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Monica RangelMonica Rangel ‘22

Nursing
Laredo, TX

Monica was drawn to UTSA’s diverse and inclusive culture after she attended UTSA Day, when the entire campus is transformed into an open house for Future Roadrunners to explore and experience. At UTSA Day, Monica found the campus to be beautiful and buzzy, and connected with other students who shared her passions and interests.

“UTSA Day made me feel like I was important and that I could do what I wanted to do here, which was make a difference on campus.”

Monica wants to become a nurse to bridge her love of science and critical thinking with her compassionate and caring personality. She’s pursuing a degree in Multidisciplinary Studies that allows her to work simultaneously on a bachelor’s degree at UTSA while she completes her nursing school prerequisites. She plans to pursue a career in neonatal or psychiatric nursing and become a licensed nurse practitioner.

Monica works as a Peer Mentor in the UTSA First-Year Experience Program (FYE) which is designed to help new students transition into the university and succeed academically and professionally. Peer Mentors help first-year students by answering their college questions and connecting them with campus resources, research and internship opportunities, or student organizations that they’re interested in.

“As a Peer Mentor, I’m given the opportunity to guide new students in the right direction. I provide first-year students with campus resources that will help them reach their full potential, develop a sense of belonging and achieve their goals.”

When Monica started her first year at UTSA, it was her Peer Mentor that inspired and encouraged her to join the program. Through FYE, Monica got involved in a variety of student organizations and soaked up everything that UTSA had to offer. FYE gave her the guidance to pursue everything she wanted to do during her first two semesters on campus.

Monica’s advice to Future Roadrunners is to have an open mind and step outside of your comfort zone, “UTSA is a very diverse campus with over 350 student organizations that consist of students with different cultures, backgrounds, talents and interests. You’re definitely going to find your place here and the FYE Program is a great resource to help you accomplish that.”