Andres Saenz Jr. fell in love with ΟγΈΫΑωΊΟ²ΚΏͺ½±Φ±²₯ when he attended basketball games with a neighbor. Since heβs been a student here, heβs found a sense of belonging through an empowering campus community.
Andres is one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring 2024 graduation. Learn more about his time at Wichita State and what's next for the grad.β―
What degree will you be earning in May?
Bachelor of Arts in music with a minor in communication
What is your hometown?
Wichita
What made you choose ΟγΈΫΑωΊΟ²ΚΏͺ½±Φ±²₯?
Wichita State was always my dream school since I was a kid. My neighbor was a season-ticket holder and took us to all the basketball games and fell in love with the university. My senior year when I was college searching, I saw that Wichita State had an outstanding music program, and that made me set on coming here.
What has been your biggest challenge as a student, and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge as a student was overcoming imposter syndrome and gaining confidence in myself. As a first-generation Latino student, I felt out of place in the spaces I entered in my first couple of years. As the years went on in my college career, I was mentored by older and experienced colleagues that helped me realize that I am where I'm supposed to be. Now, I enter every room with confidence and my head held high knowing that "no one can't tell me nothing,β as my fraternity advisor would say.
What's your favorite off-campus location in Wichita?
My favorite off-campus location in Wichita is definitely the Old Town Warren. where it's located has an awesome aesthetic and it brings back good memories from when I used to work there.
What would be the title of your autobiography?
"La Tormenta" (Translation: βThe Stormβ)
What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I want to continue my studies of digital marketing and communication at the graduate level.
What advice would you give other Wichita State students?
As cliche as it sounds: βJust do it.β Introduce yourself to that person, go on that trip with school, go to that club meeting you have always wanted to go to. You won't get another undergrad experience again.
About ΟγΈΫΑωΊΟ²ΚΏͺ½±Φ±²₯
ΟγΈΫΑωΊΟ²ΚΏͺ½±Φ±²₯ is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and ΟγΈΫΑωΊΟ²ΚΏͺ½±Φ±²₯ Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and ΟγΈΫΑωΊΟ²ΚΏͺ½±Φ±²₯ Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), ΟγΈΫΑωΊΟ²ΚΏͺ½±Φ±²₯ provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the ΟγΈΫΑωΊΟ²ΚΏͺ½±Φ±²₯ main campus, is one of the nationβs largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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