December 2015
2015 Year-end Scholarship Fundraising Drive
The Texas Exes Baltimore Chapter is raising money to award a scholarship to a local Maryland graduating high school senior that will be a freshman at UT Austin in the fall of 2016. 2016 will mark our fifth year of awarding local students with scholarships. We are very proud of our very first scholarship recipient, Zach Beil, who is a senior at UT this year majoring in engineering! Included below is a short letter Zack prepared for the Baltimore chapter, describing his experiences on the 40 Acres. Thanks Zach!
Soon you will be able to make an online donation directly to the Texas Exes Baltimore Chapter’s scholarship fund, so stay tuned! In the meantime, to make a donation directly to the Baltimore Chapter's scholarship fund (a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization), please mail a check made payable to Texas Exes Baltimore Chapter to our chapter president at the address below. You will receive a tax-exempt letter upon receipt of your donation.
Chris McMahan
230 Overbrook Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21212
For questions please email Chris McMahan at cpmac1@hotmail.com.
My Experience at the University of Texas
Hi, I am Zach Beil and I am currently in my last year at the University of Texas in the civil engineering program focusing in structural engineering. For four years now I have attended the University of Texas and I have had a fantastic time here in Austin. Whether it was through academics, sports, or exploring the city of Austin, I have had a lot of adventures and experiences in the last four years. It was tough for me moving away from home my freshman year but once the school year started it became easier to live on my own and make new friends at the university.
Through my courses as a student is where I have most of my experiences. These include my first time registering for classes, making new friends in classes, and mentally preparing myself for how different my course load was going to be as a civil engineering student. The first registration is always a nerve racking one as freshman register last and there aren’t much classes left to take. The best thing for me was to go into registration with a plan, and a few backups, on what classes to take so it would make the registration process a little smoother. For me, making new friends was the toughest part as I am a pretty quiet guy. What helped me was joining a first year interest group (FIG). A FIG is where 10-15 students have three or four classes together and it makes the transition from high school to college easier. This was perfect for me because it introduced me to new people very quickly. These students are now some of my best friends that I have made at the university and have shared these great experiences with.
Making these new friends made my time at Austin significantly better. One of our most favorite things to do is go to the home football games and tailgate. Tailgating is a great way to escape all the stress that your classes are giving you and just a great time to relax and be with friends. Once the tailgate is over, you make your way to the stadium and watch the game. Most friend groups create a seating group so they can all sit together which makes the game even better as you can watch it with all of your friends. The best thing after a home win is singing the Eyes of Texas with the football team and watching the tower be lit up burnt orange for the rest of the night.
Other than football games, there are many other things to do around Austin. Some of my favorites are going to Zilker Park and exploring the bar scene once you’re of age. Zilker Park is a huge outdoor park where you can go with friends to play ultimate Frisbee, some beach volleyball, bring your dog if you have one, or just relax in hammock. Every year, Zilker Park hosts Austin City Limits where hundreds of bands come to play for a three day music festival. Going to Austin City Limits has given me some of my best experiences in Austin as I am with my friends all day enjoying great music. Another great thing at Zilker Park which occurs during the winter is Trail of Lights. This is when Zilker Park is all lit up with Christmas lights and it is a great event to go to on a first date or with a group of friends. The bar scene is another favorite of mine because there are just so many different types of bars in Austin. There are clubs on one part of 6th Street where the college kids go and there a more upscale bars scattered all throughout downtown Austin. It is a lot of fun to grab a bunch of your friends that are all of age and just trying out different bars throughout the night.
Through my four years as a student, I have had an amazing time. I have made a lot of friends through my FIG and other classes who are now to me some of my best friends. We have gone on many adventures like tailgating, football games, the TX vs. OU rivalry game in Dallas, going to Austin City Limits, going to bars, and just hanging out. Without these friends, I wouldn’t have had such a great time as I am having now.