UTSA Athletics is a national leader in supporting first-generation student-athletes. Throughout the 2025-26 school year, GoUTSA.com will spotlight the department’s first-generation student-athletes, coaches, administrators and staff.
Israel Vasquez is a Fan Engagement Associate with UTSA Athletics after joining the Roadrunners in October 2022. He is a first-generation college graduate from the University of the Incarnate Word where he earned his bachelor’s degree and his Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Vasquez, in 2025, was a semifinalist for the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Order of the Roadrunner Award, which is the highest honor awarded to a staff member who has demonstrated exemplary service, leadership and dedication to the University.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a first-generation college graduate?
Israel Vasquez: “I’m a first-generation college graduate from UIW, where I got my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I’m originally from California – a little town called Ontario / Pomona, which is about 20 minutes with no traffic from Los Angeles. I grew up a big sports fan; I think that’s what led me to my journey where I am now. I grew up Hispanic / Mexican-American. My grandparents are from Mexico and El Salvador. We had it kind of hard growing up. Education wasn’t really a big thing in our household just because of how we grew up and where we were from. I saw how hard my family worked just to put food on the table. When I turned 16, I knew I had to get a job and start working to help my family. Just seeing how hard they worked made me want to pursue greater things. I wanted to be the change. I wanted to be the generation that changed my family’s trajectory. I have two younger sisters that I would do anything for. I wanted to be a role model for them – or just anybody in general – and show them that no matter where you come from, who you are or what you’re doing, anything is possible. That fire, it’s just something you can’t really explain. You want to make that change for your family.”
Q: How did you decide to attend college and become the first in your family to do so?
Israel Vasquez: “What really helped me in high school was this program called AVID [Advancement Via Individual Determination]. AVID is a college readiness program that you can take as a course in high school. I had a teacher named Ms. Ramos. She was on me, as well as my mom, about attending college. I ended up loving that class because it ultimately changed my ways of time management, organization and how to present yourself to be ready to take on college. We were graded on doing college applications. I got into a few schools and UIW was that school. I finally got there and didn’t know what to expect. I went into general business. I did my first semester and thought I wanted to be an optometrist, but quickly realized that my personality didn’t match that. Being first gen, I didn’t really have any guidance of what career paths I should take. I really leaned into the First-Year Engagement Office. I met Dr. [Raul] Zendejas [Director of First-Year Experience and Professional Development at UIW]. He said, ‘Izzy, I see you in here a lot and you seem like a sports guy or a business guy to me. Do you know we have a sports management class?’ I really didn’t know that. All I needed was that introduction. I took the courses, fell in love, asked questions and asked for mentoring. In my junior year, going into my senior year, of my bachelor’s degree, I took an internship in ticket operations and just got my foot in the door. A year and a half later, I got offered a graduate assistant position in facilities and game operations. It was a great opportunity to get my master’s and I just went for it. I’m forever grateful for my advisors and counselors along the way.”
Q: How is attending college as a first-generation student a unique experience?
Israel Vasquez: “It’s very unique because it’s unknown. You really get to learn a lot about yourself because you’re going through this as a young adult and it’s all new to you. It’s not normal to you and you don’t really have that guidance or a safety net. I feel like it’s a lot more pressure because you don’t know what to expect. You feel like it’s hard to ask at home because nobody really understands. It’s an unknown territory.”
Q: How much pride do you take in working at a university that serves such a large population of first-generation college students?
Israel Vasquez: “It’s almost a full-circle moment being first gen, being Mexican-American and now being able to work here and really take pride in the brand that really represents our culture and where I come from. I feel very proud that this place is testament to and a symbol of hope for people like me. Anything is possible.”
Q: How important are athletics to first-generation college students?
Israel Vasquez: “I think it’s very important to first-generation college students. For the most part, I think first-gen college students grow up watching sports. I did and it was a big part of my personality, my friend group and what I take pride in. I think it’s important because you’re always hitting the books and you’re always on the go, but when athletics comes into play, it shows that there’s more to life than people think. It’s a way to express yourself. It’s a way to be part of something you feel like is a family no matter where you come from. In sports, everybody can become one. Everybody gets along and finds a camaraderie and a purpose.”
Q: What is the most valuable trait that you bring to your job as a first-generation college graduate?
Israel Vasquez: “It’s the drive and perseverance and not backing down from challenges. You’ve faced adversity your whole life so you feel like nothing can really affect you because you’ve been there. It’s very motivating.”
Q: What advice would you give to other first-generation college students?
Israel Vasquez: “I would say to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. If you feel like you have imposter syndrome, you feel like you can’t do it or you feel like you don’t belong, just know that you do. You’ve got this and you can do it.”