In the fall of 2016, Christopher Mendez started his academic journey at The University of Texas and made history by being the first in his family to attend college. Despite being eager to bleed burnt orange, Chris had difficulty transitioning from a small town to a prestigious university located in a big, bustling city. This shock factor resulted in him having poor academic performance and feeling lost at UT.
Over time, he received support from his family and friends and on-campus organizations like the Longhorn Center for Academic Excellence and the Texas Advertising Group helped him find his place here on the Forty Acres. It was through these resources that Chris was able to persevere and carve a path toward his future academic and career goals. With the help of the First Gen Longhorn Program at UT, he plans to accomplish one of these goals by studying abroad in Japan this upcoming summer.
Currently, Chris is a junior advertising student whose love for brand storytelling and graphic design has influenced him to pursue a career in advertising with a focus in art direction.