our visibility in a positive light and built a better understanding within our city that is labeled machismo. It’s a great feeling when strangers approach me, thanking me for what I do with our team for impacting their lives. I want to put that same passion and dedication to work for the TAMIU Alumni Association,” he explained. He's already outlined his goals for doing just that. “Aside from upholding the Association’s mission and vision, my personal goal is to execute now-Immediate Past President Raúl Reyes’s ideas. Being President-Elect under his leadership for two years, I am aware of the expectations for the Association. I would like our alumni to reconnect with one another and with the University. Also, I’d like to educate current students and guide them with any questions they have about degree programs and careers they are pursuing. The TAMIU Office of Alumni Relations and our Association have already started working on executing some ideas. We want to create annual staple events that target specific groups while others target large groups. Next on the list is to create an annual fundraiser,” he explained. While he graduated in 2009 with a BA in Communication with a minor in Marketing, Quijano says the lessons from those TAMIU classrooms fueled his career...and still do. “I remember my Public Relations Campaigns course. We coordinated an event for the Planetarium’s 5th Anniversary. I learned so much, and this project encouraged me to pursue a career in Public Relations and Marketing...and I still recall my top three favorite professors: the late Dr. Lynda Brown, Marcela Morán, and Dr. Jyotsna Mukerji,” he said. ‘09 QUIJANO SAYS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENCY IS ABOUT GIVING BACK TO ALMA MATER TAMIU Alumni Association president Jorge Luis Quijano said his turn in the Association’s top office is about acknowledging the impact TAMIU has had on his life...and how he can impact others. "My dear friend Raúl Reyes, president of the TAMIU Alumni Association at the time, was looking for officers, knows my work ethic, and approached me during a community event. I couldn’t say no... It’s TAMIU, my Alma Mater! I am where I am because of my education and experience at TAMIU,” Quijano said. Quijano says his Alumni Association presidency will extend his commitment to community engagement. “My community involvement is motivated by knowing I’m making a difference in our city. I love giving a helping hand. I have been doing so since a child but more so when I moved back to Laredo in 2013, working for Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association and volunteering for other organizations like the American Cancer Society, Laredo BorderSlam, LITE Productions, and Laredo Theatre Guild International, to name a few. As a founder of an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization (Gateway City Pride Association), creating a Pride Parade and festival from the bottom up is a huge undertaking. We catapulted TAMIU ALUMNI Jorge Luis Quijano Jaelia Hernández, Jorge Luis Quijano, Dora Guerrero and Ashley Niño 31
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