Aliza Holzman-Cantu: Building A Stronger Community with Trinity Parents

By Luke Dias

It took more than 20 years, but Aliza Holzman-Cantu eventually found her way back to Trinity.

Cantu, 48, is the director of parent giving and engagement at Trinity and has been at this position for three years. Originally from Brownsville, Texas, she received a bachelor’s degree in communications at Trinity in 1992, followed by a master’s degree in teaching from Trinity in 1994. Since then, Cantu’s career path has always connected to Trinity in one way or another.

Nathan Tuttle: Writing His Own Trinity Story

By Alex Gereda-Gordon

Nathan Tuttle is the Residential Life coordinator most of Trinity students know, but might not know much about.

Yes, he is son of Dean of Student David Tuttle, but that is only a small part of his own Trinity story.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg Leads Fitness Council Meeting

Mayor Ron Nirenberg addresses the Fitness Council on Thursday
(photo by Sophie Dwyer)

By Sophie Dwyer

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg attended the Fitness Council meeting on Thursday in Trinity University’s William H. Bell Center.

He met with around 40 representatives from various foundations, fitness organizations, and companies, as well as dieticians, wellness coordinators, health app creators, and disability advocates. The discussion centered on ways of improving wellness services in the city, including physical activity, nutrition, and mental health.

“We should be talking policy-healthy policy,” Nirenberg said at the meeting. Attendees talked about various wellness initiatives such as introducing workplace recess, policies on purchasing healthy foods for employees, and making outdoor spaces safer so people feel more comfortable being active.

Sixth Communication Day Highlights Student Work

Networking reception of the sixth annual Communication Day

(photo by Makenna Bentley)

By Makenna Bentley

At the sixth annual Communication Day on Friday, current Communication majors were put into the spotlight together with the alumni.

This year’s Communication Day, an event hosted by the Department of Communication celebrating the Communication major by inviting its alumni back to Trinity, added a new program: student work showcase.

On the fourth floor of the Richardson Communications Center, home to the department, about 30 projects done by Communication majors, ranging from short narrative films, video games, podcast, sitcom, documentaries, to multimedia journalism, were on display in the computer labs.

Joseph Shotland: From Playing to Coaching Basketball at Trinity

By Emily Bae

Coach Joseph Shotland is a Trinity University alumnus whose life has been largely about the game of basketball. In 2010, he came to Trinity University and walked onto the basketball
​court to be a shooting guard. He described his role as bringing energy to the team. He graduated with a Bachelors in English in ​2014 and later graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching at Trinity University.

Knowing that he could not play basketball forever, he still wanted to be a part of the sport. One of his favorite aspects of basketball is the team component and he enjoyed the leadership qualities needed for basketball. He therefore thought of coaching.

Shotland approached Cameron Hill, head coach for Trinity women’s basketball, in his junior year of college and asked if he could help with the team.​

Alumna Applied Knowledge Learned at Trinity to Educate Her Own Children

By Joy Camp 

Christi Shaw couldn’t wait to finish school and move on with life outside of college.

Finishing her studies at Trinity University in only three and a half years, she graduated in 1972 and began her work in the state capital of Texas as an administrative assistant to Representative Joe Sage. 

In 1976, Shaw met the man of her dreams, Thomas Moorman, and they married on Dec. 20th of that year. About three years later, their first child, daughter Muffin, was born. Before she knew it, Mrs. Moorman was a mother of six.

Communication Day Connects Students with Alumni

RCC320 was packed with students attending the panels
at the Communication Day. The panel pictured here features
graduates within the past five years.

By Marina Schweitzer and Sophia Scearce

The fifth annual Communication Day on Friday welcomed back to Trinity 15 graduates who majored in communication, along with hundreds of alumni, current students and faculty.

Room 320 in the Richardson Communication Center was completely packed. Additional chairs were added and lined up the side way, as students flocked into the room to hear what the alumni had to say about their career and life experiences.

Leni Kirkman (‘84), senior vice president of strategic communications and patient relations at University Health System in San Antonio, said she used to write down her goals for the future and knew she wanted to be a broadcast journalist, which she did for a while but later changed her career.

NBC News Producer and Trinity Alum Gives Keynote at Communication Day

John Bentley gives the keynote speech at the Communication Day
(Photo by Josie Liu)

By Lauren Bagg

John Bentley (‘95), NBC News producer and a Trinity graduate with a degree in communication, gave the keynote speech that kicked off the fifth annual Communication Day on Friday.

Bentley is an award-winning television journalist and has covered stories around the world, from the war in Afghanistan to the 2008 presidential election. He has worked at CBS, ABC and is currently a producer for NBC News.

In his talk, titled “Speaking Truth to Power: Covering Conflicts and Campaigns Around the World," Bentley said that the duty of a journalist “is to speak the truth for others, and to make the story not about the reporters but of the person that is being observed.”

Philanthropy Week Encourages Students to Give Back

Peyton Wionzek, sophomore, visits with Trinity Student Ambassadors
 during the Tumbling Towers event. Trinity’s most famous landmark,
the towers, was funded by donors. (Photo by Paige Johnson)

By Paige Johnson

Trinity’s annual Philanthropy Week ends today with “Opportuni-Key,” where students can try their luck at opening a treasure chest with a key, picked from a pile of nearly 400. Only about five of them will work. Small Trinity gears, such as branded cups, bags, and other prizes are waiting in the chest.

Trinity University Student Ambassadors hosted the week to promote student philanthropy. Instead of soliciting donations, the theme of the event is “I Heart TU,” calling for students to pause and appreciate all that Trinity has to offer.

Trinity Alumni Share Their Experiences of Working on Wall Street

By Samantha Luzader

Last week, dozens of economics and finance students lined up in the basement of Northrup Hall to attend a panel about the reality of working on Wall Street.

The panel included Mark Whitman '89, Mike Ashton' 90, and Nate Coolen '02, all economics majors. Dr. Rich Butler, professor emeritus of economics and now serving as the alumni engagement coordinator, introduced the panelists. 

The three panelists offered a lot of advice to students who might want to go into the finance field. They also talked about how to get where you want to be, general advice, and how Trinity helped or hurt them in their career searches.

Marcus Rubio: Trinity Alum Turned Experimenting Musician

Marcus Rubio (More Eaze) before performing
Photos by Johnna Guillerman

By Johnna Guillerman

As Marcus Rubio, 28, sets up his computer, a small crowd gathers around to watch. This Trinity alumni, who graduated in 2012, is getting ready to play a set he designed specifically for tonight’s performance.

The show is taking place in Austin, Texas at a bar called Beerland. Though dark and tucked away, it is filled with character. The stage is backgrounded in pink tones, and Elvis Presley busts line the walls.

Before Rubio’s turn, several other artists play sets of music in a genre that some people might not have even heard of--harsh noise. The name gives away the essence of the music, but Beerland is open to new and experimental performers.

Taylor Mobley: Chasing the Dream in Television

Taylor Mobley on the set of her show
Photos courtesy of Taylor Mobley

By Abby Tisdale

Trinity alum, Taylor Mobley, is taking “Discover. Grow. Become.”, Trinity’s motto, to new heights.

Mobley graduated in spring of 2013 as a communication major. Now, Mobley is an executive producer for "San Antonio Living," a mid-morning talk show on WOAI.

She came to Trinity wanting to pursue a theatre degree, and searched for the perfect pairing. She found that in a communication major.

Fourth Communication Day Brings Together Alumni and Current Students

By Andrea Acevedo

Panel featuring the youngest alumni at Communication Day
Photo by Josie Liu

Faculty, alumni, and both ​current and ​prospective communication majors came together on Friday for a packed day of alumni panels, networking, and a keynote speech during​ the fourth annual Communication Day organized by Trinity’s Department of Communication.

​​The alumni panels divided speakers into communication department graduates from the past five years, the past 20 years, and other classes. A total of 13 alumni formed the panels, representing varied professions such as journalism, public relations, practice of law, and teaching.

Empowering Women at Trinity and Beyond: A look Inside the Women Ambassadors Forum

By Dana McLaughlin

Ingrid Harb walked across the stage amid cheers and applauses at today's Trinity Univeristy Spring 2016 Commencement. She is graduating with a bachelor's degree in international business and marketing. However, Harb’s legacy on the Trinity campus will last long after her graduation.

Harb is the co-founder and CEO of a now international organization called Women Ambassadors Forum (WAF), which hosts an annual conference that brings female leaders from various fields to interact with aspiring young women, mostly college students, from around the world.

The inaugural WAF was held last July, when 30 young women from universities across the U.S. and Mexico gathered for five days at Trinity University.

Women Leaders Share Success Stories at Annual Women’s Leadership Summit

By Amy Drozdiak

Three renowned female leaders formed a panel at the annual Women's Leadership Summit, held at Trinity University on Saturday, to share their experiences of achieving success being successful in prominent positions of leadership.

At the panel were State Representative Ina Minjarez, president, CEO, and chairman of the board of CST Brands, Kim Lubel, and president of H-E-B San Antonio/West Division, Suzanne Wade. The discussion was moderated by Trinity alum Trish DeBerry, CEO of The DeBerry Group.

All three women leading the panel discussion work in traditionally male-dominated industries: oil & gas, politics, and retail operations management. 

Trinity Graduate the First Social Media Coordinator for the Spurs

Megan Julian checks her work phone
Photo by Taylor Shelgren

By Taylor Shelgren

Megan Julian has two phones with her at all times. One of them is her personal phone and the other is for her job, where all the social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat, for the San Antonio Spurs are hooked up.

Julian, a San Antonio native and Trinity graduate in 2013, is the Social Media Coordinator for the Spurs Sports and Entertainment, a job she has held since October 2014. The 25-year-old is also the first person to ever work this position for this company, thanks to the social media boom in recent years.

“It is crucial for sport teams at the professional level to have social media accounts,” says Julian, especially when considering the potentially endless audience that social media can reach all over the world. Ten years ago, Julian’s job wouldn’t have even existed. Today, social media have become a huge part of branding, marketing, and connecting with the public, and Julian is the social media voice of her company.

Trinity Alumnus Chris Helfrich Gives Memorable Speech

By Amy Drozdiak

Chris Helfrich ('03) gives keynote speech
at the Communication Day
Photo by Josie Liu

Chris Helfrich, the executive director of Nothing But Nets, a United Nations Foundation campaign, kicked off the third annual Communication Day at Trinity University with an inspirational keynote speech on Friday.

In his speech, Helfrich, who graduated from Trinity University in 2003, reflected on how the experiences and skills he acquired as a student at Trinity, and the profound influence from his Trinity mentors, have helped equip him to successfully progress his career into one with the power to make a difference in the world.

As the executive director of Nothing But Nets, a global, grassroots foundation, Helfrich works to raise awareness and funding to help fight malaria through providing mosquito nets and other materials to communities with high malaria death rates, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa.

Young Alumni Bring Inspirations and Advice Back to Trinity

Recent communication major graduates
speak at a panel at the Communication Day
Photo by Josie Liu

By Robert Smith

The classroom 320 in Trinity University’s Richardson Communication Center was fully occupied on Friday afternoon. Staff started to put extra chairs on the side, with many people still standing on the back and near the door.

Around 50 students, faculty and staff were here to see, and hear, five recent graduates of Communication major speaking at a panel at the third annual Communication Day, held by the Department of Communication.

Leading the discussion were Natalie Brown, Don Dimick, Lauren Wilks, Sarah Cooper and Leslie Green, all of whom graduated from Trinity within the past three years.

Track and Field Team Competed with Alumni in Friendly Match

By Katie Groke            

In a meet with alumni, Trinity’s track and field team shook out the rust of the long winter and got ready for their spring season.

The team hosted their Fourth Annual Intrasquad/Alumni Meet on Saturday, where 22 graduates of the team, all donned in black with a theme of “Back in Black,” competed with 73 current track and field athletes. The student teams were “Welcome to the Jungle” and “I Woke Up Like This,” featuring animal attire and pajamas.

Funky costumes notwithstanding, the competition was serious, with both alumni and students taking a number of wins.