Giving back to the community has been a core value established in me from my time as a student at St. Joseph’s throughout high school by participating in numerous volunteer opportunities, and it continued through my time in college. As we transition to the workforce, the opportunities to volunteer my time are less prevalent, but I have made it a point to give back to my university as a donor.  

The thing that most drew me to UTEP since I was four years old was athletics. Some of my fondest memories are attending UTEP football and basketball games and attending when tickets were hard to come by. As the years have gone by, I and every other supporter of the athletic department have longed for the days of successful athletic programs. That is why, from the time I graduated, I decided to do my part to try and contribute what I can to support UTEP student-athlete scholarships through the Miner Athletic Club. 

I firmly believe that athletics, specifically football, and basketball, are an institution's front porch. It is the most visible aspect of any university and the easiest way to unite alumni and community members to support a common goal. Successful programs can bring great pride to a university, increase exposure to the university, and serve as a recruiting tool to attract more students.  

Although not able to be proven as a direct correlation, a 2013 Forbes article studies the “Flutie Effect,” which measures the effect that improved performance on the football field has on increased applications to a specific university. I use these points when arguing with those who think that funding athletics is a waste of money and should be used to fund academic-related programs. However, athletic programs are the easiest and primary way to build brand recognition for a university. UTEP has an even greater chance to take advantage of this if they can begin to have sustained success on the field and the court, as the new Conference USA television contract gives them multiple games every season on national television.  

One of the first things I did after obtaining my first full-time job after graduating was purchasing UTEP season tickets for football and basketball and becoming a member of the Miner Athletic Club (M.A.C), the fundraising arm of UTEP Athletics. I have continued increasing my contributions each year while encouraging my family and friends to do the same. My time as an intern with the M.A.C also gave me a better perspective into all that goes into running a Division 1 athletic department, and the truth is, the department needs resources to be competitive with other schools in Conference USA. At a university like UTEP, it does 

Seeing how El Paso came together for this season’s volleyball team and their remarkable post-season run shows how incredible a place UTEP can be. Most of El Paso is hungry to go and see a sold-out Sun Bowl and a packed Don Haskins Center; as alumni, it is up to us to do our part and make a difference in any way we can. I hope those days are coming sooner rather than later. Now, I will have some pride as an adult, knowing that at least I could contribute a little to it by donating what I could, and I will continue to try to make others around me do the same.