Inspired by father’s work ethic, UHV sophomore tackles business degree
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| Oscar Torres |
Some students enter college unsure of their path, dabbling in majors until they find what best suits them. Others know right off the bat.
For University of Houston-Victoria sophomore Oscar Torres, the decision was easy.
Torres grew up with a front-row seat to his father’s business endeavors, watching as he built a company from the ground up.
“He didn’t have the opportunity to go to college but worked three jobs to support my family while I was growing up,” he said of his father, who also is named Oscar. “He worked so hard and now he owns his own pest control business. He did it.”
Torres said his father’s experience inspired his decision to major in business management.
“Hopefully one day I’ll take over my dad’s business,” he said. “But whatever happens, I know for sure I’ll be in the business field once I graduate. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
Entrepreneurial aspirations aren’t the only thing that fills the 20-year-old’s schedule.
Torres also holds down two on-campus tutoring jobs, assisting students with writing and speeches. Whether it’s speech anxiety, paper organization, grammar issues or other problems, he said he does what he can to help.
“I enjoy meeting new people, and I like to socialize, so it’s a good job for me to have right now,” he said. “I think that’s partly why I want to go into business because whether you’re in sales or marketing or just helping customers, you have to be able to talk to people.”
The Victoria native graduated from Memorial High School in 2010 and said it was UHV’s tuition rates, combined with its small class sizes that led him to become a Jaguar.
While Torres has enjoyed his college experience, he admitted the transition took some adjustment. He advises other students to avoid getting overwhelmed when first starting out.
“If you have a research paper due at the end of the month, don’t procrastinate,” he said. “It’s easy to put things off, but it just makes life harder. Stay focused, have fun, but also take classes seriously. Everything will be OK.”
I am a Jaguar is an online feature highlighting the exceptional students who attend the University of Houston-Victoria. To nominate a student, contact Paula Cobler, UHV interim director of marketing and communications, or call 361-570-4350.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
