Inheriting a UTA Legacy

Though 11-year-old Matthew Howard is one of the youngest students in UT Arlington’s 131-year history, to his family, he’s just following a well-trodden path of early academic excellence. His mother, Jacqueline Zee Howard, enrolled at age 14 and his aunt, Jocelyn Zee, at age 13. (Grandmother Margaret Zee started the tradition of attending UTA, though she attended as an adult.)

“Sometimes when I walk around campus, I wonder what it looked like when they were here,” says Matthew, who is now a sophomore and majoring in aerospace engineering. “It’s kind of cool to think I’m following in their footsteps.”

Balancing a full slate of college courses with the routines of an 11-year-old, Matthew splits his time between the classroom and the ice rink, where he plays for a travel hockey team.

“If I’m walking around campus or in class, no one is ever like, ‘Where’s your mom or dad?’” he says. “Everyone treats me like a regular college student.”