Ricardo Ayala, a cybersecurity major with a minor in political science, is pictured with Sidury Christansen, associate professor of applied linguistics and faculty sponsor of Ballet Folklórico de UTSA.

MAY 18, 2025 — More than 350 seniors in the UTSA Honors College are expected to graduate today, marking the largest graduating class in the college’s history.

Throughout their time at UTSA, these students embraced meaningful relationships, learning experiences and opportunities that extended well beyond the classroom. Many graduates already have exciting futures lined up — from beginning full-time roles in industry to entering some of the nation’s most competitive graduate and professional schools.

Forty students in this cohort will graduate with distinction, the highest level of Honors College recognition. This designation is awarded to students who complete more than nine signature experiences — including honors courses, research, service, internships and other experiential learning — along with at least one capstone project.

One such student is Ricardo Ayala, a cybersecurity major with a minor in political science. A first-generation college student and first-generation American, Ayala came to UTSA through the Bold Promise program and has made a lasting impact through academic excellence, leadership and public service.

In fall 2024, he was selected as a UT System Archer Fellow and completed an internship at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. Closer to home, he took part in the Honors College’s Citymester program, through which he volunteered at San Antonio’s Center for Refugee Services, assisting refugee families with employment opportunities and access to essential resources.

On campus, Ayala led voter education and registration initiatives and served as president of Ballet Folklórico de UTSA. He was actively involved in University Technology Solutions’ Bold Careers program as both an intern and ambassador, and he gained real-world experience in cybersecurity through an internship at UTSA’s Cyber Operations Center. His campus engagement also includes participation in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business Emerging Leader Series, UTSA’s San Antonio Language Academy, and supporting fellow students as a resident assistant with UTSA Housing and Residence Life.

Ayala is a semifinalist for a Fulbright award to travel to Colombia after graduation. Ultimately, he plans to pursue a career at an organization that helps expand cybersecurity awareness and access in underrepresented communities.

Other Honors College graduates are preparing for impressive next steps as well:

Temiyemi Adewumi , a biology major and psychology minor, has been accepted into the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Houston.

, a biology major and psychology minor, has been accepted into the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Houston. Brianna Anaya , a computer science major, will begin her career as a software developer for Progressive Insurance.

, a computer science major, will begin her career as a software developer for Progressive Insurance. Jadzia Cruz , an environmental science major with minors in geography and sustainability, is relocating to Boston to work as a vegetation field technician with the National Ecological Observatory Network.

, an environmental science major with minors in geography and sustainability, is relocating to Boston to work as a vegetation field technician with the National Ecological Observatory Network. Joshua Davidson , a cybersecurity major with a minor in computer science, has been offered a position with the U.S. Space Force.

, a cybersecurity major with a minor in computer science, has been offered a position with the U.S. Space Force. Zachary Galvan , a kinesiology major who completed UTSA’s Athletic Training Apprenticeship Program, will pursue a master’s degree in athletic training at the University of Miami.

, a kinesiology major who completed UTSA’s Athletic Training Apprenticeship Program, will pursue a master’s degree in athletic training at the University of Miami. Michael Gomez , an electrical and computer engineering major, has been awarded the prestigious Rales Fellowship, which covers full tuition and housing as he pursues a dual master’s program at Carnegie Mellon University.

, an electrical and computer engineering major, has been awarded the prestigious Rales Fellowship, which covers full tuition and housing as he pursues a dual master’s program at Carnegie Mellon University. Lorraine Hedje , a psychology major and aspiring physician, will attend Johns Hopkins University this fall to pursue a Master of Public Health.

, a psychology major and aspiring physician, will attend Johns Hopkins University this fall to pursue a Master of Public Health. Yağmur Hocaoğlu , a chemical engineering major, has accepted a full-time position as a process engineer at the San Antonio Refinery, where she interned during her senior year.

, a chemical engineering major, has accepted a full-time position as a process engineer at the San Antonio Refinery, where she interned during her senior year. Justus Mendoza , a politics and law major who participated in the Archer Fellowship program in Fall 2023, has been accepted to Texas A&M Law School and will begin his studies this fall.

, a politics and law major who participated in the Archer Fellowship program in Fall 2023, has been accepted to Texas A&M Law School and will begin his studies this fall. Tia Miller , a business analytics major with a minor in statistics, will join Dell Technologies in Austin as a full-time supply chain management analyst.

, a business analytics major with a minor in statistics, will join Dell Technologies in Austin as a full-time supply chain management analyst. Emily Nguyen , a biology major and Top Scholar, will attend Case Western Reserve University to pursue a Master of Science in Anesthesia, with the goal of becoming a certified anesthesiologist assistant.

, a biology major and Top Scholar, will attend Case Western Reserve University to pursue a Master of Science in Anesthesia, with the goal of becoming a certified anesthesiologist assistant. Ella Pusey , a cybersecurity and information systems major, has secured a cybersecurity internship with jewelry company Kendra Scott LLC.

, a cybersecurity and information systems major, has secured a cybersecurity internship with jewelry company Kendra Scott LLC. Elizabeth Ramirez , a mechanical engineering major, will begin a full-time engineering position at Toyota.

, a mechanical engineering major, will begin a full-time engineering position at Toyota. Ahtziri Serrano, a criminology and criminal justice major, will transition into a full-time paralegal role at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

Several other members of the graduating class will continue as Roadrunners this fall, pursuing graduate degrees in accounting, aerospace engineering, architecture, artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, business administration, health, community and policy, kinesiology, multidisciplinary studies, special education and statistics and data science.

Others will begin graduate programs in dentistry, medical laboratory science, nursing and respiratory care at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Texas A&M’s Mays Business School recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with American search engine and large language model Perplexity. It is now available to all Mays students.

The partnership is designed to give Mays students the resources to build centralized hubs of knowledge concerning their coursework and to streamline their academics. Perplexity, which operates on OpenAI’s GPT-4 engine, offers tools and functionalities similar to other AI programs currently available. By signing in with their A&M credentials, Mays students can access the platform’s Enterprise Pro features.

Enterprise Pro, Perplexity’s premium subscription model, is the AI giant’s premier business-to-business service. Designed with these business interests in mind, Enterprise Pro can conduct external research through its Bing search engine, analyze files the user submits and back up decisions with exclusive insights using proprietary data sources.

As artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize the American workforce, assistant dean for artificial intelligence Arnold Castro believes that preparing students for this shift is essential for producing well-rounded graduates.

“We’re trying to position Mays Business School and A&M as a whole to be a leader in AI,” Castro said. “We want to be known as the university that’s putting AI first and making AI-ready students.”

At universities across the country, including A&M, the usage of artificial intelligence tools and their interconnections with academia continues to be a pressing matter. While some select courses at A&M encourage students to use artificial intelligence models, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, their usage in most courses is either limited or strictly prohibited. Currently, the university continues to work on its guidelines and ethical stances regarding the usage of artificial intelligence.

With artificial intelligence becoming more integral to the daily lives and study habits of A&M students, Castro emphasized the importance of facilitating their responsible usage.

“As soon as you leave whatever degree plan you’re in and you go into the business world, you’re going to be using AI,” Castro said. “So you need to learn how to harness the power ethically, as we have our Aggie Values that we have to follow, and you want to make sure that you can tackle whatever problems thrown at you with it in your own way. … You use it as a reference.”

Mays is currently preparing for the launch of their new Artificial Intelligence and Business minor, covering 15 credit hours of 8-week online courses. The program, developed to equip students with artificial intelligence and machine learning skills and knowledge that are increasingly important in the modern workforce, will be open for the Fall 2025 semester to juniors and seniors.

While the pilot program is restricted to 200 seats for upperclassmen, administrators plan to open the minor to all Mays students in the near future and perhaps to all students at A&M, regardless of their major.

In addition to the minor, Mays launched two new AI-focused competitions: the undergraduate business plan competition and the dissertation proposal competition. Both sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation, the undergraduate competition invites students to submit and present business plans that utilize AI to address practical problems, and the dissertation competition invites doctoral students to submit their research regarding artificial intelligence’s relations across fields of business.

Through these programs and the Perplexity partnership, Castro hopes that Mays can transform the way artificial intelligence is seen in the world of academia.

“Students are going to work with it no matter what,” Castro said. “If you go back 10 years ago or whenever the first advanced calculators came out, people were scared of it. … That’s being seen as well with this world of AI because that’s the new calculator; that’s the new tool that everyone has. It’s able to give you the answers you need immediately.”

While many administrators and students at Mays are optimistic about the initiative, some are concerned that Perplexity could inhibit learning opportunities. Management information systems freshman Marcelo Canepa is wary about its potential consequences.

“I think it’s critical that students learn how to organize information and effectively use it,” Canepa said. “When students rely on AI, they stop practicing the skills of thinking on your feet and the factual knowledge of the material.”

Despite his concerns, Canepa also acknowledges the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence in the business world. Perplexity, though it may become a dependency for some, can create meaningful results.

“I think Perplexity could provide a good way to break down complicated topics and provide a new perspective,” Canepa said. “That method points students in the right direction so they can pursue their educational interests.”

Available Minors

Minor in Business Analytics (18 Semester Hours)

Minor in Marketing (18 Semester Hours)

Course Requirements for Minors

Minor in Business Analytics (18 Semester Hours)

A minor in Business Analytics offers a focused examination of the discipline and the technical skills used within the corporate business world. This minor allows interested students to explore in greater detail the issues and challenges of business analytics and big data, and gain insight and understanding that will convey considerable value in a tech-based environment.

Business Process Management & ERP Systems, BUSA 379

Business Analytics Module, BUSA 424

Project Management, BUSA 428

9 Semester Hours of upper level BUSA electives (MKT 436 can be substituted for one of these electives)

Minor in Marketing (18 Semester Hours)

This minor is tailored for students that desire to gain skills and insight into current and future-forward marketing practices. The courses are designed to expose the student to a number of marketing topics and will impart knowledge that will enable them to understand and plan for issues that face new and existing businesses.

Requirements for Business Majors: Marketing Promotion, MKT 366 Selling & Sales Management, MKT 367 12 semester hours of any MKT 300/400 level course not otherwise required

Requirements for Non-Business Majors: Marketing, MKT 306 Marketing Promotion, MKT 366 Selling & Sales Management, MKT 367 9 semester hours of any MKT 300/400 level course not otherwise required

Two Year Course Rotation Plan

Laying out a degree plan can be difficult, but don’t let it get you down! You can look and plan ahead using the Undergraduate Long Range Schedule.

Solutions for a Data-Driven Society

Quick. Name a product that has had more influence on life in the last four decades than the personal computer.

Time’s up. The personal computer, which had humble beginnings in the 1970s, but was officially born on August 1, 1981 when IBM introduced its PC, has had a profound impact on everything we do. Work. School. Play. Communication. Rare indeed is the person who does not use one.

All of which underscores the need for talented professionals who continue to make our lives in the digital era easier than they were. The employment prospects for computer information systems majors are high because society’s dependence on computers will only continue to increase.

From basic HTML and other programming essentials, to database design and implementation, network security, mobile apps, business intelligence, data mining, artificial intelligence, machine learning, information visualization, and more, our courses in CIS will prepare you for an action-packed career in a field that is constantly changing and evolving.

More than anything, you will feel needed, because personal computers are not likely to go away any time soon.