Posted on April 28, 2025 by Rebekah Alegria
Maximizing every opportunity offered to her, Beverly Quintana will graduate with a B.B.A. in Finance from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business at UTSA.
Beverly Quintana, B.B.A. Finance '25
A San Antonio native and first-generation college student, Beverly Quintana chose to attend UTSA because it felt like coming home.
“UTSA aligned with everything I wanted: strong academics, a close-knit student community and a place where being first gen is the norm, not the exception,” she shared. That sense of belonging guided Quintana through every chapter of her college experience, from her first day in college to landing a dream job offer well before graduation.
“My parents started their carpet and tile cleaning business in 1992. Watching their work ethic and resilience instilled in me a deep respect for business, and I knew I wanted to follow that path.”
Quintana found her community at UTSA by participating in numerous student organizations and activities. She was a member of the Business Student Council, where she connected with fellow business students early in her academic journey. She also engaged with the Investment Society, attending meetings and gaining insights into the finance industry. As a Business Honors student, Quintana benefited from specialized programming and experiential learning opportunities that helped her sharpen her professional skills. In addition, she was a member of the UTSA Honors College, where she challenged herself academically and further enriched her college experience.
Her professors made an equally powerful impact, especially Ron Sweet, associate professor of practice in finance, and Richard Utecht, associate professor of marketing. Quintana noted that their classes were inspiring because they emphasized real-world relevance and application. “They didn’t just teach finance; they prepared me to be a finance professional,” she said.
Beyond the classroom, Quintana participated in the Washing
ton, D.C. Business Trek, attended the Women in Finance Conference in New York and was selected to attend the Global Asset Management Education (G.A.M.E.) Forum.“Each experiential learning opportunity took me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow professionally and personally. These types of experiences are critical. They expose you to the industry and connect you with people you’d never otherwise meet.”
Utilizing the skills that she learned in the classroom and through her extracurricular activities, Quintana was one of five students chosen for the highly-competitive UTIMCO internship program. Quintana gained hands-on experience in asset management and discovered a passion for private equity. Her work ethic, curiosity and willingness to put herself out there didn’t go unnoticed. She was offered a full-time position as a private equity analyst following the internship. “It was surreal,” she said.
Quintana also formed strong bonds with staff and faculty in the Alvarez College of Business as a work study on the college’s communications and marketing team and a member of the Business Honors Program. “Working with people like Wendy Frost, Rebekah Alegria, Kailey Villarreal and Leticia Garcia gave me an inside look at how deeply this college cares about students. They always pushed me to apply, to try, to dream bigger.”
As she prepares to walk the stage in May 2025, Quintana reflects on what it means to be a Roadrunner. “It means taking your personal experiences and using them to fuel your passion. It means pushing yourself while also being part of a community that supports you. UTSA has truly helped me become the person I was meant to be.”
— Rebekah Alegria
