Posted on October 21, 2026 by Wendy Frost
Mentoring is typically a one-on-one activity, but nine H-E-B employees turned it into a team sport when they learned they each were participating in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business Mentorship Program.
H-E-B mentors with their mentees
“We’d sent mentoring program information to some of the larger employers in San Antonio and asked them to share with their UT San Antonio graduates,” said Sara Gothelf, assistant director of alumni engagement. “Nine H-E-B employees applied individually without knowing each other.”
Mentor Angel Arellano, ’11, H-E-B brand manager, found out from his mentee, Emma Herrera, ’26, that he wasn’t the only H-E-B employee participating in the program. He reached out to Gothelf so he could connect with the other H-E-B mentors.
The result of their efforts was a half-day networking event that the mentors hosted for each of their mentees at H-E-B corporate headquarters in downtown San Antonio.
The event included presentations from H-E-B leaders Kedar Patel, ’98, senior vice president for ecommerce, and Ruy D’Amico, ’08, business unit director, who shared their experiences working with the company. Students also participated in a speed networking session where the mentors presented their backgrounds, and the mentees shared information about themselves.
“It was all their idea,” said Gothelf. “It organically developed among the employees. You could feel that the mentors were proud UT San Antonio graduates and proud H-E-B employees. They were just as excited as the students to get the opportunity to get together.”
The event concluded with a presentation on professional development and a meeting with H-E-B recruiters.
“One of the reasons that I was originally attracted to H-E-B was because it was clear to me that education was something that was important to them, and it’s something that’s always been important to me,” said Jennifer Duplantis, MBA ’03, top store leader.
The college’s mentorship program was created to foster meaningful connections between students, alumni and friends of the college. The program began in 2024 with 40 pairs and grew this past year to 105 participants. Sixty-four of the mentors are Alvarez alumni, and nine of the mentors live outside San Antonio.
“As a mentor I’ve learned about my mentee’s experiences and challenges and found ways to connect that back to my experiences as a student so I can share advice with her,” said Arellano, who was a Business Student Council member like his mentee. “There’s no one path that works for everyone.”
The pairs are required to meet monthly through the academic year either in person or virtually. For Duplantis, she struggled at first with the time commitment, but that quickly changed after spending time with her mentee, Abu Aweys, a junior management major.
“I’m incredibly busy both professionally and personally,” said Duplantis. “It was tough at first, but it became so rewarding over time. Now, any time that I can give Abu, I don’t even think about it.”
Beyond discussing business topics like project management or how to deal with conflicts within a student organization, some of Duplantis’ favorite conversations were about books. They would share favorite books and discuss authors whether it was fiction or self-help business books.
For Senior Preston Long, he joined the mentorship program to gain some clarity on his professional pathway as he approaches graduation this December. He not only developed a lifelong connection with his mentor, Michael Carranza, a senior supply chain analyst, but he made a lasting friendship with another student that he met at the H-E-B mentoring event.
“Being able to meet with all of the other mentors was really a cool experience,” said Long, an operations and supply chain major. “Getting a chance to build my network outside of the university was a great opportunity. Having somebody in industry that can talk to you about what the field really looks like, as opposed to maybe what you’re getting taught in a classroom, is valuable as well.”
Long’s favorite memory was when his mentor drew out on a white board the entire organizational structure of H-E-B. He detailed from the ground up what each team does, what his team does and how each operation affects the business model.
“I have been so impressed with the caliber of students that are in this program. I’ve gotten at least as much out of this experience as he has,” said Duplantis.
“He went from a macro to a micro scale of how their business operates,” said Long. “It truly opened my eyes, and it was applicable to not only H-E-B, but any industry.”
The beauty of the mentorship program is that it allows individuals to give back, but at their own pace and schedule. And, for alumni giving back to their alma mater it is personal.
“UTSA is near and dear to me,” said Arellano. “I’m a big believer in always finding ways to give back. It has been very rewarding to be a mentor. As you’re mentoring someone, that gives you an opportunity to also think about your journey and realize that what seemed challenging back then has gotten you to where you are today.”
Learning from this experience, Gothelf hopes to create more social opportunities like these within the program when she sees other synergies within organizations, interests or majors.
“This program has taught me what students are focusing on, what colleges are focusing on and maybe what I need to be paying a little more attention to,” said Duplantis. “People should consider being mentors because you are literally getting exposure to the next generation of people who are going to work in your industry. Pay it forward by giving back.”
— Wendy Frost
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