Category: News

For Tayara Cropper, earning a Master of Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University was more than an academic achievement—it was a transformative experience that prepared her to serve others with compassion, cultural understanding, and purpose.

A member of OLLU’s Class of 2023, Cropper earned her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Hispanic Children and Families, a specialized program that continues to influence her work as a renal social worker. The program equipped her with the cultural competence and practical skills needed to effectively support diverse populations, particularly Hispanic patients and families navigating complex healthcare challenges.

“Through this program, I gained the cultural competence and insight needed to effectively serve diverse communities,” Cropper said. “As a renal social worker, I apply this training daily when supporting Hispanic patients and families with respect, understanding, and advocacy.”

OLLU’s rigorous curriculum and supportive faculty helped prepare Cropper for immediate success after graduation. She passed her social work licensing exam on her first attempt and quickly secured employment in her field, a testament to the strong foundation she built during her time at the university.

While pursuing her degree, Cropper also faced economic challenges, but she credits OLLU’s support systems and community for helping her remain focused on her goals. The encouragement and resources she received enabled her to persevere and complete her graduate education.

Today, as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Cropper continues to serve others while preparing for the next step in her professional journey as she works toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

Reflecting on her experience, Cropper remains grateful for the education and mentorship she received at OLLU.

“I will always appreciate my time at OLLU for shaping me into the social worker I am today and reinforcing my commitment to service and compassion,” she said.

Through graduates like Cropper, OLLU’s mission of preparing professionals dedicated to service, leadership, and social justice continues to make a meaningful impact in communities across Texas.

As we continue our Fall 2026 enrollment efforts, we want to recognize the progress we have made together and keep our focus on the goal ahead. Our current enrollment stands at 1,340 students, a testament to the dedication, collaboration, and commitment demonstrated across the OLLU community.

While this milestone is worth celebrating, we remain focused on our Fall 2026 enrollment goal of 1,800 students. With 460 students still needed to reach our target, every conversation, campus visit, referral, and act of support can make a meaningful impact.

Enrollment is a shared responsibility. Whether you are engaging prospective students, supporting current Saints, participating in campus events, or sharing your OLLU experience with others, your efforts help strengthen our community and advance our mission.

As you continue to see the enrollment thermometer displayed across campus, remember that each new student represents an opportunity to transform a life through education. Together, through collaboration, enthusiasm, and a shared commitment to student success, we can build the momentum needed to reach our goal and continue growing a thriving OLLU community.

Thank you for your continued dedication and support.

OLLU’s Fall 2026 enrollment stands at 1,314, with a goal of 1,800. Reaching that milestone will take all of us working together across campus and within our broader community. Every conversation, every connection, and every registration brings us one step closer to success. We work together, and we thrive together.

Our Lady of the Lake University will relocate its Houston-area operations to the Lone Star College – University Center at The Woodlands beginning this summer, returning to the institution’s original Houston-area home. The transition supports OLLU’s commitment to providing an enhanced learning environment while maintaining uninterrupted academic progress for students. OLLU will fully vacate its current Houston location by June 21, 2026.

What Students Need to Know

Students can expect a seamless transition with no interruption to their degree plans or academic progress. Student support services will remain available throughout the move, and any summer courses affected by the transition may temporarily shift online. Students will receive direct communication regarding any course-specific changes.

The new location offers several advantages, including modern classrooms, expanded academic facilities, improved technology resources, convenient access from major transportation routes, a safe and secure campus environment, abundant dining and retail options, and a vibrant collegiate atmosphere within the Lone Star College University Center.

What Faculty Need to Know

Faculty will play a key role in ensuring instructional continuity and student success during the transition. Some summer courses may temporarily move to online delivery, with program leaders providing details on course-specific adjustments. Faculty may experience temporary operational changes as services and classrooms are established at the new location. Additional information regarding classrooms, campus resources, and operational procedures will be shared as it becomes available.

University leadership remains committed to open communication throughout the process and appreciates the flexibility and partnership of students, faculty, and staff as OLLU begins this exciting new chapter in The Woodlands.

Our Lady of the Lake University is proud to recognize its newest recipients of the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers, one of the most prestigious educator preparation programs in Texas.

More than a scholarship, the Charles Butt Scholarship represents a statewide investment in the future of education. OLLU’s continued partnership places the university among a select group of institutions dedicated to addressing one of Texas’ most pressing challenges: preparing, supporting, and retaining exceptional teachers.

The highly competitive scholarship program identifies students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and a strong commitment to serving Texas students. Many recipients plan to teach in high-need schools or pursue critical areas such as bilingual education, special education, mathematics, and science.

Each Charles Butt Scholar receives up to $8,000–$10,000 annually for up to four years, along with professional development opportunities, mentorship, and access to a statewide network of educators and alumni. The program equips future teachers with the resources and support needed to make a lasting impact in classrooms across Texas.

As OLLU celebrates its newest cohort of scholars, the university also celebrates its role in developing the next generation of educators who will inspire learning, strengthen communities, and shape the future of Texas.

Congratulations to our Charles Butt Scholars on this outstanding achievement and their commitment to the teaching profession.

Our Lady of the Lake University’s Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program has been recognized as one of the top programs in Texas, earning the No. 5 ranking in the state for 2026 by MarriageFamilyTherapist.org, a leading resource for students exploring MFT education and career pathways.

The recognition highlights OLLU’s longstanding reputation as a nationally recognized, bilingual training program dedicated to preparing skilled, compassionate therapists to serve diverse communities. The ranking also acknowledges the program’s commitment to multicultural education, accessible clinical mentorship, and student-centered learning.

For decades, OLLU’s MFT program has equipped graduates with the knowledge, clinical experience, and cultural competence needed to support individuals, couples, and families across South Texas and beyond. Faculty members are recognized for their dedication to mentoring future therapists and fostering a learning environment grounded in service, inclusion, and professional excellence.

This distinction reflects the impact of OLLU’s faculty, students, alumni, and community partners who continue to advance the field of relational and family therapy while improving the well-being of the communities they serve.

Congratulations to the Marriage and Family Therapy program on this outstanding achievement and continued recognition as one of Texas’ premier destinations for therapist education and training.

Our Lady of the Lake University is redefining the college experience by becoming the first university in Texas to offer accredited three-year bachelor’s degree pathways. Designed to help students graduate sooner, reduce educational costs, and enter the workforce or graduate school faster, these innovative programs provide a streamlined route to earning a high-quality OLLU degree.

Beginning with select undergraduate programs, students can complete their bachelor’s degree in as little as three years through pathways requiring 91–96 credit hours. The programs maintain OLLU’s rigorous academic standards while reducing excess elective requirements, allowing students to focus on the courses most relevant to their career goals.

The new degree model reflects OLLU’s ongoing commitment to innovation, affordability, and student success. By shortening time to graduation, students can reduce overall educational expenses and begin pursuing professional opportunities sooner. The initiative also aligns with OLLU’s mission to create accessible pathways to higher education and workforce readiness.

Students interested in learning more about OLLU’s three-year degree options can explore available programs and admission requirements through the university’s Three-Year Degree webpage.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Early afternoon on May 8, 2025 (San Antonio time), the world heard, “I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian.” In the days that followed, my curiosity led me deeper into learning about Saint Augustine and his teachings of interiority, restless hearts, true happiness, unity over uniformity, and love for the poor. One year into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV continues to model these Augustinian values while calling on Catholic institutions to respond faithfully to the realities of our time.

Last week, I joined a group of Catholic higher education presidents for the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) Rome Seminar, where we explored a suite of timely topics relevant to our sector. It is abundantly clear that higher education is undergoing profound transformation. Change is occurring in student expectations, technology, workforce demands, demographic realities. All the while, the pace of change continues to accelerate.

What struck me most was that regardless of institutional size, location, endowment amount, focus, or relative strength or fragility, every one of my presidential colleagues is navigating significant institutional transformation. The challenges might appear different from campus to campus, but the reality is shared: institutions that wish to serve future generations must continually evolve to meet the needs of their time. This observation strengthened a conviction that has continued to emerge at OLLU in our time together. Transformation is stewardship. It is our obligation to continually align our mission, programs, operations, and student experience with the realities of the world our students will inherit.

We, too, will continue to embrace transformation and evolution as we steward OLLU and position our institution for a bright tomorrow. Our work around Focused Differentiation, operational excellence, student success, and institutional sustainability is rooted in our shared commitment.

In our private audience with His Holiness last week, Pope Leo acknowledged both the importance of our ministry and the challenges facing Catholic education. He reminded us that Catholic institutions “are called to be a living environment in which the Christian vision permeates every discipline, and every interaction.” Those words resonated deeply with me. They remind us that our mission is not preserved by being static. Rather, it is strengthened when we continually renew how we live it.

In closing, I respectfully share with you two photos from our time with Pope Leo, and I pass along his blessing which he asked that I carry to each of you: “I cordially impart my apostolic blessing, which I willingly extend to the people, the communities, and the institutions you represent.”

Please remember that you are a gift to our university and to the world. The future of OLLU will be shaped by the talents, creativity, dedication, and faithfulness of our community; by you. As we continue this important work together, may we embrace transformation as an act of stewardship and a faithful response to the needs of our time.

With prayer and with gratitude.

Yours,

Abel A. Chávez, MBA, Ph.D.