I was born and raised in McAllen, Texas, a city located 15 minutes from the southern border with Mexico. As the son of two Texas Longhorns, I always knew I wanted to follow in my parents’ footsteps and attend a school like The University of Texas, where I could study at a top-notch business school while experiencing a well-rounded, exciting student life. As a junior majoring in business honors and finance with a track in real estate in the McCombs School of Business, my time at UT has been marked by extremely challenging and interesting coursework, participation in several great campus organizations, and of course, enjoying all that the city of Austin has to offer. The summer after my freshman year, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona, Spain, and have plans to study abroad again this next spring semester in Hong Kong. My studies during my first two and a half years have sharpened my interest in finance and commercial real estate, which I now plan to purse as my career. Attending UT Austin and the McCombs School of Business has so far been everything I expected and more, and I look forward to my remaining time here.

Majors:

Business Honors; Finance

Honors Program:

Business Honors

Other Academic Interests:

Commercial Real Estate, Business, Public Policy

Extracurricular Activities:

Throughout my time at UT, I have tried to invest myself in meaningful organizations and opportunities in and outside of the classroom. I currently serve as finance and corporate relations chair for the Student Consulting Initiative (SCI), a McCombs organization that provides pro bono student consulting services to local Austin startups. I also serve as an analyst in the Texas Equity Group (TEG), where I assist in managing a stock portfolio of $10,000+ and learn about career opportunities in the finance industry. Outside of school, I am extremely involved in my fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu, where I served as the head recruitment captain and chair of alumni relations. Last semester, I was accepted to a men’s service organization called Silver Spurs. The Silver Spurs are primarily responsible for taking care of the university’s beloved mascot, Bevo. As a Silver Spur, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor elementary students at underprivileged schools across Austin. In my opinion, The University of Texas at Austin gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in an incredibly wide range of extracurricular activities and organizations, which is my favorite part about this university.

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program (FASP)?

As a second-generation Texas Longhorn, I grew up visiting Austin and attending UT football games on a regular basis. I remember constantly being mesmerized by the beautiful campus and constant action always occurring. As I got older and began looking at potential universities, I realized how much I loved UT for much different reasons: The opportunity to attend one of the best universities and business schools in the world, live in a city like Austin, and get involved in any of a vast amount of student organizations. After attending the Forty Acres Finalist Weekend my senior year of high school, I realized this program would take that experience to an even better level. The amount of personal attention, networking opportunities, enrichment programming, cohort bonding, and stipends to study abroad have made my time at UT extremely meaningful and one I will always appreciate. The Forty Acres Scholars Program has provided me with the most enriching, well-rounded college experience I could ever ask for.

Favorite FASP Memory

My favorite Forty Acres Scholars Program memory is most definitely the freshman retreat I attended with my cohort before the start of freshman year. As nervous freshman preparing to start the next four years of college, we piled into a van and drove to the Texas Hill Country for three days of fun, relaxation, and bonding. In just a matter of three days, 19 strangers became great friends and braced ourselves for the start of our freshman year. This experience helped shaped the strong relationships I have with every other person in my cohort, which is one of the most valuable and enriching parts of this scholarship program.