The Trinity Perspective - Summer 2023

Major

Milestones

Celebrating every step in our students’ journeys from admission to graduation

Trinity University’s

This means that 98% of the graduates in the Classes of 2021 and 2022 had jobs or were accepted to graduate school within six months of graduation.

Why? Because at Trinity University, we celebrate every milestone on the academic journey. From exploring multiple disciplines to declaring a major, from crossing the field to crossing the stage, a Trinity experience isn’t just about the degree and doesn’t end after graduation—it’s about the steps students take along the way and how they use their degrees to lead discoveries, lead changes, lead each other, and lead themselves.

Meet Trinity students who are sharing their journeys.

recent graduates have a 98% positive outcomes rate.

The Trinity Perspective magazine offers a glimpse into the many ways Trinity University prepares students to lead lives of meaning and purpose. Trinity is known for its stimulating, resourceful, and collaborative environment, filled with students who want an education that instills confidence, inspires curiosity, and ignites change. Flip through these pages to see for yourself!

Get Connected

Join the conversation: Facebook: @TrinityUniversity

Twitter: @Trinity_U and @TrinityU_Admiss

Instagram: @trinityu and @trinityuadmissions

Have a question for a current student?

Email your questions to our current students at AskATiger@trinity.edu

Have a question for an admissions officer, faculty member, or other staff member?

Email us at admissions@trinity.edu and we’ll get it answered.

THE OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS

Trinity University

One Trinity Place San Antonio, Texas 78212

admissions@trinity.edu

www.trinity.edu/admissions

1-800-TRINITY

About Trinity

Trinity University is a private, residential, co-educational institution in the heart of vibrant, intercultural San Antonio.

Trinity offers its 2,500 undergraduate students an education rooted in the liberal arts and sciences that integrates conceptual and hands-on learning, emphasizes undergraduate research, and develops strong leadership skills.

Major Moment

At Trinity University, we’re made for big moments. And choosing a major is one of them. For more than 150 years, Trinity students have made this step on their academic journeys, driven by their unique interests to select academic paths that help them make a mark on the world.

Major Declaration Day is a new annual tradition at Trinity that celebrates the beginning of your academic journey, not the end: Your major might be your forever calling, or it also might just be where you’re discovering yourself right now. But for everyone, this is a major moment.

Ethan, a music composition major, plans to broaden his understanding of what music can be through the variety of music classes and support Trinity offers.

Blaine, a political science and international studies double major, hopes to apply the strong communication skills he’s gained at Trinity through a career in public policy.

Ethan Brown ’25

Blaine Martin ’25

Meet the Majors

Watch the Major Declaration Day interviews to hear from newly declared students about completing this major milestone in their Trinity journeys.

As a theatre and geosciences double major, Andrew combines his passions for stage managing and STEM through Trinity’s liberal arts community.

By building relationships with professors and taking a variety of classes, Allison has discovered her interest in business and economics.

Andrew Phillips ’25

Allison Waters ’25

Finding Her Path

Trinity researcher found success, community, and a voice for good

by Jeremy Gerlach

When Taylor Black ’23 saw the word “Congratulations!” pop up in a phone notification on her buzzing home screen, she couldn’t believe it.

The message was an award for her poster presentation this spring at the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology conference in Austin, Texas. Taylor’s presentation, stemming from her years of research on lizard teeth in Trinity University biology professor Michele Johnson’s lab, won her this award against the likes of Ivy League postdocs.

Not bad for a sociology major who minored in biology—let alone someone who never thought she’d be working with animals from this part of the food chain.

“I’m not a big bug or lizard person, but there I was at Trinity, studying the relation of tooth sizes, shapes, and numbers between different species of lizards,” says Taylor, who’d entered the conference almost on a whim. “But when

I looked closer at my phone [notification] a few weeks later, it said I had won the poster presentation in my division, ‘Vertebrate Morphology.’”

That was life at Trinity for Taylor: one series of unexpected turns after another.

Recruited as a volleyball player, Taylor thrived on Trinity’s team under the leadership of Head Volleyball Coach Julie Jenkins before she decided to focus on her academic studies after one season.

Entering school determined to be a doctor and pursue pre-med in order to help people stay healthy, Taylor instead gravitated towards sociology with ambitions of one day starting her own public health nonprofit.

While she balanced working in two research labs (one for Professor Amy Stone, Ph.D., in sociology and one for Professor Johnson, Ph.D., in biology), Taylor never anticipated her

above Taylor Black ’23 (left) and biology professor Michele Johnson commemorated a successful presentation at the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology conference in Austin, Texas.

voice would be heard on a national scale. Now, she’s never been more confident that her voice is worthy of recognition.

“It’s crazy to think that lizard teeth, out of all the different things in the world, made people interested in what I had to say,” she says. “And it honestly meant the whole world that people were interested in what I had to say, especially being a Black woman in a research space that is [usually associated] with white voices.”

serving as a community manager for the Residential Life Office and as the president of Trinity’s Black Student Union.

“As a Black woman, my most precious community was the Black Student Union because that is where so many Black students congregate, and that is a place where you can actually converse with others who share similar cultural experiences,” she says. “But my success wasn’t just with the student population here. What also matters is the professors—everyone who just cares to make sure that you are in the place that you need to be. I had so many faculty and staff members who really helped me get to where I am. Even the dining and custodial staff made the Trinity community just so special to me.”

Having just graduated, Taylor’s now set her sights on charting her path to her dream career.

Despite her change in direction, Taylor was able to traverse her Trinity journey successfully thanks to help from a diverse support network. And she even had the chance to lead and support her fellow students on their own paths by

“I’m going to get my master’s in public health for global health epidemiology. But first, I’m taking a gap year to do more research within the public health field. [I want] to look into all the programs that I want to join and see my bigger picture, so I have an understanding of what I want to do in the future,” she says. “I want to look at what populations are in need, what’s happening there, then go out and get my Ph.D. in global health epidemiology. Then, I’ll open my own nonprofit and win the grants I need to be able to help those populations in need.”

It’s crazy to think that lizard teeth, out of all the different things in the world, made people interested in what I had to say.

center Taylor (third from left) drew strength from her involvement with groups like Trinity’s Black Student Union. right Taylor and her lizard FaceTimed a fellow researcher.

Forward Thinking

Trinity soccer star juggled award-winning research, trips abroad, and academic excellence

by Jeremy Gerlach

Molly Sheridan ’23, a political science and business double major from St. Louis, chose a path at Trinity that kept her on her toes.

When she wasn’t pouring in goals from the center-forward spot as a captain for Trinity’s nationally contending soccer team, she was staring down global problems like food accessibility. The result of all that hard work? Winning awards like an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

An NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship gives a senior $10,000 to use in an accredited graduate program. Only 126 studentathletes in the nation across all three NCAA divisions receive this award every year. Yet, Molly’s score represents the fifth straight year the Tigers have had a student-athlete earn the award.

Next, Molly is headed out to the prestigious Coro Fellowship civic leadership program in St. Louis. She then plans on using her scholarship at a dual law and public health master’s degree program.

How do students like Molly keep netting these types of successes? Even for a soccer forward, success at Trinity is all about who has your back.

Trinity’s liberal arts curriculum gives students like Molly the flexibility and the support to find the academic path that will allow them to pursue all their passions. And Molly found hers through the worlds of political science and global health, where she conducted extensive research on food-related issues. “I did a few projects on female college athletes with eating disorders, and then that kind of manifested into a couple different research projects with my political science adviser,” Molly says. “I even did research on a woman’s right to breastfeed during humanitarian crises.”

As if juggling this research and academic path with soccer wasn’t enough, Molly also found time to get the most out of an extensive set of hands-on opportunities at Trinity.

She spent a semester studying abroad across Geneva, Switzerland, and Zagreb, Croatia, in Spring 2022 as part of a Global Health and Development Policy program. She also served as president of the Spurs sorority and as a Trinity Student Government Association senator, and she held a successful internship at AHC Consulting LLC in St. Louis in Summer 2022 as a public relations consulting intern.

Balancing these priorities took a lot of support. And Molly says she got it from a familiar source: faculty.

“Being at Trinity, I had an opportunity to uncover some interests and passions thanks to some really, really amazing professors. [They] taught me that although the public interest law field can be kind of daunting, if I help even one person find those supportive networks they need, I’ll still be making a difference.”

Molly points specifically to her faculty adviser and political science professor Rosa Aloisi, Ph.D., and business administration professor Jacob Tingle ’95, Ed.D., for their guidance and support.

Molly credits Professor Tingle with her opportunity to apply for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. In March 2023, she also traveled with Professor Tingle, education professor Angela Breidenstein ’91, M’92, Ed.D., two other Trinity students, and a December 2022 graduate for a sports diplomacy trip to Uzbekistan as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Youth Leadership through Sport Program.

“The professors and the faculty here see that small spark of interest in you,” she says, “and then continually guide and connect you to every next step that there is.”

As a student-athlete, Molly is also fueled by this level of support on the soccer field. She was named the 2022 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Offensive Player of the Year, is a four-time All-SCAC honoree, and was also named a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American and a Scholar All-American for the 2022 season.

Molly says Head Women’s Soccer Coach Dylan Harrison and her teammates pushed her until she was ready to shine.

“Coach Harrison uses me as his perfect example of a player coming in who didn’t play the whole game as a freshman but worked hard. By the end of my freshman year, I was getting that playing time, and I was getting those starting opportunities,” she says.

So, when Molly says her successes at Trinity are a team result, she means it.

“I feel a lot of gratitude for what I was able to do here,” she says. “I’m super excited, super proud, and just ... [have] a ton of gratitude for all of the amazing people I met throughout my time at Trinity.”

above Molly Sheridan ’23 (bottom) poses for a selfie with her fellow delegates during her sports diplomacy trip to Uzbekistan. right Molly (second from left) and her teammates showcase the Trinity Women’s Soccer 2022 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship trophy.

The professors and the faculty here see that small spark of interest in you and then continually guide and connect you to every next step that there is.

Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success

Dedicated staff in the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success (CELCS) support students throughout their Trinity journeys and prepare them for life after graduation beginning the first day they arrive on campus. In the 2021-22 academic year alone, CELCS engaged 68% of the student population through more than 2,900 appointments and helped review more than 2,300 résumés, cover letters, grad school statements, and professional documents.

Helping You Achieve Success

• Career Exploration: Evaluate your interests, values, and skills, and connect these to career-related options.

• Service Learning: Combine classroom learning with volunteerism to become a more informed global citizen.

• Project-Based Learning: Earn academic credit for internships that complement your academic program.

• Internships: Search for internships and workshops to boost your hands-on experience.

• Research: Apply for research opportunities on and off campus.

• Job Search: Connect with employers and discover job search resources.

• Interview Preparation: Learn ways to put your best foot—and résumé—forward.

• Graduate School: Work with a career adviser on graduate school strategies, plans, and applications.

• Salary Negotiation: Work with an adviser to review and maximize your offers.

• Telling Your Story: Advisers can help you connect your experiences, skills, and coursework to the top skills employers are seeking in any industry.

Leveraging the Trinity Network

• Career Fairs: Every semester, engage with employers and learn about diverse opportunities across career fields and academic backgrounds.

• On-Campus Recruiting: In addition to fairs, CELCS hosts a number of interview days, coffee chats, employer days, info tables, and more to connect Tigers to organizations throughout the United States.

• Tiger Connections: Join in casual, 15-minute conversations with alumni in various industries.

• Tiger Treks: Several times each year, CELCS takes students and faculty on site visits to gain first-hand exposure to workplaces and company culture by touring facilities, engaging with alumni, and/or learning from Human Resources about hiring opportunities. Past Treks include Helios Center of Engineering Excellence, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Witte Museum, GenCure Biomanufacturing Facilities, and Shiner Beers’ Spoetzl Brewery.

• LinkedIn: Visit Trinity University’s LinkedIn page, check out the Trinity Alumni Group, and view jobs posted on LinkedIn.

Interested in Becoming a Tiger?

Apply Early!

Applications open for first-year students applying for the Class of 2028 on Aug. 1, 2023, via the Common Application, the Coalition Application powered by SCOIR, and Apply Texas.

Visit Trinity University

It’s important to take the time to visit the college campuses you’re interested in—there’s no better way to get a true sense of what it’s like to be a student there.

Weekday Campus Visits

Learn more about Trinity’s distinctive educational experience and the campus community directly from current students and admissions counselors during a campus tour and information session.

Summer Schedule

Information Sessions and Campus Tours

Monday-Friday (Except University holidays)

9:20-11:15 a.m.

Saturday Open House Events

Trinity In Focus programs are open to all prospective students and their families. Tour campus, hear from current students about their experiences, chat with faculty about your academic interests, and learn about admissions, financial aid, and scholarships.

Trinity In Focus Dates

July 8, 2023

Sept. 30, 2023

Nov. 11, 2023

Jan. 27, 2024

Explore all visit options at gotu.us/visit.

The College Search

An experience for the whole family

The college search should be a fun and exciting time for students and families. We encourage future Tigers to discover new interests, grow existing passions, and become empowered citizens of the global community as they begin to chart their college journeys. Seek support from your friends and family to help guide you through essays, campus visits or virtual tours, and the tough decisions that come along with the many opportunities in your future.

Join Us for Summer Interviews

Attention rising seniors! This summer, we encourage you to meet one-onone with a representative of Trinity University, either in your hometown or virtually. Distinguish yourself in Trinity’s competitive applicant pool, learn more about our admissions deadlines and application review process, and hear about the many academic and co-curricular options available to Trinity students. Don’t miss your chance to get a head start on the admissions process! Fall interviews will be very limited, so schedule your interview today.

Select the appointment time that works best for your schedule. Register online at gotu.us/interviews.

Enjoy your senior year!

Apply early, know early.

If Trinity emerges as your top choice, consider applying via Early Decision (ED) I to receive your admissions decision and financial aid award by Dec. 1.* As you explore Trinity, we encourage you to start reviewing the benefits and myths about applying ED at gotu.us/earlydecision You can even request an early financial aid estimate!

*This program is a binding agreement. Students are ethically bound to apply ED to only one school and will be expected to attend if offered admission.