Student Financial Aid Counselor Adriana Garza-Romance

Hometown: Raymondville, Texas

College Major: History (Minor: English)

Office: Valley Admissions Center

Phone: 956-365-8630

E-mail: adriana.garza@austin.utexas.edu

Q: Where are you from?
A: I was raised in Raymondville, Texas—the Gateway to the Rio Grande Valley. It’s a small town with a friendly community. Everyone knows everyone. I attended Raymondville High School—home of the Bearkats.

Q: Where did you go to college and what did you study?
A: I attended The University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas. I majored in history with a minor in English. I think I changed my major three times before discovering that I should major in history. Since history courses were part of the core curriculum at UT Pan Am, I found myself taking quite a few upper-level history classes. I enjoyed them, so I decided to become a history major.

Q: How long have you been working in admissions and financial aid counseling?
A: I’ve worked in higher education for the past five and half years. My experiences have been wonderful. I have worked with all age groups throughout my career, and it is always so rewarding to me when I have a student that I have assisted receive an acceptance letter, receive a scholarship or graduate from high school or college.

Q: What’s your favorite place on campus?
A: My favorite place on campus is Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The stadium was recently expanded so that it can now accommodate more than 98,000 fans.

Q: What’s your favorite UT Austin fact?
A: The university’s mascot used to be a dog named Pig. According to university historians, Pig was only seven weeks old when he was brought to campus by L. Theo Bellmont, a co-founder of the Southwest Athletic Conference and UT Austin’s first athletic director. The dog was named for Gus "Pig" Dittmar, who played center for the Longhorn football team. Dittmar was known to slip through the defensive line like "a greased pig." Pig went to classes with students, attended home and out-of-town athletic events and participated in morning "fall outs" with military aeronautics cadets during World War I. When he died in 1923 after being hit by a Model T at the corner of 24th and Guadalupe streets, his body lay in state in front of the University Co-Op. Hundreds of mourners filed past.

Advice to Students

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help during the admissions application process. Talk to your high school counselor or contact an admissions or financial aid representative. We’re here to help you and your family navigate this process.
• Take tests early! Take your SAT and/or ACT tests in the spring of your junior year and again in the fall. Don’t wait until the spring of your senior year. It’ll be too late for UT Austin (and many other schools).
• Do research early in your high school career on the university (or universities) you’re most interested in applying to. Find out what the admissions requirements are, how much it costs and where it’s located. Then try to visit as many of those college campuses as you can while you’re in high school.