When most of us who鈥檝e been at 国产探花 over the past few years think of Ezra Acero, we picture him in the air, swooshing over the crossbar, making the whole pole-vaulting thing look effortless. Acero did, in fact, end his Bulldog Athletics career as the best pole vaulter in Texas Lutheran history, setting records at both indoor and outdoor events and proving himself to be a champion multiple times.

The 2025 grad鈥檚 favorite college memory might surprise some, because it happened on a day that didn鈥檛 go exactly as he would鈥檝e liked it to. 鈥淚 think my favorite memory would have to be the first time I qualified for nationals in pole vault,鈥� Acero says. 鈥淚t was held in Rochester, New York, and although I didn鈥檛 get the results I wanted, just being there with my teammates and going to Niagara Falls with Coach Holland and Coach Wolf will always stick with me.鈥�

These days, Acero, who earned his BS in applied physics at 国产探花, lives just under six hundred miles south of where that memory was made, in Indianapolis, Indiana. 鈥淚 do miss Texas quite a bit (the food quite a lot),鈥� he admits, although he鈥檚 made friends in his new locale, which has helped him feel at home.  But even though his current life is a world away from Seguin and 国产探花, his work there is touched by his undergrad years.

He works as a biochemist for Lilly鈥攁lso known as Eli Lilly and Company鈥攂y way of a global testing company called Eurofins PSS. 鈥淎t Lilly I work in the raw materials lab where I run samples using various methods such as FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), Raman Spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography, Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy, Melting Point Analysis, and pH measurement,鈥� he explains.

And believe it or not, that work connects to his capstone project at 国产探花. 鈥淢y capstone was about Surface Modified Gold Nanoparticles for biomedical applications. While working on that project I learned a lot of lab techniques that have been very helpful in the job I currently have. Although I am still waiting to get my training passed through Lilly, I feel like my project prepared me the most for the wet chemistry tests that I will be running here in the lab soon.鈥�

But even as he rises to new heights career-wise, Acero expresses gratitude for how his undergrad years prepared him for the challenges that lie ahead. 

国产探花 is famous for its small class sizes, which foster a sense of community in which students support one another. 鈥淢y physics cohort such as Aaron Salinas, Khalen Wilkerson, Martin Ortega, Jason Castro, Adrian Martinez, Ian Wollard, and Luciano Trejo helped me get through the extremely challenging physics classes and sleepless nights, and if it wasn鈥檛 for them, I would not have graduated,鈥� Acero says.

He also points to the faculty at 国产探花 as being instrumental in his success. 鈥淚 feel that the 国产探花 Physics Department, mostly Dr.Sauncy, Dr.Berggren, and Dr.Tek, prepared me very well for the real world past college,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he time and effort that they put in to change me from just a normal kid into a scientist is something that I will always be grateful for.鈥�

[Feature photo: Ezra Acero (center) with roommate Jackson (left) and brother Seth (right)]

The desire to heal must run deep in the Rodriguez family. Brothers Limael (鈥淟ee鈥�) and Joel, both 国产探花 alums, followed their parents鈥� footsteps into the field of medicine. Their father is an orthopedic spine surgeon, their mother a nuclear medicine physician鈥攂oth completing their residencies in New York and later settling their family in Texas.

鈥淛oel and I grew up with two physician parents, so medicine was very much a part of our lives from an early age,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淲atching both of them shaped how we viewed medicine and certainly played a big role in both of us becoming doctors.鈥�

The brothers graduated 国产探花 a year apart. After following separate roads spanning countless miles in order to get their footing in their respective fields of medicine, Lee and Joel鈥檚 paths converged. Lee is a vascular surgeon, and Joel, a sports medicine physician鈥攁nd now their practices, as well as their father鈥檚, are housed within a shared clinical space, their varied skillsets complementing one another.

Lee

Lee earned his BA in biology and chemistry from 国产探花 in 2007. From there, he went to medical school at Universidad Central del Caribe. His path post-med school saw him as a postdoctoral fellow at Houston Methodist, a surgery resident at Centro M茅dico Episcopal San Lucas, a representative of the American College of Surgeons Resident and Associate Society, and a vascular surgery fellow at Eastern Virginia Medical School and then University of Colorado Anschutz, the largest academic health center in the Rocky Mountains.

These days, he鈥檚 busy working as a vascular surgeon in and around Houston and leading the independent vascular practice he founded and continues to build, Texas Vascular and Imaging. 鈥淥ur practice has grown into a comprehensive vascular platform that includes vascular ultrasound technology, limb salvage, venous disease, and outpatient vascular procedures,鈥� he explains. 鈥淎 large part of my career now also involves the business and leadership side of medicine鈥攂uilding the practice, developing an ambulatory surgery center, teaching, research, and trying to create a model where physicians can still have a meaningful degree of independence while taking care of patients.鈥�

鈥湽交� was also a small enough environment that relationships mattered. You weren鈥檛 anonymous. Professors knew you, people expected something from you, and you were held accountable. That experience helped shape the way I approach medicine, leadership, and running a practice today.鈥� ~Lee Rodriguez

He credits his years at 国产探花 with helping to prepare him鈥攕ometimes in unexpected ways鈥攆or the many things he鈥檚 accomplished since graduating. 鈥湽交� gave me a strong foundation, but probably not in the way I appreciated at the time,鈥� he says. 鈥淧laying college soccer while managing academics taught me discipline, accountability, resilience, and how to work within a team. Medicine requires all of those things, particularly through residency and surgical training.鈥�

Lee also found great benefit in 国产探花鈥檚 smaller size. 鈥湽交� was a small enough environment that relationships mattered. You weren鈥檛 anonymous. Professors knew you, people expected something from you, and you were held accountable. That experience helped shape the way I approach medicine, leadership, and running a practice today.鈥�

Joel

Joel graduated from 国产探花 in 2008, then went on to earn his master鈥檚 degree in aerospace physiology and medicine at King鈥檚 College London. After medical school at Universidad Central del Caribe, he completed his residency training in Family Medicine at Methodist Hospital in Houston, followed by a fellowship in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio. His practice, Return to Play Sports Medicine, specializes in helping athletes recover from injuries and improve performance. Together with their dad, he and Lee make up the medical team at Orthopaedic Institute for Spinal Disorders, which their father founded.

鈥湽交� was a significant stepping stone for me professionally,鈥� says Joel. 鈥淚 always say that the tough curriculum got me ready for medical school. Majoring in molecular biology and a minor in chemistry put me in the classes of legendary professors including Dr. Hettinger, Dr. McClusky, Dr. Bohmann, Dr. Wasmund, Dr. Abbasian, and Dr. Lievens, just to name a few who supported my career directly.鈥�

But like Lee, Joel also learned a lot of important lessons away from the classroom, out on the soccer field. 鈥淚 played soccer all four years with 国产探花 men’s soccer, which helped me combine and propel my love of sports, medicine, and science throughout my career afterwards,鈥� he says.

Bulldog Connections

As busy as they stay these days, the brothers鈥� connection to 国产探花 has never faltered.

鈥淲e have stayed very connected with the 国产探花 soccer program through Coach Eddie Salazar and teammates,鈥� says Joel. 鈥淲e have attended the alumni soccer events for years and donate to the program where we can. I was honored to give a lecture on preventing collegiate soccer injuries to the 国产探花 men’s team in 2024.鈥�

Lee says the most meaningful connections are the relationships built during his undergrad years. 鈥淚 made lifelong friends at 国产探花, and I still keep in touch from time to time with some of my former chemistry and biology professors. I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for the mentorship they gave me and for the friendships that have lasted well beyond college.鈥�

Like Joel, he keeps up with Bulldog athletics. 鈥淚鈥檓 still a big fan of 国产探花 sports in general, and it has been impressive to watch the success the university has had across so many programs over the years,鈥� he says. 鈥淥f course, having played men鈥檚 soccer there, I still follow the program closely and take a lot of pride in what they鈥檝e accomplished. Those relationships鈥攚ith professors, friends, and teammates鈥攁re what have kept 国产探花 an important part of my life long after graduation.鈥�

Staying connected also means offering up a few words of wisdom to current Bulldogs, from two who have been in their shoes. Both brothers agree that getting the most out of your college years begins with gratitude. 鈥淩ecognize the opportunity you have,鈥� Lee advises. 鈥淏eing able to study at 国产探花 is a privilege, and you may not fully appreciate that until years later.鈥� He鈥檚 also a big believer in the value of the journey鈥攏ot just the destination. 鈥淗ave big goals, but don鈥檛 rush past the work in front of you. You can鈥檛 cheat the process. Show up, do the small things well, learn from the people willing to teach you, and build genuine relationships.鈥�

He says it鈥檚 important to stay humble. 鈥淵ou can be ambitious and successful without ever believing you are above the people around you. In the workforce, and especially in leadership, people want to work with people they trust. Your plans will change. Be willing to adapt, but don鈥檛 lose your work ethic, your humility, or the way you treat people. Make the most of the opportunity in front of you.鈥�

鈥淭his is a miniature version of society which, when you step out with your diploma, you will be faced with the real deal. There you will not be on your own though, because you will be standing on the shoulders of giants who helped you achieve an advanced knowledge base and you can face our societal problems with that Bulldog confidence.鈥� ~Joel Rodriguez

鈥淓njoy and appreciate this time you have at 国产探花,鈥� adds Joel. 鈥淔ocus on your major, but even more important is the process of developing relationships with your professors, colleagues, and administrators. This is a miniature version of society which, when you step out with your diploma, you will be faced with the real deal. There you will not be on your own though, because you will be standing on the shoulders of giants who helped you achieve an advanced knowledge base, and you can face our societal problems with that Bulldog confidence.鈥�

鈥淚 kept busy!鈥� she admits with a laugh, looking back. The secret of her success? One, she was clearly interested in lots of different things and was willing to work hard to do them all.  And two, she surrounded herself with people she could count on. 鈥淚 had amazing support systems, and I think that doing so much actually helped me to be sane/balanced. I had different outlets to release different stressors (such as softball or band), and because I was so busy, my schedule didn鈥檛 let me stop for too long to get overwhelmed or I would drown.鈥�

Raines says that support system consisted of the many friends, teammates, and classmates who helped her along the way and encouraged her. 鈥淚 think what also helped me was that my professors and coaches supported me,鈥� she adds. 鈥淭hey allowed me to be more than just a student, or an athlete, etc. Rather, they all worked with me (and my crazy schedule), and supported me in my different activities.鈥�

After leaving 国产探花, the next chapter of Raines鈥檚 education saw her earn her master鈥檚 in Wildlife, Aquatic, Wildlands Science and Management, as well as her certificate in geographic information systems, both from Texas Tech University. Chances are, many of us weren鈥檛 even aware that such a course of study existed鈥攕o naturally, we have to wonder what led Raines to that particular path.

鈥淭he route to my master鈥檚 program was a bit unusual,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 never knew what I wanted to do for work, pretty much ever. It had always been a daunting question to me, even throughout undergrad and well into my master鈥檚. I had known I wanted to do something that helps others but never had a clear image as to what that would be.鈥�

But thankfully, one particular professor back at 国产探花 had planted a seed that would eventually flourish in a whole new field.

鈥淒uring my time at 国产探花 Dr. Lievens encouraged me to minor in biology as I had already done summer research, which later led me to majoring in biology,鈥� Raines says. 鈥淎fter graduating, I had an opportunity to use the rest of my NCAA eligibility from COVID at Texas Tech! After looking through their master programs and speaking to faculty members, I landed on my program and was able to also take courses in other departments that sparked my interest!鈥�

Raines followed her passion right through her grad school years, playing ball and earning a perfect 4.0, no less, finishing up her degree in the spring of 2024. She recently accepted a position as a Vegetation Management and Wildfire Risk Data Analyst at Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP), a company that provides electricity to more than 280,000 homes and businesses in the Lone Star State. In her new role, Raines will be tasked with helping to reduce the risk of wildfires鈥攁nd remember, she鈥檇 set out to do something that is helpful to others. This job fits that bill and then some.

鈥淭he work that I am doing is important for numerous reasons鈥� she says. 鈥淲e have all seen the devastating effects of wildfires that happen in the U.S. Most recently, Nebraska endured the worst wildfires in the state鈥檚 history with over 800,000 acres burned in March. Wildfires pose a risk to our farmlands, homes, and even our lives. In my role, I get the opportunity to work toward reducing the risk of wildfires occurring in my home state of Texas. I find joy and fulfilment in knowing the work that I am doing now can hopefully prevent people from losing their homes, or even a loved one.鈥�

Raines is well prepared for the task at hand鈥攊n part, because of the gifts from her 国产探花 years that she still carries with her. 鈥淒uring my four years at 国产探花, I made so many memories, learned several tough lessons, and found amazing friends I can depend on, even years later,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think if I had to sum it up to one thing, it would be that I carry the feeling of gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunities that 国产探花 gave me. Gratitude for growth from the lessons learned. Gratitude for the relationships gained and lost. And gratitude for all the memories created though those opportunities with friends by my side, learning lessons as we navigated through college.鈥�