Student of the Week

Awards/Honors

Texas Scholar, 2006
Tech Prep Scholar, 2006
Who’s Who Among American College and University Students, 2006
Dean’s List Honors, 2007
1,000+ hours as a Rio Grande Regional Hospital volunteer, 2009.

Visit the archives to view previous student profiles.

Miguel Angel Leal, 22, a senior at The University of Texas-Pan American, plans to graduate December 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He was born in Monterrey Nuevo Leon, Mexico but came to McAllen, Texas at the age of eight. He is the youngest son of Hector and Joanne Leal and brother of Hector and Eduardo Leal. Leal started volunteering at the Rio Grande Regional Hospital while in high school at the age of 15. He graduated from McAllen High School in May 2006 as a Texas Scholar and a Tech Prep Scholar. During his college career at UTPA he continued to volunteer at the Rio Grande Regional Hospital, be active in sports, work full time, and be involved in two organizations – Hispanic Business Student Association and Recreation and Wellness Association, where he currently serves as public/external affairs officer. He is a 2008 graduate of the LeaderShape Institute, a weeklong program intended to help develop and improve leadership skills. In December 2008, Leal was chosen by NASCAR to represent UTPA in a NASCAR Kinetics: Marketing in Motion program, a semester-long program in which students competed against four other universities from around the United States in working on challenging case studies and hosting a NASCAR race viewing party, which was attended locally by more than 900 people who came to enjoy the event and provide support to the UTPA team. Leal, along with his teammates, were notified in late April that they were the victorious team, winning an all-expresses-paid, five-day trip to Charlotte, North Carolina.

What are your plans after graduation?

Continue to further my education at UTPA while working for a major company

Do you plan to stay in the Valley?

I plan to stay in the Valley for as long as my career lets me.

What has your education done for you?

The education that I have gained by attending UTPA has been more than what you read in your courses. It has helped me understand the importance of persistence, asking for guidance, helping each other and networking.

How do you feel about your UTPA experience?

Although I wish I would have had gotten more involved in my freshmen year instead of so late in my college career, I believe that my UTPA experience has been awesome. It has opened many doors and has helped me narrow down what I want to do in life.

What is your best tip for success?

First, be persistent, never give up; second, pray for guidance; third, never kick yourself for the past but instead look forward to what comes in the future; and fourth, always stay positive.

What advice do you have for college-bound students?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions from a college student or a teacher or go to tutoring; there is so much that UTPA offers as help and failing to ask about something could hurt you in the long run. Also, always ask for guidance from God; he always has the right answers.