The International Folk Culture Center at Our Lady of the Lake University is proud to welcome filmmaker Sonya Rosario as the Fall 2025 Artist in Residence. Rosario’s work blends storytelling, film, and social justice, creating space for dialogue on identity, culture, and community.
She will lead two upcoming presentations open to the OLLU community and the public:
How I Tell Stories Through Filmmaking When: Wednesday, October 1, 2025 | 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Where: MARC Ballroom
Conscientious Filmmaking Workshop When: Wednesday-Thursday, November 12-13, 2025 | 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Where: MARC Ballroom
This two-day workshop will center on themes of internalized racial oppression and colorism, viewed through the lens of women and social justice films. Participants will examine film history, the role of women in cinema, and how both urban and rural life shape conscientious social justice filmmaking.
The OLLU McNair Scholars Program proudly celebrates the recent publication of McNair alumna Alyna Guerrero and her McNair mentor, Dr. Melissa Brennan, in the North American Journal of Psychology.
Their article, “Marianismo Beliefs and Mental Health Help-Seeking Attitudes Among College-Aged Latinas” (Vol. 27, Issue 3, pp. 697–714), explores the ways cultural beliefs influence attitudes toward seeking mental health support among Latina college students.
This publication reflects the impact of the McNair Scholars Program in supporting undergraduate research and mentorship that extends beyond graduation. Guerrero’s achievement is a testament to the program’s mission of preparing first-generation and underrepresented students for graduate study and scholarly contribution.
The campus directory is no longer hosted on the public website. It has been relocated to Saints Connect and can now be accessed via a dedicated tile labeled “Campus Directory.”
This directory is a live SharePoint site integrated directly with Dialpad, ensuring real-time updates. Any changes related to faculty or staff—such as new hires, departures, title updates, or contact information—reflect what is on file with the Human Resources (HR) Office.
This transition enhances accessibility for our internal community while also helping to reduce spam and protect contact information.
Our Lady of the Lake University’s Crystal Brock, has been named National Dance Coaches Association (NDCA) Member of the Month for September. This well-deserved honor celebrates Coach Brock’s 21 years of excellence in dance education, choreography, and spirit leadership—a career that continues to elevate OLLU Athletics and inspire dancers across the country.
Since joining OLLU in 2020, Coach Brock has built the university’s competitive cheer, dance, and drumline programs from the ground up, turning them into nationally recognized powerhouses. Under her leadership, OLLU Spirit has earned multiple NAIA and NDA/NCA national titles, including a first-place finish at the 2025 NCA College NAIA Game Day Nationals. Her teams are celebrated for their precision, performance quality, and Game Day energy. Fitting for someone whose favorite styles of dance are Pom and Game Day.
Brock was recently nominated for 2025 NDCA Collegiate Coach of the Year, after being named a finalist in both 2024 and 2025. Her commitment to excellence doe not stop at coaching. She also serves as an adjudicator for several respected organizations including Showmakers of America, Crowd Pleasers Dance, and the Texas Educators Assessment of Learning. Her leadership and judging experience continue to influence the broader spirit and dance community well beyond the OLLU campus.
In addition to her collegiate coaching success, Brock brings a wealth of experience from her time as a high school dance educator and director in San Antonio. She has led numerous high school programs to regional and national acclaim and was honored with the Northside ISD Above & Beyond Award for Outstanding Dance Educator in 2020. Her work as Head Choreographer for the 2022 feature film Say a Little Prayer, and her role in the 2024 SA Gridiron Dance Finale, showcase her creative versatility and artistic impact outside the traditional competition circuit.
Currently pursuing her Doctorate in Leadership Studies at OLLU, Coach Brock holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies with a Psychology minor. She is also an active member of NDCA’s Recruitment and Membership Engagement Committee and continues to serve as a mentor, presenter, and judge across multiple spirit organizations.
The entire OLLU Athletics Department congratulates Coach Brock on this incredible recognition. Her passion, leadership, and dedication make her an invaluable part of our Saints family, and we are proud to see her work honored on a national stage.
The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) women’s soccer team is off to an great start this season, earning the 11th spot in the very first Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) ranking of the year with an impressive RPI of 0.658. This ranking underscores just how promising the Saints are as they set their sights on cracking the top 25 nationally.
For those unfamiliar, the RPI is a crucial metric in college sports that evaluates a team’s success based not only on their win-loss record but also the strength of their schedule. The formula considers a team’s winning percentage, the winning percentage of their opponents, and the winning percentage of their opponents, opponents. An RPI of 0.658 places OLLU well within the upper tier of competitive teams, especially when paired with their seventh-best strength of schedule in the entire country. This means that not only are the Saints winning, but they’re going against some of the toughest competition in NAIA collegiate soccer.
The Saints will have an exciting weekend ahead as they return to their home turf for two key matchups. On Thursday, they face Texas A&M-Texarkana, a team that will surely test their abilities but one OLLU is prepared to take on. Then, on Saturday, the Saints will host Jarvis Christian in a special Alumni Day game which will be a perfect occasion to celebrate the program’s rich history while pushing forward toward future triumphs.
With such a strong foundation and the support of their home crowd, OLLU is in a prime position to make a statement and crack the top 25 national rankings. Fans and alumni alike should be proud of how far the team has come and excited for the potential that lies ahead. The Saints are showing everyone that they are in contention to do something great this season.
The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) men’s tennis team made their presence felt this weekend at the Trinity University Invitational in San Antonio, Texas, with a mix of impressive wins and valiant performances against tough regional opponents including Saint Mary’s, Lubbock Christian, and the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW).
One of the biggest highlights of the weekend came from the dynamic doubles duo of Jacob Gailey and Bastien Prod’Homme, who delivered a commanding 8-2 victory over Saint Mary’s. Their chemistry on court and aggressive play style were unmatched and set the tone for the Saints across the tournament.
In singles, Louis Bocquet delivered a powerful win over Fabian Rosales of Saint Mary’s, showcasing his consistency and high tennis IQ. Bocquet also battled teammate Corentin Fusaro in a thrilling internal match that highlighted the depth and competitiveness of OLLU’s roster. Fusaro ultimately came out on top, earning well-deserved recognition.
Joao Victor Castro gave a determined effort in his singles match, but fell to Saint Mary’s Bernhard Hauer, while Pietro Guimaraes showed promise with a strong victory over Zachary Hazel of Lubbock Christian before running into Hauer as well, who managed to edge him out in straight sets. Nonetheless, Guimaraes ability to bounce back and compete hard against top-tier talent bodes well for the rest of the season.
Jacob Gailey continued to make waves with a solid singles victory over Evan Walther from Saint Mary’s, using a mix of controlled aggression and smart shot selection. Though he later fell to Alexandre Sulpicy in a close 7-6, 6-2 battle, Gailey’s performance throughout the invitational was one of OLLU’s strongest.
Caleb Olen added to the Saints tally with a straight-sets win against Mario Richmagui of UIW, 6-2, 6-4, putting on a clinic of precise shot-making and patience. Paulo Ceolin also brought the heat, dispatching Evin Walsh of Saint Mary’s with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory that left no doubt about his place as one of the team’s top contributors.
Luis Jimenez Arzate faced a tough opening match against UIW’s Samuel Candelas, falling 6-4, 6-4 in a tightly contested bout. However, he bounced back in style with a hard-earned win against Blake Rogers of Lubbock Christian, showing mental toughness and resilience that defines the OLLU spirit.
Bastien Prod’Homme, despite a close first-set tiebreaker, dropped his singles match against Saint Mary’s Lucas Castillo-Sanchez 7-6, 6-3. Still, his leadership and exceptional doubles play alongside Gailey contributed significantly to the Saints overall success.
The Trinity University Invitational was a valuable test for OLLU, and the team delivered a number of standout performances against quality opposition. With this kind of talent and competitive fire, the Saints are clearly poised for an exciting and successful season ahead.
Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) is at a pivotal moment. As reported by the San Antonio Express-News, the university is confronting a significant enrollment decline — a challenge that reflects broader national trends in higher education, but also underscores the urgent need for institutions to evolve in response to local realities.
In the face of these challenges, OLLU is taking bold steps to realign its academic programs with the needs of San Antonio’s economy and its diverse communities. This means more than just revising curricula — it’s about rethinking how education can serve as a bridge between opportunity and equity.
San Antonio’s workforce is rapidly changing, with growing demand in fields like healthcare, technology, education, and social services. OLLU is uniquely positioned to respond, given its deep roots in the community and its historic commitment to serving underrepresented populations. By strengthening partnerships with local employers, expanding career-focused degree pathways, and investing in programs that reflect the lived experiences of its students, the university is working to ensure that graduates are not only employable — but empowered.
This transformation also involves listening closely to the community. From the West Side to the broader South Texas region, families are seeking educational institutions that understand their challenges and aspirations. OLLU’s renewed focus on accessibility, relevance, and impact is a direct response to that call.
While the enrollment crisis is real, it also presents an opportunity: to innovate, to lead, and to reaffirm the university’s mission in a way that is both future-focused and community-centered.
Robert Santos, the first Latino Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, recently shared his powerful story with the San Antonio Report — a story rooted in the West Side of San Antonio and shaped by a lifelong commitment to equity, data integrity, and community representation.
Santos’ reflections come at a time when mistrust in institutions is growing, particularly among Latino communities. His message is clear: to rebuild trust, we must first understand the lived experiences of the people we serve. This means designing programs that are not only data-informed but also community-driven.
For institutions like Our Lady of the Lake University and others serving diverse populations, Santos’ journey is a call to action. Aligning academic programs with the needs of the local economy is essential — but so is ensuring those programs reflect the cultural, social, and economic realities of the communities they aim to uplift.
Whether it’s through expanding bilingual education, investing in social work and public health, or creating pathways to careers in data science and civic engagement, the future depends on our ability to listen, adapt, and lead with purpose.
The 6-week SAINTS Fitness Challenge is in full swing, and this week’s theme is MOVE MORE!
We’re shaking things up—this week is all about finding creative ways to stay active, beyond just the gym. Dance, walk, stretch, try a pop-up class—any movement counts! All are welcome to our pop-up events!!
Pop-Up Fitness Classes This Week:
Tuesday, 12:30 p.m. | Walk and Talk
Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. | Cardio Groove
Friday, 5:15 p.m. | Movement & Art
Teams are in action, and the most active teams will win gift cards at Presidents Walk during the final week of October.
This challenge celebrates Exercise is Medicine Month and is sponsored by a micro-grant our EIM-OC team was awarded through ACSM. We see you, we cheer for you, and we’re celebrating every step, stretch, and move you make! Let’s keep moving, Saints—YOU GOT THIS! 💪 #FITTOWIN
