Undergraduate Admissions Counselor Brittany Fiveash
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas
College Major: Government
Territory: East Texas
Office: East Texas Admissions Center
Phone: 903-759-7802
Q: Where are you from?
A: Corpus Christi is where I call home, however I grew up in many different places because my father was in the military. I’ve lived in Kingsville, Texas; Brownsville, Texas; Puerto Rico; and Key West Florida. I graduated from Calallen High School, which is located in a suburb of Corpus Christi.
Q: Where did you go to college, and what did you study?
A: I attended Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi during my freshman year. After one year, I transferred to The University of Texas at Austin where I earned a bachelor's degree in government. I also minored in business through the Business Foundations Program.
UT Austin has an excellent government program, which enabled me to take some very interesting classes like Politics of Japan, Constitution Interpretation and Natural Law Theory.
Q: How long have you been working in higher education?
A: Before becoming an admissions counselor, I worked as a SHARE student ambassador in UT Austin's Office of Admissions. I gave campus tours and spoke with prospective students about the campus and student life.
I really enjoy working with prospective students because college is such an important time in students' lives. It's a time when they are able to explore different areas of study, get involved on and off campus, and make friends they will probably stay in touch with for the rest of their lives. There is so much to gain from going to college.
Q: What is your favorite place on the UT Austin campus?
A: The West Mall is my favorite place because there is always something going on. Organizations set up tables to recruit students and there are always people giving out free stuff or flyers. It's a very fun place to be.
My favorite building on campus—the Architecture and Planning Library—is also on the West Mall. Every person that visits campus should visit this building. It's beautiful!
Q: What are some of your favorite things to do in Austin?
A: I enjoy going to Texas football games, visiting some of the many parks in Austin, and trying new restaurants. My favorite part of the year is football season. It is exciting to have such spirited people around with nothing but burnt orange on.
Although it seems like UT Austin and the city are consumed by buildings, there are actually a lot of parks that are fun and not far from campus.
And as for the food, you can always find something new to eat in Austin. I lived in Austin for three years and still didn’t have the opportunity to visit half of the restaurants in town.
Q: What is your favorite UT Austin fact?
A: I thought it was really interesting that before UT Austin had a longhorn for a mascot, the university's mascot was a dog named Pig. Pig was so beloved that when he passed there was a huge funeral on campus.
Advice for Prospective Students
- It's a common misconception that students hardly get any one-on-one time with professors at UT Austin. However, that's simply not true. If you know how to ask for help, you can find it. Professors and teaching assistants are required to have office hours where students can gain one-on-one time.
- First-Year Interest Groups are also a great way to get involved and meet a lot of people. A FIG allows students to not only take classes with a lot of the same people but also offers the option to share a dorm with the students they are in a FIG with. It practically shrinks the campus from 50,000 people to a 20-30 person group with the same interests.