The HEB Student Union sprang to life with the energy brought about by bright, young minds in a ballroom full of endless possibilities. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 22, students gathered in the HSU to attend the Get Involved Fair, one of UT San Antonio’s many events held as a part of Roadrunner Days.
The ballroom was packed wall to wall with dozens of student organizations. Fraternities, sororities, major specific, religious and ethnic organizations, along with clubs based on shared interests or hobbies set up their tables and pitched their groups to passers by, offering opportunities for them to get involved in one way or another.
UTSA Student Theatre was among the first tables students saw upon entering the ballroom. Those who stopped and spoke with them may have had the pleasure of hearing Public Relations Officer John Pelayo’s story.
“Honestly, before doing any sort of college theatre, I’m gonna be so real, I was kind of a bum,” Pelayo admitted. “UTSA Student Theatre kind of gave me an opportunity to really put all of myself into something and really invest my time, my energy, everything into the pursuit of a collective.”
This organization is the only student-run theatre club on campus. The members perform plays and musicals that anyone of any background is welcome to audition for and participate in.
“It was instrumental to my growth as a human being,” Pelayo added. “I would not be half the person I was without actually doing it.”
Auditions for the organization’s upcoming show “The Laramie Project” will be held Feb. 9-11. Additional information can be found on their Instagram, @utsatheatre.
Venturing outside of the ballroom, students were greeted with refreshments and a handful of sponsored student organizations.
“We’re providing [the] Spurs College Pass program,” Viviana Ortega of Spurs Sports & Entertainment said. “It’s a new program that we came out with this season. It gives college students discounted tickets throughout the season. So today, we’re out here having people sign up for our email list so they [can] receive those offers.”
A sign-up form can be found at nba.com/spurs/spurscollegepass.
A little ways away stood the Roadrunner Productions table. At first glance, it was not entirely clear what the organization did, but Entertainment Chair Allyne Rios made sure to clarify.
“So, Roadrunner Productions, we are an event production org here on campus where we strive to get students involved,” she stated. “The university supports us in order to get students involved on campus, for them to be able to have the space to meet other students and just feel safe.”
According to Rios, the organization is responsible for the coordination behind big events on campus like Día en la Sombrilla. She promoted the organization as an opportunity for students “to see the logistical aspects of what it takes to create an event, a successful event,” and highlighted their importance to school culture.
The Get Involved Fair could not be contained within the HSU’s ballroom; upstairs, in the Harris and Travis room, community partners promoted their volunteer, internship and work opportunities.
Local nonprofit Keep San Antonio Beautiful’s Executive Committee President, Maggie Hernandez, detailed the important work the group does around the city.
“We just go around picking up any litter that’s in the park. We weigh everything, and we also sort some of the bags, just to see what kind of litter is actually being discarded there,” Hernandez said.
The nonprofit runs entirely on volunteer support. They organize cleanup events at local parks and rivers, partner with San Antonio Parks and Recreations, coordinate recycling for events like Fiesta Fitfest and collaborate with Adopt-A-Spot street cleanups.
To register to volunteer, visit keepsabeautiful.org/index.php.
Tucked away in the corner of the Harris/Travis room stood a colorful table adorned with bright plushies. Closer inspection would reveal it to be a table for Kawacon Anime & Gaming Convention.
“For a really, really long time, anime was seen as something that was kind of nerdy and frowned upon. I feel like it’s only recently hit the mainstream, and Kawacon, as well as other conventions offer a sense of belonging for people who want to enjoy their hobbies without being judged,” Volunteer Coordinator Ann Roddick shared.
On top of all the convention offers for guests, it has opportunities for volunteer work behind the scenes. Volunteering comes with a perk: once the shift ends, volunteers get a free day pass for the convention.
“I actually started out as a volunteer [in] year two, and now I am the head of convention services and the volunteer coordinator for Kawacon,” Roddick said. “I think we have a 98% return rate with people who have volunteered wanting to come back because they enjoy it so much.”
Their first event of the year, KawaCHIISAI, is scheduled for Feb. 14 at the Norris Conference Center. Tickets can be purchased at kawaconsa.com/kawa-chiisai. The second event, Kawacon’s annual three-day convention, will take place July 3-5.
Student involvement has no linear path, but there are avenues anyone can take at UT San Antonio as seen at the spring 2026 Get Involved Fair.
