Class Notes Fall 2018

1970s

Elvira Puig Barrera ’71 BA has been named a Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achiever. Puig Barrera was honored for the achievements and successes she has accrued in the field of education. She was also awarded the Key Woman Educator Award for Community Service in 2017 by the San Antonio Coordinating Council of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.

Monica Shutts Messer ’73 BSN joined the faculty at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing in Tampa after earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice and Ph.D. in Nursing Science degrees at USF. Messer continues to teach in the graduate program to prepare future nurse educators. She is also a board certified wound care specialist and has published research on prevention and management of pressure ulcers.

Jerry Watson ’73 was recently voted in as president of the Board of Governors for the Boerne Community Theatre. Watson also teaches acting classes for adults.

1980s

Dr. Veronica Cadena ’88, together with her husband, Dr. Antonio Cadena Jr., are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Cadena Family Practice, their privately-owned clinic in Del Rio, Texas. They have served this hometown community for 22 years. Cadena Family Practice has now expanded its services to include occupational/industrial and correctional medicine.

1990s

Dr. Mateen Diop ’92 BS is the current principal of Sam Houston High School and P-Tech Early College High School in San Antonio.

Charlene Blohm ’92 MBA is among the recipients of the 2018 Governor’s Trailblazer Award for Wisconsin Women in Business. Blohm received a Pioneer Award for her leadership. In 1991, she founded CB&A, a marketing and public relations agency specializing in education, special needs and workforce development markets.

Mike Dockal ’99 BS and Gina Dockal ’00 BA, are working to grow their 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization in memory of their beautiful daughter Zoey Isadora. Visit zoeysangels.org for more information.

2000s

Dr. Alexandria Smoots ’00 BSN DNP, RN, FNP-BC, a member of Theta Eta Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority Inc., organized the 1st Annual Mental Health Education program in 2017 hosted by the chapter. Smoots also planned the 2nd Annual Chi Eta Phi Mental Health Education Program. It was an official Tricentennial-sponsored Community initiative, organized and hosted by Theta Eta Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Inc. and in partnership with St. Philips School of Nursing for community engagement.

Arnulfo D. Hernández ’01 BA is a managing partner of Hernández & Associates, P.C., and was named among the top litigators of 2018 by Law Week Colorado.

Anthony Cristo ’02 BA is currently running for United States Congress District 15 of Texas as a candidate for the Libertarian Party. Cristo is also a scoring director for Pearson Education Assessment and has worked in production for various television and film productions.

Rebecca Minjarez Villarreal ’02 MA earned her accreditation in public relations in 2017 and was recently named one of the Rising Stars of New Braunfels by the New Braunfels Jaycees. Villarreal is currently working as the director of communications for the New Braunfels Independent School District and serves as the central area vice president for the Texas School Public Relations Association.

Amanda Ireta-Goode ’09 BA was named development director for Gemini Ink, San Antonio’s Literary Art Center. The nonprofit organization offers creative writing workshops, public readings by authors, mentorship programs and more.

2010s

Elizabeth F. Lopez ’12 BA graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine.

Jose Bernal ’14 BBA launched his own IT solutions company in Mexico. Beral Publicidad Digital is now expanding its services to the United States. Visit beralpd.com for more information.

Nicholas Garcia ’16 BBA has been named a university relations coordinator in Talent Acquisitions at Dell Technologies. Garcia began his career at Dell shortly after graduation through a university relations program working in Support and Deployment Organization. In the summer, he discussed future job opportunities with H-E-B School of Business capstone students. Garcia returned to UIW in the fall and recruited for Dell during the UIW Full Time Career Fair.

Lana Nguyen ’16 BBA was featured in Voyage Phoenix magazine. Nguyen, who double majored in interior design and art at UIW, is now an established artist and founder of LAN art&design. Visit lanartanddesign.com for more information.

Sophorn “Sophie” Bou ’17 BA was the featured intern in the summer edition of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio’s World Atlas newsletter.

Tom Dotter ’18 DBA accepted a position with Novartis Pharmaceuticals, a global Fortune 200 corporation, upon his graduation from the H-E-B School of Business and Administration DBA program. Dotter will serve as the west coast strategic account director in the neuroscience division. His dissertation was titled “Factors Affecting the Intent to Use an Interactive Visual Aid on a Tablet PC Platform by a Biotechnology Sales Force.”

Future Cardinals

Olivia Clarita

Lea Lopez-Fagin ’96 MSN is delighted to introduce her first granddaughter, Olivia Clarita. She is the daughter of Leigh Anne and Charlie _omas. She was born on Jan. 21, 2018, in Montgomery, Ala.

Karina Trevino ’14 BA and Jason Trevino ’17 MS welcomed Zoë Natalia, a future member of UIW’s Class of 2040, on Feb. 9, 2018. She joins sibling Jude, a future member of UIW’s Class of 2038.

Ashton William,

Melanie Marie Mills ’15 BS and her husband, David Mills, a current UIW military program student, welcomed their second son, Ashton William, on Dec. 1, 2017. He looks forward to being a future Cardinal like his mommy and daddy.

Zander Matthew

Brenda Hutzler Taylor ’00 BBA and her husband, Mike Taylor, welcomed their first child together in December. Zander Matthew was born at 3:30 p.m., weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces and measuring 19 inches long.

Monica Itz ’81 BBA and her family

Monica Itz ’81 BBA and her husband, Jeremy Itz, were blessed with their fifth grandchild, Henry Samuel, in September 2017.

Engagements and Marriages

Judy Bruner ’68 and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 2017. Bruner also celebrated 50 years since graduating this May.

Carlos G. Barreto ’14 MSA and Marisol De Hoyos Barreto ’14 MSA

Carlos G. Barreto ’14 MSA and Marisol De Hoyos Barreto ’14 MSA were married at a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico, on Oct. 14, 2017.

Jonathan Cervantes ’14 MS and Alyson Gonzales ’12 BA ’13 MAT

Jonathan Cervantes ’14 MS and Alyson Gonzales ’12 BA ’13 MAT are engaged to be married in the summer of 2019. The couple met in the UIW bookstore in January 2013 and became engaged on UIW’s Red Bridge in 2017.

Greg Regino ’17 BS and Clarissa Garcia ’18
BA

Greg Regino ’17 BS and Clarissa Garcia ’18 BA are engaged to be married. They will be married in Spring 2019 at St. Peter Prince of the Apostles Church in San Antonio.

Jennifer L. Morales ’18 and Carlos Kopszywa are engaged to be married. Both Morales and Kopszywa are happy to share their news with their UIW family and friends as they plan the rest of their lives together.