Alumni
Brews and Bros
What started as a friendship among St. Mary’s classmates — and a shared love of brewing beer — has turned into Busted Sandal Brewing Company, which opened in San Antonio in 2013.
Modern-Day Renaissance Man
Anthony Quesada (B.S. ’16) is something of a renaissance man. In his four years at St. Mary’s University, he was a tutor, dancer, singer and, according to the numbers, an outstanding medical scholar.
Good Fortune and Karma
Kristal Cuevas quit her corporate job and found her calling in a yoga studio. Eager for a change of pace away from the fluorescent lights and 9-to-5 office setting, she started a retail job. Cuevas enjoyed the position, but it wasn’t until she attended a yoga class that she discovered her calling.
Lasting bonds of brotherhood and barbecue
Jeff Rankin (B.S. ’15) has formed life-changing bonds throughout his life: in the Air Force, at St. Mary’s University, and even during barbecue cooking competitions.
Young alumna recognized for outstanding leadership
Jenna L. Saucedo-Herrera’s rise in the ranks at CPS Energy – which is the largest publicly owned utility in the United States – is nothing short of meteoric.
Diplomat urges graduates to give back
St. Mary’s University alumna Ariel Vaagen (M.S. ’06), Deputy Director of the Office of International Media Engagement for the U.S. Department of State, was keynote speaker at the 15th annual Fall Commencement in December.
A Rewarding Risk
Some of the joys — and frustrations — that can come soon after college include buying a new car or home. And following these major purchases is buying insurance, which today is touted as being as easy as making a few clicks or a phone call.
Common People, Uncommon Activism
In the 1950s, a Texas school district was forcing Mexican-American students to repeat the first grade three times. When alum Enrique Aleman Jr., Ph.D., uncovered his own mother’s childhood fight in this battle against inequality, he decided to chronicle the historic struggle.
The Punk Rock Scientist
Questioning authority. Thinking independently. Not accepting things at face value. These themes are found in punk rock music, which Jason Torres (B.A. ’07) began listening to in high school. Little did he know that his interest in the genre would, in some ways, later inspire his future in science.
All in the Family
When Vanessa Chan (M.A. ’98) was a young mother and graduate student at St. Mary’s University in the 1990s, she often had to bring along her fourth grader and preschooler to study groups in the Blume Library.
The Good Doctor
Every year, thousands of children come from miles around rural Taos, New Mexico, to see Sylvia Villarreal, M.D., (B.A. ’72). And each one of those young lives is special to the woman commonly known as Dr. V.
An American Dream
Judy Reyes (B.A. ’01) was just 4 when her family moved to the Texas border town of Mission from Mexico. Her dad, a professor in Mexico, stayed behind and visited on weekends, while her mom worked in a convenience store.
Read More Stories
Rattlers mascot celebrates a century at St. Mary’s University
The emblematic snake that charms the hearts of students and alumni became part of the official verbiage for St. Mary’s University Athletics 100 years ago. The reptilian references evolved later into the beloved mascot, Rattler Man.
St. Mary’s Mechanical Engineering professor fires up classes
If you can’t stand the heat, don’t get out of the kitchen; talk to Morgan Bruns. He may play cool about his career, but his résumé, as members of Gen Z would say, is fire.
Cybersecurity scholar tackles AI challenges for a safer tomorrow
Laurene Robinson is following her "techie" inclinations at St. Mary’s University, earning a bachelor’s in Computer Science and a master’s in Cybersecurity while playing Rattler Volleyball.