SAN ANTONIO — John Jay High School proclaimed this Thursday as “UTSA Day” as their community celebrated alumnus Dr. Mario Torres, who graduated from the high school in 1986.
Dr. Torres recently returned to San Antonio after spending time working in higher education in Pennsylvania and College Station. He is now the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
"San Antonio, UTSA in particular, was the place that I wanted to be," said Dr. Torres. "It is a special homecoming because I felt that throughout my life that one day I would return and try to make a difference for the community."
The college dean grew up in the city's west side. He is passionate about sharing his experiences and helping students in the community navigate higher education.
"For me, there were moments where I felt that my life could have gone an entirely different direction had it not been for a few people who stepped in," said Torres. "It’s important that these students advocate for themselves, but that they also have a support group around them."
As he reflected on the historical disinvestment in the community, Dr. Torres said it is important to recognize the high level of social and cultural capital that already exists.
"Then leverage that and really just try to scaffold the experiences for the students to make sure that they don’t encounter setbacks or the limitations," he added.
UTSA Day also recognized other UTSA alumni in attendance, including Northside ISD Superintendent Brian Woods and John Jay Principal Teresa Cuellar-Hernandez.
Principal Cuellar-Hernandez holds her title with pride and was excited to welcome Dr. Torres back to John Jay.
"What a great opportunity to bring somebody here who has walked these halls, who knows what our kids are going through and can show our kids yes you can," she said.
During Thursday's ceremony, the high school's band, mariachi, and choir performed in honor of the UTSA alumni.
"Seeing our students on stage, seeing how much fun they have and seeing what they can do because there’s so many great things coming out of our school that sometimes it gets lost," said Cuellar-Hernandez.