Freshmen Student-Athlete Resource Fair
GROW Leadership Program
Student-athletes will participate in a year-long leadership program. The student-athletes will challenge themselves to step out of their comfort zone and GROW as a leader. Topics discussed this semester were core values, purpose design, and DiSC. They engaged in a wide range of professional development activities that can be applied to everyday life, and were designated an accountability partner for the program. Hear from some of our participants below.
Jhase Edwards, Football GROW Participant
"I started the GROW program in September of 2021, and here in December 2021 I am already reaping the benefits. Being a part of the program has allowed me to understand myself better. It has afforded me the opportunity to grasp my leadership style. It teaches its participants to understand themselves, so that they may understand the world. The Grow program teaches invaluable perspectives about leadership. I have not completed the program yet, but I am genuinely excited to develop my leadership skills even more with the Grow Leadership Program."
Next Season Workshop
Jonathan Orr, former NFL player, and Executive Director for Athlete Transition Services visited UIW to speak with juniors and seniors about common challenges student-athletes face when transitioning out of sport. Mr. Orr spoke about the importance of understanding your identity and putting that to use in your career. Mr. Orr provided the group with key takeaways to overcoming key challenges.
To learn more about Athlete Transition Services visit this website:
Cardinal Test Flight
Student-athletes may participate in virtual mock interviews (in-person or virtual). This program is offered year-round. Student-athletes receive valuable feedback after the interview. Student-athletes are evaluated on their resume, appearance and poise during the interview, skill presentation during the interview, and delivery and language during the interview.
Ashley Trapp, Softball
“I signed up for the Cardinal Test Flight mock interview sessions because I had physical therapy interviews approaching and wanted to be fully prepared. Throughout the sessions we focused on potential interview questions, poise, posture, tone and delivery. I was able to master my communication skills and gain confidence in myself for the professional interview setting. The skills I learned were integral to my success and helped me get accepted into PT school!”
Athletes in Mentorship (AIM)
The mission of the AIM freshman mentor program is to assist freshmen student-athletes with their transition into college. The AIM program goals are to: create a safe and healthy environment, provide education on key topics, help teammates find resources, increase academic and social engagement, promote involvement in the campus community, and enhance Cardinal spirit. The AIM mentor pairs met five times throughout this semester with guided trainings and questions. Topics that were discussed included: growth mindset, study tips and organization, values clarification, and discovering self-care and mental wellness!
Student-athletes completed over 3,700 hours of service this semester. Similar to last year, we had to be creative in the ways we serve. Take a peak at some of our service projects and hear from some of our valued service partners below.
Dear Future College Graduate Initiative
"UIW Athletics' 'Dear Future College Graduate' initiative for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders at Fort Sam Houston Elementary School was meaningful and thoughtful. Not only setting the precedence for the beginning of a new school year but providing inspiration from young diverse student-athletes provided both hope and connection to our military connected youth. This year more than ever, due to last year's Covid-19 school closure, was a fresh start for so many of our students. The support of the UIW Athletic community brought a much-needed sense of normalcy and inspiration. Tremendous thanks to UIW student-athletes." -Laura Boon, Fort Sam Houston Elementary School Counselor
UIW student-athletes hosted 39 virtual classroom visits this semester consisting of different activities: discussing kindness, decorating Halloween cards, gave out Halloween candy, giving students virtual tours of UIW, discussing life of a student-athlete, talking about the importance of school and exploring the impact of extracurricular activities.
"Our students were so excited to learn about college life as student-athletes, and they LOVED interacting with all of the athletes during the Q&A sessions. I think this experience helped them to realize that college is an experience that is truly within their reach, not just something that they hear about. Thank you so much to everyone involved in this endeavor!" -Jenna R. Anzaldua, Morrill Elementary School Social Worker
"Our students absolutely loved connecting with the UIW student-athletes through virtual classroom visits and correspondence. They enjoyed asking questions and participating in the virtual tour. Many of our students are now saying that they want to attend UIW in the future!" -Jennifer Montes, Gilbert Elementary School Social Worker
"Having the UIW student-athletes visit our classrooms made such an impact on our students! Students were able to ask questions and learn about college and about athletics. They looked forward to seeing and talking with the student-athletes each day! Thank you, UIW student-athletes for spending time with us!" -Ellen Ray, Rayburn Elementary School Social Worker
Meet the Mission: Parks & Rec, Gardopia Gardens, Headwaters, and Seton Home
Joseph Kimmey, Football - 18 service hours completed this semester
"Giving back to the community is something that I think everyone should do without hesitation. It makes me feel really good to see all the people I get to spend time with and help out. One community service opportunity this semester that I loved was giving a tour of our campus to a special education group for our health and wellness program. Seeing them so interested in everything about our campus, taking pictures and asking questions just made me happy that I could volunteer and spend time with that amazing group."
Marissa Watters, SAAC President
"What a semester it has been for SAAC! Although the impacts of COVID are still present in the UIW Athletics and SAAC Community, our members are taking this year by storm! This year the SAAC officers really challenged our members to rise to new levels of leadership and they have surpassed expectations. This semester we accomplished:
- Hosted 4 Word Wednesdays. Topics covered were Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Gratitude, and Homeless/Disability Education
- Participated in the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Campaign
- Participated in professional development about implicit bias, time management, healthy boundaries, and managing anxiety
- Created and implemented the three pronged SAAC Health & Wellness Program
- Donated and created Cardinal Care Kits for 106 people without homes
- Completed 634 community service hours as a SAAC group!
This semester has been fantastic, and I am thrilled to see what Spring will hold for our community."
Word Wednesdays
Warren Fulgenzi, SAAC Vice President
"Our Word Wednesdays this past semester were a success. Before this semester, it had been a year and a half since we had our Word Wednesdays in-person. We were very excited to get back on track and be face to face with students while bringing awareness to important topics. Our Word Wednesday Committee has been a major key to our success as well as our student-athletes who volunteer. We aren’t satisfied, and are excited to raise the bar in the spring semester."
Health & Wellness Program
Three-pronged initiative geared towards aiding diverse pockets of San Antonio. The first prong, Education, called for SAAC members to create 16 original education pieces that were distributed to people with disabilities, people without homes, and the UIW community. The education pieces centered on health and wellness. The second prong, Donation, called for the community to donate hygiene products, clothing items, and food products to create Cardinal Care Kits for the Haven for Hope community. SAAC raised over $2,500 in donations and created 106 Cardinal Care Kits. The last last prong, Activity, brought a new partner to campus. SAAC partnered with Northeast Transition Services (NETS), a program for Special Education Students (age 18-22), and taught them various warm up, cardio, abdominal, and yoga exercises that they could do with no equipment. Student-athletes led the exercises, and gave them a tour of campus. Each NETS student left with a yoga mat, a bag of goodies, and knowledge of UIW.
Andrea Reyes, Women's Soccer Graduate
"My experience at UIW has been one that I will absolutely cherish for the rest of my life. I laughed, I cried, but most importantly I leaned what it means to be a part of a loving and supporting community centered on building relationships. The time I spent at UIW felt like nothing short of “home away from home” and I will miss the atmosphere of campus as well as all the staff that brightened my days."
Kaylee Brawner, Women's Swimming Graduate
"My experience at UIW has given me the tools I need as I start my journey into the real world. UIW gave me a family, who supported me throughout college and who will be there for me throughout life. UIW has also provided me with an abundance of knowledge that I will take with me over the course of my career. I am forever grateful for the memories and lessons that I have learned during my years as a Cardinal."
Torissa Martinez, Women's Fencing Alum
- Grad Year: December 2019 & December 2021
- Degree: Bachelors of Arts in Psychology & Masters of Arts in Administration
- Job Title/Organization: Service Advisor Assistant at Consumer Direct Services
- Job Responsibilities: I provide assistance to clients in Texas who with disabilities with their self-directed care. I help payroll log, enter data, balance budgets, and answer any questions clients may have.
- Favorite UIW Class: It is hard to chose my favorite class. I loved all of my psychology teachers and how they got excited for every unit they taught. If I had to chose I’d say my Internship Class with Dr. Felix-Ortiz since she let me pioneer my own internship.
"I really enjoyed going to UIW and being able to experience everything it had to offer. I have definitely grown into a more responsible person since attending UIW and miss the times I had with my friends, teammates, professors and mentors."
Alexander Garriga, Men's Swimming Alum
- Graduation Year: May 2020
- Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Statistics
- Job Title/Organization: Data Analyst/Developer for HCL America
- Job Responsibilities: I work with and teach interns and new hires about projects in various subjects including data analytics, coding, and web design.
- Favorite UIW Class: Linear Regression
"I had a great experience with some awesome friends and teammates in athletics and in the classroom. Thank you!"