Future Mavs visit UTA at Merry Maverick drive-thru
Prospective students learned about The University of Texas at Arlington and donated toys and presents for families in need at the Merry Maverick drive-thru event on December 17.
High school seniors from Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Parker and Johnson counties were invited to Merry Maverick, a contactless celebration where they received UTA gift bags and dropped off toys that the UTA Admissions Office is donating to Mission Arlington. A DJ played holiday songs while student ambassadors wore royal blue Santa hats and welcomed their future classmates.
“This type of event is such a pleasant surprise,” said Jacob Roy, a high school senior from Plano. “I’ve applied to a few colleges around the Metroplex area and none except UTA have had anything similar to this. It’s a chance for us current seniors to actually go to campus and have a safe, socially distanced interaction.”
Jennifer Lasagna, director of undergraduate admissions, said the event builds excitement for future students. Visiting campus is a key factor in making final decisions about where to attend college, she said.
“UTA’s Office of Admissions will continue to come up with new and creative ways to encourage students to consider UT Arlington as their top university, whether it’s drive-thru events on campus, virtual fairs or campus visits,” Lasagna said. “Drive-thru events like Merry Maverick provide a wonderful opportunity for students to visit in a safe environment and get a feel for campus and the Maverick spirit.”
Roy said he hopes to enroll at UT Arlington for the fall 2021 term to study biomedical engineering.
“The biomedical engineering program sounded really incredible to me, from the professors, the labs, support for the students and connections to corporations outside UTA,” he said.
Merry Maverick attendees received UTA souvenirs while prospective students donated new, unwrapped toys for Mission Arlington as a way to give back to a community partner located less than a mile from campus.
“UTA is a University that cares, and one of UTA’s core values focuses on increasing our impact on society,” said Rebecca Lothringer, associate vice president for enrollment. “We wanted to support to our community, provide assistance to families who need a helping hand and allow our future students to be a part of this Arlington community-service effort.”
Leem Talev, who wants to study architectural engineering, said the transfer process to UTA has been smooth.
“I always wanted to go to UTA,” she said. “I’m very excited to become part of the Maverick family.”