Author: OLLUNewsletter
OLLU Alum Julian S. Garcia Publishes First Novel
Julian S. Garcia, a 1975 graduate of Our Lady of the Lake College, has published his first novel, When VIAztlan Was the Rage. Garcia studied sociology and bilingual education at OLLU and is now adding fiction to a long record of published writing.
Garcia is a regular Op-Ed contributor for the San Antonio Express-News, San Francisco Chronicle and other Hearst publications. His work has also appeared on the Texas State Historical Association website.
The ebook edition of When VIAztlan Was the Rage has been published by Tiltwood Press, with a paperback edition expected in summer 2026. The book cover describes the novel as “a novel of writers, rebellion, and literary awakening.”
A literary novel exploring the vibrant history of the ViAztlan International journal in the 1980s, captures the creative energy, cultural rivalries, and artistic voices that shaped San Antonio’s West Side and connected local writers to an international literary movement.
This accomplishment highlights the continued impact of OLLU alumni in literature, journalism and public thought.
You may obtain this e-novel on Amazon here.
OLLU Music Students Attend TMEA Convention in San Antonio
OLLU music students attended the Texas Music Educators Association Convention on Feb. 12, 2026, at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio. The convention, one of the nation’s premier music education events, gave students the opportunity to explore new pedagogical tools and gain classroom-ready inspiration through more than 300 clinics and All-State performances.
Students were accompanied by music faculty Dr. Jessica Hajek and Prof. Hector Vera. The visit offered students a valuable chance to engage with current trends in music education while learning from leaders in the field.
The field trip was made possible in part through the support of a Flashman Foundation mini-grant.
Restoring History, Celebrating Community: OLLU Unveils Revitalized Treaty Mural
On Saturday, OLLU and our neighbors and partners celebrated the unveiling of the Treaty Mural. This beautiful piece of Chicano art was painted in 1980 by Community Cultural Arts, the pioneers of public muralism in our city. While the piece has stood proudly for 45 years, it has become weathered by time and over the course of this semester, students from the OLLU Visual Arts class “Barrio Art and Popular Culture” partnered with the original artists to restore it to its glory. They did so with many partners, including the Segundo de Febrero Committee at OLLU, Opportunity Homes, City District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, the OLLU Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism, and a whole crew of volunteers from across the OLLU and Westside communities.
This Saturday, we celebrated this success with an unveiling ceremony and blessing. The event was from 11 to noon and included addresses from Visual Arts professor Suzy Gonzalez, original mural artist Tache Torres, Amber Ortega from the International Folk Cultural Center and Segundo Committee, and representatives of the Councilwoman and Opportunity Home. The event culminated in a blessing presided over by Sister Rose Kruppa, the Superior General of our Congregation of Divine Providence.
Speakers at the event highlighted its historic importance, not only as an early example of Chicano muralism but also due to its link to Segundo de Febrero. This event commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848, which ended the Mexican-American War and marked the political birth of the Mexican-American people. This transformative event has had repercussions that continue over the centuries. OLLU was among the first organizations in the nation to recognize the significance of this event, and this mural restoration is part of a revival of that tradition this semester.
Others spoke to the importance of intergenerational connections between the original artists and today’s art students, to the crucial role that public art has in uplifting our community and the special role the public housing plays in creating a just society.
OLLU has committed to continuing this partnership and will be seeking pathways for restoring more murals and uplifting their presence in San Antonio and beyond.
Easter Weekend OLLU Campus Closed — April 2-6
Please be advised that Our Lady of the Lake University will be closed from April 2 through April 6, 2026. During this time, all on-campus operations will be suspended. We will return to normal operating hours on April 7th.
Faculty and staff are reminded to:
• Set their email and voicemail greetings to out of office to reflect the campus closure.
• Disconnect and empty any perishable items in office mini fridges.
• Unplug any office space heater
• If any faculty members need to come to campus during the closure, they must notify Campus Police before arrival to ensure proper access and safety.
If any faculty members need to come to campus during the closure, they must notify Campus Police before arrival to ensure proper access and safety.
As a reminder, OLLU partners with Uwill to provide students with 24/7 emotional support, scheduled counseling, and urgent medical care via telehealth. Students can access these services at https://medical.uwill.com.
Please note the adjusted hours of operation for on-campus dining locations during Easter Weekend.
From Thursday, April 2 through Monday, April 6, the Market will be open with modified hours, while all other dining locations—including Annie B’s, SBX, Crave, and the Sub Shop—will be closed.
For more information on dining at OLLU, click here.
📱 Safety Reminder:
Download the InformaCast app to receive important campus emergency alerts and safety notifications.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Wishing you a joyful Easter break and a restful holiday season.
From Insight to Action: A Focused Differentiation Progress Report
By now, many of you have seen or heard the results of the Focused Differentiation Survey that was shared a couple of weeks ago. The results of that survey helped us see that we are, by a majority,
- aligned on the student populations we should prioritize
- accept (again by majority) that we will have to deprioritize certain student segments as long as we do it based on data
- agree on the attributes that differentiate us
- and believe that we are not yet ready; not disciplined enough to execute a focused strategy
Focused Differentiation is a strategy defined by businessman, author and Harvard professor Michael Porter. It identifies an approach that accepts that you can’t be everything to everyone and promotes the idea of identifying something that you do better than anyone else and that others (the competition) would find hard to copy.
The survey results show that we are in line with who will be our target market: First-generation Hispanic undergraduates from South Texas. We will not be everything to everyone. That’s not to say we won’t accept other students; it just means that first-gen Hispanic undergrads from South Texas are who we will spend valuable marketing dollars on to recruit.
The results also show that we believe we are good at having
- strong career pipelines in select industries
- accelerated pathways (3-year degrees, flexible scheduling)
- personalized, high-touch advising model
- and small-class, faculty-mentored environment
We will have to ‘focus’ more on these attributes if we want to make them so strong that the competition would not be able to replicate them.
The overwhelming response was that we are not yet ready to execute a focused strategy. We are not yet disciplined enough. That is true. Some people may see it as defeating; but this is where Providence and resilience kicks in. It is Easter season after all. We are preparing for our rebirth by making changes and improvements. We are re-evaluating current practices and assessing tools such as software that we no longer need. We are identifying skills that will be needed in this renaissance.
While some will be excited about this refreshing change, there will be some that will be concerned about a change. That is natural. “Change” involves human behavior; and humans involve emotions. Below is a chart that we will discuss at our University Community Convening on April 22nd. The top row shows that in order to have successful change, you need to have Vision, Skills, Incentives, Resources and a Plan. If any of these five items is ignored, then you can see in the blue column the effect that it could cause. Take a look at it. Think about it. Be prepared to discuss it at our convening.
🌿 Lake Weekly Pause for Easter Week
OLLU Women’s Tennis Stays Steady At No. 16
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) picked up ground on No. 1 Keiser (Fla.) by capturing three first-place votes in the fourth regular-season NAIA Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of the 2026 campaign, as the top six teams remained unchanged in the final March edition of the Top 25.
The Blue Raiders are No. 2, behind the top-ranked Seahawks, with two big jumps, one in the top 10 as SCAD Savannah (Ga.) climbed from No. 11 to No. 7. The other, also a four-spot move, sent Morningside (Iowa) to No. 17, from No. 21. One new team entered the poll – Coastal Georgia at No. 25 – replacing William Woods (Mo.).
OLLU Baseball Takes Down Prairie View In Slugfest
Our Lady of the Lake delivered a statement performance Tuesday, outlasting Division I opponent Prairie View A&M in a high-scoring 13–10 victory fueled by relentless offense and timely pitching.
The Saints piled up 21 hits across 45 at-bats, showcasing depth throughout the lineup and an ability to respond to every Prairie View surge. Jackson Kalisky led the charge with a dominant 5-for-6 performance, scoring three runs and consistently setting the tone at the plate. Drew Saucedo added three hits and two runs, while CaliEvan Billela-Barstow matched that output with three hits and two runs of his own.
Production came from every corner of the order. Brett Atkinson delivered one of the game’s biggest swings, driving in three runs while collecting both a double and a triple. Joshua Milton contributed two RBIs, and Jacob Cueva added a hit, an RBI, and a walk in a balanced offensive effort. Juan Garcia provided a key highlight with a home run, accounting for one of the Saints 11 RBIs on the day. Even in situational moments, the Saints executed, with Benjamin Hovda producing two sacrifice flies to bring runners home.
Prairie View A&M kept the pressure on throughout. Hunter Ham powered their offense with three hits and three RBIs, including a pair of doubles. Ryland Duson added four hits and two RBIs, while Basilio Williams contributed two runs and an RBI, highlighted by a triple. The Panthers drew seven walks and capitalized on opportunities, but ultimately could not keep pace with the Saints offensive volume.
On the mound, Our Lady of the Lake used a committee approach to secure the win. Ethan Garza earned the victory with 4.1 innings of work, allowing four runs while stabilizing the middle innings. Nolan Richardson closed the door despite a late push from Prairie View, striking out four over 2.2 innings to earn his second save of the season.
The Saints set the tone early and weathered multiple rallies, answering Prairie View’s six-run late-game surge with enough cushion built from earlier innings. Their ability to string together hits and produce with runners in scoring position proved decisive, as they left only nine runners on base despite the high offensive output.
Prairie View’s pitching staff struggled to contain the Saints after the early innings. While Ty Pankonin delivered two scoreless frames with five strikeouts, the bullpen as a whole surrendered 12 earned runs, allowing Our Lady of the Lake to break the game open in the middle innings.
In total, the contest featured 33 combined hits and constant momentum swings, but Our Lady of the Lake’s consistency at the plate and resilience on the mound ultimately secured an impressive win over a Division I opponent.
OLLU Men’s Golf Wraps Up Play At The Battle
At Laughlin Ranch Golf Club in Bullhead City, the Our Lady of the Lake University men’s golf team competed in a three-round NAIA event hosted by Wayland Baptist University. The tournament brought together a competitive field and required sustained consistency across all three rounds, with scoring conducted through a paperless official system.
OLLU was led by Niall Langley-Brook, who finished tied for 17th with a three-round total of 222. He opened with rounds of 76 and 76 before closing with a 70, one of the stronger final rounds in the field. His ability to improve in the final round demonstrated effective adjustments and a composed approach on a course that challenged players to maintain precision.
Ozil Trey Salinas finished tied for 68th with a total of 235, recording rounds of 77, 78, and 80. His scoring remained steady through the first two rounds before encountering a more difficult final round. Juan Limon followed with a 236 total, posting rounds of 77, 81, and 78, reflecting consistent play throughout the tournament. Alex Marshall recorded a 240 total with rounds of 81, 82, and 77, showing improvement in the final round. Fernando Limon rounded out the lineup with a 247 total, carding rounds of 82, 80, and 85.
At the top of the leaderboard, Patrick Neal of MidAmerica Nazarene University secured the individual title with a total of 212, highlighted by rounds of 74, 69, and 69.
Overall scoring trends reflected the demands of Laughlin Ranch, where maintaining momentum across multiple rounds proved challenging for much of the field. While several players recorded sub-70 rounds, fluctuations were common, particularly in the final round.
For OLLU, the event provided a clear assessment of performance against a strong NAIA field. The Saints finished T-19 in a very competitive field which happened to have the number one ranked team in the nation in Keiser.