The social media phenomenon known as “Humans of New York” has captivated audiences the world over.

The trend across social media platforms focuses on anonymous individuals and their deeply personal testimonies.

A UTSA student has localized the idea with the project “Humans of UTSA.” This project focuses on a growing student body that is slowly finding its identity.

UTSA has evolved from a student population consisting of local residents searching for affordable higher education close to home to an emerging tier one university with students from all over the nation — a university of first choice.

So who are these “Humans of UTSA”? According to the UTSA Fact Book, 3.1 percent of students enrolled during the 2009 fall semester were from out of the country; by 2013, that number had risen to 4.7 percent.

Additionally, according to the UTSA Fact Book, the number of students enrolled from outside the state has steadily increased. During the 2002 fall semester, the number of out-of-state students enrolled at UTSA was 367; in the 2006 fall semester that number increased to 594.

With a growing number of international students joining students from across the nation, the culture throughout campus has become rich with diversity and budding tradition.

UTSA has enhanced its atmosphere by adding an overachieving football team, modern dormitories and even a six-foot-tall, 11-foot-long iron Rowdy statue. UTSA has shed its commuter campus identity and dressed up like a prestigious four-year institution.

The “Humans of UTSA” project has showcased the growing number of students who not only attend the university, but also who invest in it. They willingly come to campus to grow and cultivate their ideas and dreams.

UTSA is no longer a convenient location — it is a destination.