Longhorn Family Leadership Council Co-chairs Tony (far left) and Kristin Schell (not pictured) hosted the March 2023 Dinner with 16 Longhorns for this group of students and staff facilitators
By Alma Garcia, Assistant Director of Development
I began working with the Dinner with 16 Longhorns program in Fall 2021 and immediately saw the potential this program would hold for our students, staff facilitators and host families. Once you are a part of this program, it is easy to see why it is so meaningful and significant. The impact that these students impart on each other, but also on the hosts and facilitators, is substantial and is something that must be experienced to be understood.
We expanded this program significantly from two dinners a year to six dinners in 2021-2022. We will wrap up the 2022-2023 academic year with eight dinners, including satellite dinners in Houston and Dallas over the summer. Our goal is to not only reach students while they live within proximity to the UT Austin campus, but also meet students outside of Austin during the summer.
Already we have volunteers from our Longhorn Family Leadership Council who are eager to host this program in their communities across the state. This summer, we will pilot the Dinner with 16 Longhorns experience in Houston and Dallas. Based on the student response, we may host more of these dinners during the summer. By expanding the program in this manner, we will continue to engage students year-round and influence them in living Longhorn life, even outside of the Austin area.
Please be on the lookout on the Dinner with 16 Longhorns HornsLink page for more information regarding the summer dates and application process, as well as future updates on this program.