom left) poses with his former residents while he was a resident assistant at UTSA.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 — Managing funds and subcontracts while working with architects on construction plans are just some of the things Chevelle Garcia ’23 deals with on a day-to-day basis as a project engineer for Skanksa.
“I like what I do. No day is ever the same. It keeps me busy. Right now, we’re working on the construction of a big hospital near SeaWorld,” Garcia said. “I went from never working on any large projects, to working on $100 million projects.”
Garcia, who majored in construction science and management at UTSA, initially started as an intern for the Swedish-based development company after learning about the opportunity at a career fair hosted by the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design Student Success Center.
“I continued my internship post-graduation until they hired me on full-time. They’ve been a great company to work for, and I continue to build my skills in the construction field,” he said.
Garcia, a native of Spokane, Wash., said that living on campus provided him access to the career fair that introduced him to his current employer and an internship opportunity he had at Joeris Construction during his sophomore and junior years.
The alumnus moved to Texas to study at UTSA in 2020 and resided on campus until he crossed the stage in fall 2023.
“I remember showing up on the first day, initially very introverted, all while living on campus during the pandemic,” Garcia said. “Living on campus really compelled me to engage more deeply with others and propelled me to gain the necessary leadership skills. I learned a lot about socializing, networking and communication, which are all very critical to post-graduation life.”
According to several national studies, there is a positive impact on students who live on campus. They are more likely to thrive and succeed in college, said Tammy Wyatt, UTSA senior vice provost for student success.
“Research indicates that full engagement in the university experience significantly impacts whether students feel connected to campus, are retained to the next year, and then ultimately graduate with us,” Wyatt said.
In 2019, 1,189 first-year students lived at UTSA-owned and/or UTSA-operated properties. By year one, there was an 80% retention rate and by year four, 39% had graduated versus a 30% graduation rate for those who lived off-campus.
By living on campus, students are better engaged in their educational journey and are more likely to connect with their professors and peers, Wyatt added.
A campus thrive study performed by the division of Student Success in spring 2023 shows that there are factors about living on campus that allow a student to thrive.
“We asked our undergraduate students what helps influence their ability to thrive,” Wyatt said. “Not only just survive, but to fully flourish and thrive in their college career, and we found there were significant positive effects to living on campus.”
UTSA students who lived on campus reported that they attended campus events more frequently, were involved in more community service projects and were overall more active on campus.
Overall, they felt socially connected to the institution, Wyatt said.
Garcia can attest to this.
After completing his first year on campus, Garcia became more integrated in the Roadrunner community.
“I was trying to figure myself out. I was very introverted and needed to break out of my shell, so I applied to be a resident assistant,” he said. “It really propelled my growth and showed me a sense of leadership. I had this new-found strength, and I was able to demonstrate empathetic mentorship abilities.”
Garcia added that living away from home for the first time really pushed him to find a community on campus.
Being an RA allowed Garcia to refine his communication and leadership skills, and encouraged him to engage in a variety of student groups such as Spirit of the Roadrunner, the tennis club and the ping pong club.
“We want students to fully immerse themselves in the experience and to flourish socially, intellectually and emotionally. Living on campus helps students do that,” Wyatt said. “What we've found in our research is that feeling a sense of belonging to the university, satisfaction with one’s mental health and well-being, and having a connection to faculty are critical pathways to student thriving.”
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