HONORS COLLEGE COMMUNIQUE: OCTOBER 2024

 

Hello from the Honors College! In partnership with Academic Advising, we are sending a monthly Honors College Communique on the Advising listserv, in which we will send short updates about:       

 

Honors opportunities open to all students     

A highlighted benefit of being an Honors College member     

A student highlight from your advising areas     

Contacts within Honors for more information     

Honors News: 

Honors welcomed a new Counselor, Myra Estrada. Myra joined the Honors staff on October 1^st. Myra brings with her a wealth of experience working in higher ed, especially with graduate studies and graduate students. Her specialty assignment in Honors is to be the lead Honors graduation coordinator, working with all graduation processes from Honors audits to the graduate school pathway.  

1. Preferred first name: Mayra 

2. Hometown: Albuquerque, NM 

3. Alma Matter: The University of New Mexico, 2013 

4. Major: Spanish 

5. Favorite Color: Red 

6. Favorite Food: Mexican Food 

7. Favorite TV Shows: Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreation, Schitt’s Creek 

8. Favorite Movies: Titanic, A League of Their Own, The Birdcage 

9. Any pets? I have 2 – Princess Vespa (we call her Vespa) and Vader. Vespa is a Corgi Welsh mix, who loves to be given treats and is the queen of the house. Vader is an Australian Cattle Dog mix, who loves to cuddle 24/7.  They are both rescue dogs and are both 7 years old.  

10. Hobbies: Reading, writing in my journal, going on walks with my dogs, hanging out with my husband Matthew, and playing with Legos 

11. Anything else you’d like the team to know about you: 

a. My husband and I moved to San Antonio, TX in September 2023 

b. My favorite season is Autumn 

c. I am trying to learn Italian 

Honors Academics: 

Spring 2025 registration is upon us! Here is some important information regarding Honors courses: 

· The required courses are:  

o HON 1000 – is required for all Honors students and must be taken in the first semester. This is a zero-credit hour, 8-week, online, asynchronous course. 

o HON 2301 – is required for Honors and can be taken at any time. This is a one-credit hour, 8-week, online, asynchronous course. 

o Honors CSH 1213– is required for Honors and can be taken when it fits their schedule. This course is offered in the fall or spring semester.  

o Honors WRC 1023 – is required, unless they have prior credit (either dual, transfer, or UTSA credit), and can be taken in the fall or spring. NOTE: if they have credit already for this, they do NOT need to take the Honors section. It should automatically be subbed out in DegreeWorks.  

· We offer a wide variety of Honors seminars, some of which require the Instructor’s permission. If a student asks about Honors courses, please send them our way! We’ll be happy to assist them. Course descriptions are available on our website: https://honors.utsa.edu/academics/courses.html. 

· Three weeks after priority registration, non-Honors students can request to enroll in Honors courses. They can submit the request via our form that is on our website: https://honors.utsa.edu/academics/forms-documents.html.  

Honors Counselors are available in the Honors Experiential Learning Lab, GSR 1.204. Students can just drop in any time during operating hours and meet with any available Honors Counselor or Peer Coach! https://honors.utsa.edu/academics/experiential-learning-lab.html

Honors Opportunities for All Students: 

Citymester is a 10-week program, May 27- August 8, 2025, designed to immerse students in the vibrant and diverse landscape of San Antonio through part-time internships or research experience, volunteer work at service organizations around the San Antonio community, and visits to key locations across the city. (Last year we visited: The Good Hood, the Williams Historical National Museum, VIA Metro Center at San Pedro, Confluence Park, Port Tech SA, Leon Valley City Hall, the Alamo, and Haven for Hope). These site visits are valuable in helping students gain a deeper understanding of San Antonio’s unique history, culture, and challenges while fostering connections with the communities and organizations that shape the city.  

Citymester offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore social issues, engage with community partners, and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities within our community.  

The program is open to all UTSA undergraduates, regardless of major, and participants in the Honors College will earn three Honors College experiences. Citymester is more than just a summer program—it's an avenue for cultivating future leaders who are informed, engaged, and ready to make a difference in San Antonio. Students do not need to be in the Honors College to participate.

We provide accepted students with a $3,000 scholarship if they are accepted to offset the tuition and fees of being enrolled in 9 SCH over the summer. With an additional stipend for students who land an unpaid internship.  

If you have any additional questions please reach out to: Citymester@utsa.edu. 

Highlighted Benefit for Honors College Members: 

Funding assistance – The Honors College has multiple sources of funds that can help support expenses related to an experience, which include outside the classroom experiences, study abroad, research opportunities, and graduate education costs.    

For experiences:  

· The Honors Experiential Learning Award: https://honors.utsa.edu/scholarships/honors-experiential-learning-award.html

· Alvarez Opportunities Fund: https://honors.utsa.edu/scholarships/alvarez-fund.html

· The Honors College Study Abroad Planning Award: https://honors.utsa.edu/scholarships/study-abroad-award.html

· The Honors College Summer Research Award: https://honors.utsa.edu/scholarships/honors-college-summer-award-opportunity.html

Plus, additional scholarship opportunities! Check out the: 

National Fellowships and Awards: https://honors.utsa.edu/onca/awards/

Honors College Endowed Scholarships: https://honors.utsa.edu/scholarships/list.html

 

Student Highlight: Our Honors students are doing amazing things! Check them out in our news section: https://honors.utsa.edu/news/.   

Best Regards,     

Alegra Lozano, Director of Counseling, Honors College, alegra.lozano@utsa.edu

Hector Aguilar, Associate Dean, Honors College, hector.aguilar@utsa.edu

Honors email: honors@utsa.edu

Honors advising email: honors.advising@utsa.edu

Honors website: https://honors.utsa.edu/

Honors Experiential Learning Lab: https://honors.utsa.edu/academics/experiential-learning-lab.html