Are you someone who believes in peace? Are you interested in working with others from different backgrounds to strengthen our community?

Join students from UT San Antonio, the Alamo Colleges, and Trinity University to explore how trust and hope can be nurtured and sustained in personal, community, and political life. This fellowship will bring together students from diverse neighborhoods, backgrounds, and faith traditions in San Antonio to explore the Nurturing Hope curriculum. Students will meet throughout the ’25-’26 academic year to engage with one another and plan campus and community events on issues of local concern. Meetings will rotate between campuses and community organizations in order to introduce a range of places that may be outside of your daily routines. This project is a collaborative effort with the H.E. Butt Foundation and Rotary San Antonio.

 UTSA, the Alamo Colleges, and Trinity University

Eligibility:

  • Current UTSA undergraduate students in Fall ’25 – Spring ’26 (Open to all majors. You do not need to be an Honors College student to apply!)
  • Minimum cumulative UT San Antonio GPA: 2.5
  • Demonstrated involvement in campus or community activities
  • Desire to reduce conflict, promote understanding across difference, and encourage community-building.

Student time commitment:

  • Students will participate in a fall retreat and participate in monthly sessions from October ‘25 – May ‘26.
  • Students are expected to meet with their small group monthly.
  • Students will work with the team from their campus to plan and lead one campus/community event in Spring 2026.
  • Students who join the Nurturing Hope fellowship should expect to commit 8-10 hours per month, with additional time in the spring semester to plan & lead their campus/community event.

 Benefits to the student:

  • Students will gain skills in communication, conflict resolution, leading groups, and cultivating stronger community connections.
  • UT San Antonio students will receive a $1,500 stipend upon completion of the program in recognition of their time. Students must be enrolled at UTSA during the Spring 2026 semester and must meet participation requirements in order to receive this incentive.

To Apply:

Essay (500 word limit, 250 words per prompt)

  • Prompt 1: Tell us about your experience on campus or in the community and how you have engaged in promoting understanding across difference, or worked to transform a conflict into something positive.
  • Prompt 2: How will participation in the Nurturing Hope San Antonio program benefit your civic, intellectual, professional or personal goals?
  • UTSA unofficial transcript
  • Resume
  • Send all materials as attachments in one email to gina.amatangelo@utsa.edu by 5 PM September 19, 2025. The email title should be “Application for Nurturing Hope” No late applications will be accepted.
Gina Amatangelo

Contact

Gina Amatangelo

Honors College

gina.amatangelo@utsa.edu

Global Compassion

Meet Sahana Babu, a neuroscience major and Top Scholar. Through her classes, global experiences and leadership opportunities, she has developed a perspective on healthcare that centers on empathy, communication and policy. Her experience in the Nurturing Hope program in Northern Ireland in the summer of 2024 deepened her understanding of trauma, reconciliation and the power of dialogue in divided communities.