MEET THE STAFF
Editor & Social Media LiaisonMackenzie Conant
Assistant EditorPaige Heller
Layout DesignerKlarysa Saldana
Section
Contributer/WriterMckenna Moczygemba
Section
Contributer/WriterAislyn Bradford
Section
Contributer/WriterNatalia Valenzuela
Layout DesignerDanna Ramos
PhotographerMatthew Jurenovich
Section Contributer/WriterBlair Villarreal
PhotographerMarco Trujillo
Contributing
Writers
Katherine Dunnagan | Joey Gonzales
Dr. Trey Guinn | Beni Resindez
Everywhere you turn today, the headlines echo the same refrain— uncertainty about the economy. Stocks rise and fall, inflation fluctuates, and experts debate what comes next. But if there’s one thing we know, it’s that despite the ups and downs, progress happens.
Life works the same way.
As you prepare to walk across the stage, diploma in hand, the world is waiting for you with open arms—and, let’s be honest, a few challenges too. This next chapter
will be incredible, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. There will be moments when everything clicks into place, and you’ll feel unstoppable. And there will be moments of doubt, when doors close unexpectedly, when the road ahead isn’t clear, when you wonder if you’re even heading in the right direction.
And that’s okay. Because uncertainty isn’t a sign that you’ve done something wrong— it’s a sign that you’re moving forward. That you’re growing. That you’re on a journey worth taking.
Editor’s Note
Photography by Ellah Tellez
Think about it: did you learn the most from the easy days here at Incarnate Word? Or was it the late-night study sessions, the tough exams, the group projects that tested your patience, the setbacks that forced you to dig deep and persevere? Those experiences shaped you. They didn’t just give you knowledge—they gave you resilience. I remind myself of this every time I go for a morning run and an unexpected rainstorm or dense fog rolls in. The instinct is to stop, to wait for the weather to clear. But I’ve learned that if I just keep running, the path always becomes visible again. And the same is true for life: you don’t stop moving forward just because you can’t see the finish line right now.
And here’s the best part—you are not running this race alone. The friendships you’ve made, the professors who have guided you, the Cardinal community that surrounds you will remain with you. Rain or shine, in seasons of triumph or trial, these relationships will be a source of strength. Lean on them. Reach out to them. Remember that you are part of something bigger than yourself and will always have a home in our humble nest.
So when the valleys come—and they will— remember this: just keep running. The economy rebounds. Opportunities arise. Life moves forward. And you? You will rise to meet every challenge that comes your way.
Congratulations, Class of 2025! Your adventure is just beginning.
Upcoming
Last UIWtv Newscast: Thursday, April 17th | 12:30pm | Tune into our YouTube Channel
Our final newscast of the semester is just around the corner on April 17th. Our talented lineup of anchors will be delivering you the latest in news, entertainment, and sports. Want to tune in? It will be streamed on the UIWtv You Tube channel at 12:30 PM, and stay updated by following the official UIWtv Instagram page, @uiwtv.
Easter Monday: Monday, Classes Don’t
Happy Easter COMM-unity! won’t meet on Monday, holiday. Use this time to relax, the final few weeks of the underway!
Photography by M Jurenovich
Photography by M Jurenovich
Upcoming
Monday, April 21st | Don’t Meet
COMM-unity! Reminder that classes April 21st for the Easter relax, reset, and prepare for semester before finals get underway!
#UIWCOMM Run Club Meet Up: Tuesday, April 22nd | 6:30pm | Olmos Basin Soccer Fields
Don’t have any Tuesday night plans? Then come out to the Olmos Basin Soccer Fields, which is a five-minute drive from campus, for our bi-weekly #UIWCOMM Run Club meet up. Come run, walk, or just hang out with your fellow COMM-unity for an evening filled with fun!
Bella Mitchell arrived at UIW in August 2023 as a transfer student and quickly made an impact as a pitcher for the softball team, wearing the number 8 jersey.
“Pitching for this team is one of the biggest blessings in my life,”
Bella says.
“I’m thankful for the teammates and coaches who support me every step of the way.”
As a Communications student, Bella appreciates the strong connections she’s made on campus. “My experience as a UIW COMM student has been unforgettable. The people here have made it a dream come true.”
UIW softball
by natalia valenzuela
Bella mitchell
Off the field, Bella is more than just an athlete. She’s a passionate theatre kid who’s been involved in musical theatre just as long as she’s been playing softball.
“I love anything related to singing, acting, or dancing,” she shares. “I also create content for social media, giving followers a glimpse into my everyday life.”
Originally from Las Vegas, Bella moved to New Braunfels, Texas, where she’s continued to grow as both an athlete and a student. Whether on the stage or the mound, Bella’s dedication and joy shine through in everything she does. She really is Troy Bolton IRL.
mitchell
Sophomore Year & Senior Year: The Golden Years
by Mackenzie Conant
by M
Photography
Trujillo
I have said it once and I will say it again -
The best years of school, whether in high school or college, are senior year and sophomore year. To the average reader, this might be read with some dismissiveness based on relativity of your own experience. But I would argue the very nature of both of these years in school are strategically designed to start and end with greatness. Let me explain.
Sophomore year is your second year into a higher degree of education. The freshman who endured the ridicule and underdog mentality now has a handle on their environment. They know what building their class is in, their professors know their name, they have gained the clout they secretly desired within their circle of friends. The work expectation is established yet bearable. They are safe, for a time. Sophomore year is when college or high school students are given the encouragement to take risks and be bold. In my own experience, that was the year of college that my community was established and began to grow, and I will always be grateful for the people who intentionally sought me out and gave me the push I needed.
Now senior year is a whole other monster – but in the best way possible. I like to call it “The Cruise Year” because quite frankly, that is the speed you move at. The hard part is over, and by that, I mean junior year, and all the perks and pleasures that come with being in your final year fall very nicely in your lap. Class loads are 15 hours or less. Events are held in your name where you are given the spotlight. Family members start to trickle in as graduation fast approaches. It’s a year to make long-lasting memories and to leave behind a legacy. I have fond memories of my senior year of high school that started and ended with those I knew were cheering me on. And I have no doubt those same people will be cheering me on when I take my final lap of college. So, to all the seniors reading this, you’re living the dream. Don’t waste it!
But wherever you are on your college journey, I hope you take my words to heart. Cherish the important moments, and let the hard days roll off your back. Cheers to sophomore and senior year – the golden years!
Lifestyle
My journey to UIW began a few months ago in October 2024. But to appreciate this current opportunity we must reflect on the past and how it led to this point. Growing up I have always had an immense passion for sports. Whether it was attending Padres games at Petco Park or watching the Spurs dynasty, these events have always been a part of my life. In fact, during my childhood, I remember playing sports games on the Nintendo GameCube and Wii while calling the games out loud in front of the television. Sometimes I would become so passionate about these games that my parents would tell me “Joey keep it down! We can hear you all the way in the living room.”
Greetings
Despite calling these games to an imaginary audience, this passion would fuel me down the road when I arrived in high school. During my junior year in the fall of 2019, I enrolled in an audio video production class named the Clemens Broadcasting Network (CBN). In this class students were assigned to create different news packages that were put together and shown in each class on Friday mornings. While attending this class, I was given the opportunity to film and edit different sporting events, but something felt missing. Towards the end of the semester, I came up with the idea of broadcasting campus sporting events on YouTube live. From the start it was nothing glamorous using just a Turtle beach headset and a non-video component consisting of less than 25 viewers per broadcast. Despite the lack of numbers, I continued to grow the broadcast, covering eight different teams on campus and growing the audience to over 2.6 K viewers for playoff soccer. As my time at Schertz Clemens High School approached its conclusion, I knew that broadcasting was my passion and wanted to find ways to pursue this field.
With college quickly approaching, I considered several schools including North Texas, Texas State, and Texas Tech. The decision became easy once I had discovered Texas State’s student led radio station KTSW 89.9 FM. Before graduating high school, I was given the opportunity to begin working at KTSW, producing Texas State baseball games and appearing on weekly sports talk show Bobcat Radio in the summer of 2021. KTSW continued to progress my broadcasting journey by allowing me to call Texas State and San Marcos high school athletics on radio. During my three tenures with the station, I earned several awards including Best Live Sports Coverage-Audio (Texas Intercollegiate Press Association) and Best Sports Play-by-Play Award – College Broadcasters Inc. (CBI). These opportunities would eventually lead to my first internship and post college job.
Greetings from UIW!
Heading into the summer of 2023, I looked across the country for a potential broadcasting/ public relations internship in Minor League Baseball (MiLB). After sending out 120 different emails I was offered an internship with the Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks Single-A affiliate). The opportunity included calling games on the TV/Radio for all home games including several other media opportunities within the team. That summer I moved to the California central valley where I called 40 different games while also creating two video segments titled “Before the Cowbell” and “Rawhide Roundup”.
Following the conclusion of the internship, I returned to San Marcos for my senior year at Texas State. As I prepared to graduate in the Spring of 2024, I planned to take the year to continue refining my craft and prepare for post-graduation. However, within just two months of returning to Texas, I was offered the role as broadcasting/ media relations manager for the Rawhide. With another semester left before graduation I packed my bags and moved out west while taking my final 12 credits online.
The return to Visalia was an amazing opportunity, getting to call 132 games on TV/Radio while traveling all across the state of California. In addition to broadcasting, I got the opportunity to learn how to work sales and become a community liaison throughout the Visalia community. Following the conclusion of the 2024 season I wanted to explore further broadcasting opportunities and that is
when I discovered UIW. I looked across the southern United States before learning about the role as a broadcasting graduate assistant at ESPN+.
Since arriving on campus, my broadcasting partner Blair Villarreal and I have called over 50 events including five different sports. I have been grateful for UIW and the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree while continuing to broadcast games on one of the largest streaming platforms in the world.
- Joey G.
by Aislyn Bradford
As I write this, there are forty-seven days until this year’s seniors graduate. Forty-seven days until walking the stage, forty-seven days until holding a diploma, and forty-seven days until entering a new chapter of their lives. Suddenly, these students will part with the university that has become home in the years they have attended. Like any uncertain thing in the future, graduation can be just as scary as it is exciting. For those seniors whose anxiety outweighs the joyous anticipation of crossing this finish line, I want to share three pieces of advice:
ENJOY THE MOMENT
In forty-seven days, the new chapter of your life officially begins. Although the exciting promise of new possibilities is right around the corner, don’t forget to enjoy the moment. These last few months are the last opportunity to appreciate where you are now. So, spend time with your college friends. Do the things that bring you joy. Take time in the present and hold on to it before letting it go.
LET GO
Many things are outside our control: the weather, street traffic, the length of the line at our favorite coffee shop, etc. Although we cannot control these things, we can get stressed, anxious, or angry because of them, even though they fall outside our personal agency. The same can be said about the fear of the future. Of course, you can create a post-graduation plan and follow it to a T, taking the steps to achieve your goals and follow your dreams; however, life is like a mountain with peaks and valleys. Whether you do everything in your power to prepare for those unpredictable parts of life, there’s no avoiding them. Don’t waste energy stressing over something you hold no authority over; graduating can be scary enough on its own.
CELEBRATE!
And, finally, celebrate that you’re approaching the finish line! All the hours and effort you put in are being recognized and awarded with a degree. Graduating college is a grand accomplishment in itself. Give yourself the credit you deserve and be proud to cross that approaching finish line. There will be many people—teachers, friends, and family alike—cheering you on and waiting for you once you do. Congratulations, graduating seniors!
BENI RESENDIZ
To the Class of 2025...
Congratulations!
You’ve made it to the final lap. That’s not something to take lightly.
Senior year is a strange, bittersweet stretch of time. One minute you’re lining up your graduation regalia and daydreaming about what’s next, and the next, you’re overwhelmed with deadlines, emotions, and the feeling that everything is happening all at once. If you’re feeling all of that at the same time, welcome. You’re on the right track.
When I started college, I didn’t come in quiet or unsure. I showed up ready to take on the world. I only knew one person from high school, but I wasn’t afraid of being alone. I was eager to start fresh. I ran for Student Government, launched the first-ever Hillel chapter on campus, and threw myself into work, leadership, and community initiatives downtown. The truth is, I was hungry for purpose, for connection, and ultimately for a sense of direction.
But along the way, life humbled me. I faced rejection, burnout, disappointment, and hard decisions. Not everything I touched turned to gold. I had to learn how to fail and keep going. I had to learn how to rest and reset. And I had to learn that sometimes the strongest thing you can do is walk away.
If there’s one piece of advice I can offer as you head into the final stretch, it’s this: Know when to move on. Whether it’s a job, an internship, a friendship, or even an expectation you placed on yourself, sometimes growth means letting go. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’ve outgrown something. And that’s a win in itself.
Just as important, never let anyone steal your joy. Seriously. Guard it. People will try to minimize your wins or distract you with their own drama or doubt. Don’t let them. You’ve worked too hard and come too far to let anyone else’s insecurities take up space in your story. Choose your peace. Protect your passion.
Some of the best memories I’ve made in college came from the moments I didn’t plan — deep talks after class, random late-night food runs, impromptu road trips with friends. Hold onto those. Those are the moments that make the stress, the sleepless nights, and the pressure worth it.
And remember, you don’t have to have it all figured out. No one really does. We’re all out here trying, learning, adjusting. So give yourself permission to be unsure, to pivot, and to dream big, even if the path looks nothing like what you imagined.
When I think about what’s kept me going, it’s been the people who reminded me to stay true to myself. The ones who encouraged me when I doubted myself and reminded me that I belong in the room. Be that person for someone else, and let others be that for you.
As you close this chapter and step into what’s next, I hope you carry this with you: Your ambition is valid, your growth is real, your joy is sacred, and your story is just getting started.
Keep moving forward. I’ll see you out there!
A Thank You to the Communication Department
Dear COMM Arts,
In August of 2021, I walked into Dr. Guinn’s ‘Introduction to COMM Arts’ with so much anxiety and uncertainty about college. I hardly knew a thing about my major, and I had absolutely no idea what I was truly here for. Everyone around me had always expected me to attend college and to succeed at it, so I did what I was told to do. I sat in my seat confused and unsure about what those next four years would have in store for me. Little did I know it would all fly by in the blink of an eye and little did I know of the impact it would have on my heart. So, it feels only fitting to extend a formal “Thank You” to the Communication Arts Department for all that you have done for me.
You have helped me grow and blossom into a version of myself that I never knew existed. This version of myself is a confident public speaker, a radio show host, a short film director, a screenwriter, a multimedia journalist, a skilled artist, and so much more.
Without you, I would not be the confident public speaker that I am today. Taking ‘Public Speaking’ my freshman year kickstarted my abilities to make speeches, present slideshows, and share my work with my peers. These are skills that I have used throughout the rest of my college experience, and I will take them with me throughout the rest of my life.
You helped give me the confidence to join KUIW and to host my own radio show. I grew up listening to the radio, but I never saw myself in the shoes of those who spend their days as a disc jockey. Little did I know how much fun I would have planning my shows and being on air. My time in the radio studio holds some of my fondest memories.
Communication Arts Department
You have helped me become a director and a screenwriter who has found a passion for film. I never appreciated all the work that goes on behind the camera before my time making short films and writing screenplays. One day I want to see my name in tiny font in the credits at the end of a movie!
You have opened doors to a career path that I never saw myself stepping into. I am a Multimedia Journalist for The LOGOS, and I love every aspect of my job. You have given me the skills to confidently publish my writing, and you have shown me how to take charge in a leadership position. Without you, I never would have had the confidence to lead the design of our website. Now I am so incredibly proud of myself for the work that I have done for our student-run newspaper.
You have broadened my passion and my skills for creating art. I have been able to draw on paper since adolescence, and now I can comfortably work digitally. In this electronic day and age, you have taught me how to use my artistic talent and creativity in a digital format. You have shown me how to take pride in my talent as an artist.
I am Katherine Dunnagan, and I am a public speaker, a radio show host, a short film director, a screenwriter, a multimedia journalist, a skilled artist, and a proud student of the Communication Arts Department. I have truly found my place here, and I feel at home within these walls. Thank you to the Communication Arts Department for these amazing four years.
Love, Katherine
Thank you for reading our special senior edition of RED. To all of the seniors out there, always remember the precious times from college. All of the friendships, all of the laughs, all of the hardships that led to growth, and every important life lesson learned along the way. The next chapter that you are entering may seem scary, but it is so exciting filled with new memories, new relationships, and new perspectives.
I wish everyone one of you the very best after graduation and I cannot wait to see how each of you succeed. Also, remember that you’ll always have a spot or a home at UIW. You’ve left a legacy and you’re welcome to come back and witness it whenever you can. I hope that UIW, once a place that made you stressed over exams, becomes your new pocket of peace within this next chapter of life.
Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal.
Closing Remarks
by Paige Heller
