Anthony Dragun, the University of Texas System student regent, visited UTRGV Thursday to hear from students, meet with leadership and become familiar with the campus culture and needs.
Midland native Dragun, who was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott June 1, said his hope is to represent students in a more “authentic and thoughtful way.”
A fourth-year medical student at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Dragun said his hope is to bring a “well-rounded perspective” to his new role.
“I would hope that I bring a well-rounded perspective to the role, but I also realize that … I don’t know everything,” Dragun said. “My experience at those campuses can be very different from the next guy over. … I really would like to have a focus on career readiness.”
A common interest among students across the UT System is a desire for more ways to access job opportunities as well as finding support to help put themselves through school, according to Dragun.
As outlined in the UT System Board of Regents’ most recent meeting agenda book from August, UTRGV saw a decrease in scholarship funding.
Asked how he would advocate for scholarship funds for students, Dragun said while the UTRGV Tuition Advantage program helps need-based students with the cost of enrollment, he would have to look into direct funding for UTRGV scholarships.
The student regent also said having homegrown talent is important.
“Having homegrown physicians and homegrown professionals of all types is incredibly important because they’re more likely to stay and just serve those communities where they grew up, where they trained,” Dragun said. “There’s a difficulty retaining as students leave the area to go to some of the bigger institutions.”
He said students should be thankful for the opportunities provided.
“Students, myself included, have an opportunity to get an incredible education here at an incredible value,” Dragun said. “We just should be really thankful for that and keep pushing upwards.”
