TAMIU Student Named USTA Campus Leader of the Year

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) junior Edgar Saldana, TAMIU Tennis Club president, Laredo Tennis Association (LTA) board member, health and wellness advocate, and innovator for local youth tennis clubs and associations is getting some richly deserved recognition.

Saldana was selected for the United States Tennis Association (USTA)  Texas Tennis Campus Leader of the Year Award, honoring individual college student leaders for significant contributions to the Tennis On Campus program.

Kelly Goodhart, coordinator of the USTA Tennis On Campus program, informed Saldana of his selection, stating, “you went above and beyond and made an impact and for that we thank you.” She added that the application pool for 2013 was the strongest to date and that “you should be proud of what you accomplished and for all the effort you put into making your club team the best it can be.”

“The whole experience has been humbling,” Saldana said. 

His passion for tennis began during his eighth grade year and continued through his high school career at Alexander High School where he served as junior varsity captain and member of the varsity team during his final two years. Saldana believes his close affiliation with the LTA, where he is an executive assistant and board member, has contributed to his candidacy for the award.

“Other tennis clubs do not work with their Community Tennis Associations (CTA) as much as the TAMIU Tennis Club and the LTA,” Saldana explained, noting their efforts have yielded over 350 hours of community service for Laredo tennis programs.

The TAMIU Tennis Club currently includes 35 members. As president, Saldana has encouraged all members to attend the LTA QuickStart Training Program to become certified to teach tennis to those 10 and Under, qualify as Junior Team Tennis court monitors, and complete Umpire Certifications. In addition to this, TAMIU Tennis Club members are involved in the community with the Boys & Girls Club’s After School and summer programs, the Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas Tennis Camp, the Voz de Niños Organization, and UISD physical education programs.

“Tennis has taught me to be persistent, how to work well under pressure, and how to be a passionate leader,” Saldana explained.  He assisted in the approval process for a tennis complex to be built at TAMIU in conjunction with LTA president Tina Treviño and TAMIU vice-president for Institutional Advancement Candy Hein.

With his major shifting from biology to art and his minor from marketing to kinesiology, Saldana feels that his education is better aligned with his career aspirations.   With his lifelong passion of art in mind, Saldana would like to pursue a degree in Pre-Med and eventually apply for a surgical center in San Antonio. 

“I can understand how surgeons are like artists in many ways,” Saldana observed. 

Although his goal is Pre-Med, Saldana revealed that he did have an alternative plan. 

“I would really like to work for the new TAMIU Tennis Center when it is ready as a coordinator for events,” he said.

For additional information, contact the University’s Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu or click on tamiu.edu TAMIU information is also available on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  – By Philip Balli, Student Intern

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu