"I continued my internship post-graduation until they hired me on full-time. They've been a great company to work for, and I continue to build my skills in the construction field," he said.

Garcia, a native of Spokane, Wash., said that living on campus provided him access to the career fair that introduced him to his current employer and an internship opportunity he had at Joeris Construction during his sophomore and junior years.

The alumnus moved to Texas to study at UTSA in 2020 and resided on campus until he crossed the stage in fall 2023.

"I remember showing up on the first day, initially very introverted, all while living on campus during the pandemic," Garcia said. "Living on campus really compelled me to engage more deeply with others and propelled me to gain the necessary leadership skills. I learned a lot about socializing, networking and communication, which are all very critical to post-graduation life."

According to several national studies, there is a positive impact on students who live on campus. They are more likely to thrive and succeed in college, said Tammy Wyatt, UTSA senior vice provost for student success.

"Research indicates that full engagement in the university experience significantly impacts whether students feel connected to campus, are retained to the next year, and then ultimately graduate with us," Wyatt said.

In 2019, 1,189 first-year students lived at UTSA-owned and/or UTSA-operated properties. By year one, there was an 80% retention rate and by year four, 39% had graduated versus a 30% graduation rate for those who lived off-campus.

By living on campus, students are better engaged in their educational journey and are more likely to connect with their professors and peers, Wyatt added.

A campus thrive study performed by the division of Student Success in spring 2023 shows that there are factors about living on campus that allow a student to thrive.

"We asked our undergraduate students what helps influence their ability to thrive," Wyatt said. "Not only just survive, but to fully flourish and thrive in their college career, and we found there were significant positive effects to living on campus."

UTSA students who lived on campus reported that they attended campus events more frequently, were involved in more community service projects and were overall more active on campus.

Overall, they felt socially connected to the institution, Wyatt said.

Garcia can attest to this.

After completing his first year on campus, Garcia became more integrated in the Roadrunner community.

"I was trying to figure myself out. I was very introverted and needed to break out of my shell, so I applied to be a resident assistant," he said. "It really propelled my growth and showed me a sense of leadership. I had this new-found strength, and I was able to demonstrate empathetic mentorship abilities."

Garcia added that living away from home for the first time really pushed him to find a community on campus.

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