Brandon Aviado did not take academics seriously when he was younger, but working as an Army medic for six years changed that. He found a purpose and calling as part of the Airborne Infantry, an “intense experience” Aviado said motivated him to seek the same level of challenge and achievement in other areas of his life.
That led him to enroll at the University of Texas at San Antonio as part of its Honors College.
With more than 2,500 enrolled, UTSA Honors College’s rigorous program challenges students through its experiential approach.
Aviado shares more of his journey on this week’s episode of the “bigcitysmalltown” podcast. Host Robert Rivard also welcomes student Victoria Kidder and Jill Fleuriet, vice provost for honors education and professor of anthropology at UTSA, to talk about how the UTSA Honors College continues to grow and transform students into leaders.
For Fleuriet, the honors college is all about bringing curious, committed, and accomplished students into the program.
“We have that kind of talent, it abounds in our undergraduate population, and it’s a matter of reaching them and bringing them into the fold of the honors college,” Fleuriet said.
Attending an honors college was important for Kidder.
“In high school I was in the magnet program, which was just a smaller group of students who took a bit more rigorous courses, and I wanted a community like that in college,” she said.
Fleuriet said the college prides itself on teaching its students through experiential learning.
“We take each individual student, figure out what their professional, civic, social, personal goals are, and then we give them the resources and the coaching, the courses and the funding to be able to achieve those,” she said.
Through the Honors College at UTSA, both Kidder and Aviado landed internships that are helping pave the way for successful careers.
Disclosure: Robert Rivard is the co-founder of the San Antonio Report.
