As UT San Antonio students in the College of AI, Cyber and Computing head into a new academic year and a new downtown home at San Pedro I and II, the USAA Student Success Center team is ready to help them navigate what comes next.
The center offers a range of opportunities tailored to the college’s students while also advancing university-wide student success initiatives, such as peer mentoring and professional development. Led by Amanda Brown, the center’s director, the team helps students translate classroom learning into career success through mentorship, personalized guidance and hands-on experiences.
“There are a lot of different avenues now that we are exploring because the beauty is that we’re the newest kid on the block,” Brown said. “So, there’s already some best practices
that we get to learn from other student success centers, but we also can continue to innovate because we can see the gaps in services that are present.”
Launching careers
Empowering students for success can take many forms. Debuting this fall, Career Launchpad will provide career preparation and professional development throughout students’ academic experience. Workshops include:
- Resume preparation
- Interviewing for technology positions
- Communication
- Other professional/soft skills
Brown said that while many students already possess strong technical knowledge, they also need opportunities to develop the communication and interpersonal skills essential for professional success.
“(The students) are really great on the academic side,” Brown said. “They have the science down, but when it comes to engaging with people and communication, stronger skills can be developed.”
The USAA Student Success Center extends what happens in the classroom and prepares students for the future. Eventually, the goal is for Career Launchpad to become a degree requirement for students in the college so they can reach a certain level of readiness by the time they graduate, Brown said.
A deeper investment
The center is also preparing students beyond the classroom through the USAA Ascent Scholars Program, a competitive scholarship initiative that combines professional development and hands-on learning. Through career coaching, peer mentoring and other opportunities for students such as internships, faculty-mentored research and professional workshops, the program helps prepare the future workforce, Brown said.
USAA’s investment in the Student Success Center helps fund student programming that can build professional skills before students enter the workplace. Students selected for the Ascent Scholars experience will participate in a more intensive, long-term program.
“We are asking for a two-year commitment because the goal isn’t simply to support students financially; it’s to invest in their development over time and help accelerate their pathway from exploration to career launch,” Brown said, adding that the intensive scholarship program will come with significant expectations for participating students. “We’re also going to provide them with research opportunities because that is an experience that every student should have, regardless of the path they choose post-graduation.”
Everyday support
In addition to their signature career preparation programs, the center also provides everyday support through its peer coaches. Whether they are helping students find resources, answering questions, or simply offering someone to talk to, these coaches play an important role in campus life. Primarily juniors and seniors who are familiar with the university and its services, they offer practical guidance and a welcoming support system as students navigate challenges and make the most of their college experience.
Becoming a peer coach for the Student Success Center comes naturally to computer science senior Evelyn Silva. Over the years, Silva, a first-generation college student from Edinburg, has learned to seek out campus resources and get involved in student organizations, programs and events on her own. She also is the go-to person among her friends who regularly turn to her with questions.
“Because I have all this knowledge, I thought I should be helping other students,” Silva said, adding that serving as a peer coach also helps her to grow personally. “Sometimes I feel very shy, and I take on leadership opportunities just so I can get out of my shell and start talking to more people.”
Brown said the SSC is working on a peer coaching schedule for drop-ins, in case students just want to come in and sit down and just talk to somebody.
