Posted on December 5, 2025 by Rebekah Alegria
When Ashley Escobar returned to UT San Antonio after years away from higher education, she knew she was ready for a fresh start. What she didn’t expect was that she would be one of the first graduates of the Carlos Alvarez College of Business’ Career Compass program and leave with a full-time role in UT San Antonio’s Human Resources department.
Ashley Escobar, BBA Human Resource Management '25
Ashley Escobar, who will receive her degree in human resources management this December, grew up in Pearsall, Texas, "a small town with two main roads, a Walmart and a whole lot of power line workers,” she joked. Raised in a tight-knit community, she imagined college would feel just as structured and familiar. But when she first enrolled at UT San Antonio in 2014, balancing full-time work and a new level of independence proved challenging.
“I had that high school mentality that your professor would remind you of assignments,” she said. “I skipped classes, procrastinated, worked full time and it caught up to me.”
Academic dismissal followed, and she stepped away from school.
The following years brought difficult choices and gradual clarity. She completed an associate degree at Northwest Vista College and briefly attended Texas A&M–San Antonio, but the environment wasn’t the right fit. What she wanted—connection, support and opportunity—was what she remembered from her time at UT San Antonio. In summer 2023, she wrote her reinstatement letter.
“The moment I got that email saying, ‘Welcome back,’ I cried,” said Escobar. “I knew UTSA was where I was supposed to finish.”
ashley escobar, alvarez fall graduate, bba human Resource management '25
A single Instagram post ended up changing the trajectory of her entire path. The college’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) student chapter advertised a “Day in the Life at Target” event highlighting HR operations that happened to catch her eye. Having the opportunity to tour the store’s back-of-house operations, seeing real HR work like coaching, scheduling, people operations, instantly ignited a passion for Escobar, even though she was a marketing major at the time. That next week she switched her major to human resources management.
From that point forward, Escobar excelled. She joined SHRM and quickly earned a leadership role as director of finance for the student organization. She represented the organization at workshops, networking events and the SHRM National Conference in San Diego, where she and her peers met national leaders in the field.
“It was surreal,” she said. “Seeing HR professionals from all over the world made everything feel possible.”
Escobar also helped lead her team to first place in the Texas SHRM Student Case Competition, outperforming teams from Texas A&M, Texas State and Tarleton.
“When they said ‘UTSA’ won first place, we all looked at each other in awe,” said Escobar. “It was one of the best moments of my college career.”
At the same time, she immersed herself in the college’s signature Career Compass professional development program, which prepares business students with the skills needed to be competitive in the job market. She participated in workshops, etiquette dinners, résumé clinics, networking events and mock interviews.
“Career Compass is the reason I can walk into an interview confidently; it taught me how to sell myself.”
Her dedication opened the door to a pivotal opportunity. While attending the national SHRM conference, she received notice that the university’s HR department had pulled her application for a work-study role. Accepting the position required leaving a higher-paying job, but she trusted the experience would be worth it.
“If I wanted true HR experience, I had to take that risk,” she said.
That decision transformed her future. Working alongside university HR professionals, she gained hands-on experience and mentorship that strengthened her skills and confidence. This fall she was offered a full-time position with the university’s HR Department beginning in the new year.
“UTSA gave me a second chance,” she says. “Now I get to start my career here. That means everything.”
Throughout her journey, Escobar found support from faculty mentors including Heather Staples, associate dean for undergraduate studies and SHRM faculty advisor, Catalina Zarate, associate professor of practice in management and Stephen Schwab, assistant professor of management. Each of those faculty members encouraged her to see her potential and think long term. Escobar is now preparing to apply to the college’s MBA program while planning to pursue HR certification.
Looking back, Ashley hopes her story shows future Roadrunners that success isn’t linear, and that resilience, community and involvement can redefine what’s possible.
“Get involved. Go to office hours. Don’t procrastinate,” she says. “And network, because the people you meet now could be the reason you land your dream job.”
Her path wasn’t traditional, but it’s proof of what can happen when determination meets opportunity, and when a student finds their place within a university.
— Rebekah Alegria
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