Posted on June 30, 2019 by Michelle Skidmore
From left to right: Marcus Thomas, Rebekah Lopez, Ashley Davison, Stephanie Flores, and Carina Reyes
(July 1, 2019) — Five students enrolled in the Public Administration undergraduate and graduate programs competed in the inaugural Texas City Managers Association (TCMA) Intercollegiate Bowl, which took place in Fort Worth, Texas June 27 thru June 30.
The UTSA team, comprised of two Master of Public Administration graduate students Stephanie Flores and Marcus Thomas and three Bachelor of Public Administration undergraduate students Rebekah Lopez; Ashley Davison; and Carina Reyes, finished in second place out of seven teams that competed for the first College Bowl competition.
The team from the College of Public Policy displayed professionalism and enthusiasm exemplifying the exceptional quality of the Public Administration undergraduate and graduate programs offered at UTSA, according to some of the city managers and administrators who saw the students present their work.
The five students presented research on the topic of homelessness. Their poster was titled “Combating Family and Youth Homelessness.” They conducted research on San Antonio’s efforts to reduce homelessness and the effectiveness of those endeavors. They also completed a service project poster titled “Introducing Civic Engagement to San Antonio High School Students,” which highlighted the following service learning experiences: The Civic Leadership Academy with Lanier High School and the 2019 Youth Summit.
“We had the opportunity to present these posters to city managers all over Texas,” said Lopez.
“It was a great opportunity to network with individuals that are working within local government and students all over Texas who have similar career goals as mine. We were able to receive career advice and coaching sessions from City Managers and City Administrators as well.”
The UTSA team for the TCMA competition was funded by the College of Public Policy, The City of Leon Valley, The City of Fredericksburg, and the Texas City Management Association Region 8. City Managers in Residence, Kelly Kuenstler, (Leon Valley) and Kent Meyers (City of Fredericksburg) devoted a lot of time to help the team prepare for the competition and supported them throughout the conference.
— Michelle Skidmore
