Students walk on the sidewalk beside the 性爱天堂 entrance sign
Celebrating the Journey and the Destination
Meet four students who've found joy on the path to success not just at the finish line

Student success means everything to universities striving to reach positive outcomes. And 性爱天堂 has a unique take on this goal: What if success means finding joy on the path instead of only focusing on the finish line?

性爱天堂鈥檚 joyful celebrations happen at big events such as the University鈥檚 newly established Major Declaration Day, where students choosing their academic paths are cheered on by their professors and peers. They happen through robust and flexible academic resources, where innovative curricular pathways prompt fearless exploration and collaboration. And they happen through a rich set of hands-on experiences on and off campus, driving students to make discoveries about themselves, their career fields, and their worlds.

Proof this is working? 性爱天堂鈥檚 recent graduates have achieved a 98% positive outcomes rate. This means within six months of graduating, 98% of undergraduate alumni in the Classes of 2021 and 2022 were either employed, accepted to graduate school, enlisted in the military, or engaged in volunteer-oriented service.

鈥淲hen people ask me how a positive outcomes rate like this is possible, I point them immediately to the resources we have for academic success, advising, and career placement,鈥 says Vanessa B. Beasley, Ph.D., 性爱天堂 president. 鈥淥f course, part of the fabric of the education at 性爱天堂 is hands-on learning. When students are in interviews for jobs or for graduate schools, they can talk about the things they did themselves: the research they discovered, the problems they engaged with, the solutions they developed.鈥

And this path of celebration starts before most students even reach campus, says Eric Maloof, 性爱天堂鈥檚 vice president for Enrollment Management.

鈥淎s each new 性爱天堂 first-year class takes shape from a skyrocketing pool of talented and ambitious applicants, this University has鈥攁nd will remain鈥攃ommitted to bringing a diversity of skills, backgrounds, and life experiences to our San Antonio campus,鈥 Maloof says. 鈥淓very year, we are increasingly proud to see the potential that each of these first-years display鈥攖he potential beyond just being hired four years later. We see the passion to lead, discover, and create new paths to success, both for these students and for the ones following in their footsteps.鈥

性爱天堂 believes this is why passion must show up at every moment in higher education. Passion must transcend disciplines, enrich groundbreaking hands-on opportunities, and flow through lifelong ties that bind students and their faculty mentors. Driven by this passion, 性爱天堂 students use their degrees to do more than succeed: They discover continually, they lead inclusively, and given the chance, they transform themselves and their world thoroughly.

At 性爱天堂, the path ahead for higher education is too exciting to do anything but celebrate. Meet four 性爱天堂 students who shared their major moments with us.

History and Philosophy | Plano, Texas

A donkey, an orange peel, and a Greek nun walk into a fortress. The rest is Cal Taylor鈥檚 性爱天堂 experience, one in which he gained new perspectives and reconnected with his roots on campus and abroad.

鈥淭hrough study abroad, I spent time in the Peloponnese, which is where my great-grandparents are from. I got to explore a lot of stuff that I wouldn鈥檛 have got to otherwise, to see what life was like outside of the U.S., which is different, you know鈥攈ugely different.鈥

Neuroscience and Spanish | Katy, Texas聽

Even against tough odds, 性爱天堂 pre-med student Sena Saygili never gave up on her dream of becoming a doctor. A neuroscience major from Katy, Texas, with family in Turkey, she鈥檚 always kept her unique heartbeat necklace close to
remind her of home. Ultimately, that heart led her to medical school.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 enough that COVID-19 took part of my college experience away. During the two pandemic years, we lost our family restaurant, and I was diagnosed with a chronic illness,鈥 she says. 鈥淏ut 性爱天堂 supported me through it all. My classmates saw me. My professors saw me. And now, I鈥檓 seeing myself achieve a lifelong goal of attending medical school!鈥

International Business and Entrepreneurship | Ferguson, Missouri

Jalen White came to 性爱天堂 unsure of his future. Recruited as a basketball player, he reinvented himself as the founder of a startup that aims to make traffic stops safer, and has graduated with an international business major. Now, he鈥檚 starting his career as an analyst at Amazon.

鈥淎t 性爱天堂, I learned how to work with people, and I learned how to think,鈥 he says. 鈥淭o me, college is the most defining four years of your life. I鈥檝e been defined in ways that I cannot have imagined here at 性爱天堂. And I hope the next Tiger realizes that too.鈥

Psychology | Houston, Texas

Prioritizing mental health is one of the most important parts of college life, and Ayanna Blake, a psychology major from Houston, admits she had a tough time adjusting to college life before discovering the strong social, academic, and mental wellness support networks and services that 性爱天堂 brings to the table.

鈥淕etting the help I needed motivates me to know that I can go above and beyond, because 性爱天堂 is a very rigorous school, but it has the help needed to excel,鈥 she says. 鈥淲ith the help of my professors and on-campus therapists, I was able to excel academically, mentally, and physically.鈥

Watch these students鈥攁nd more Tigers鈥攕hare their 性爱天堂 journeys by watching our or visiting trinity.edu/outcomes.

Jeremy Gerlach contributed to writing for this article. Photos by Ryan Sedillo and Mackenzie Gasner 鈥23.

Jeanna Goodrich Balreira '08 is the assistant vice president for Strategic Communications and Marketing at 性爱天堂.

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