COMMUNITY STORIES: REGINA BAUTISTA
It’s a very small town between Houston and Baytown. I have only lived there for the past 7 years, but it’s definitely become my home and where I have made so many great memories.
I knew I didn't want to stay near my home, but I also didn’t want to leave the state. I then came across Texas State. I decided to tour, and although the stairs should’ve turned me right back around, I decided it was for me. So far, my experience has been pretty great.
My father studied that, and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. Right before school started, I panicked and realized I didn’t want to be an Accountant for my whole life.
I switched my major to Business Management that day. While my mother didn’t study this, it was something she did, and I felt that this was something I could do well. Once school started, I knew it was for me.
My responsibilities are to keep my manager team organized and on track in order to best help our creators succeed. I have been part of the manager team since October 2025. I started as the Events and Partnerships manager, but once the new semester started, I was moved up to Campus Manager, and I couldn’t be happier.
I was so scared in the beginning because I felt I didn’t know what I was doing. I was worried that I wasn’t doing enough, but I also didn’t want to overstep. Once I became Campus Manager, I realized that it was all so new to everyone else as well. Now, I couldn’t imagine not being part of this team.
Being able to keep everyone on track in their roles really helped them. Especially when it’s new managers, I think it’s important not to assume that they know everything and to help them where you can.
One of my goals is to prepare my manager team as much as I can. As a team, our goal is to help the creators become the best entrepreneurs they can be.
She is who I’ve looked up to basically all my life. When I was younger, she was always involved in my school life, volunteering for field trips or to help teachers around the classroom. She is also an entrepreneur, and the way she manages her job made me realize how much fun it is.
While managing can be fun, it’s also so critical to how an event can go. When I’m unsure of something, I am able to go to my university partner or to my program manager, but I will also go to my mom because I trust her and she is my best friend.
Since getting to college, I have been much more reserved than my friends and classmates. I would often feel out of place because I didn’t want to go out. Staying in and ordering food with my roommates just seemed so much more enjoyable.
Joining Student-Made, I understood the fear of starting a business and putting yourself out there. I felt perfect for my role because I had experience as a vendor and I knew what they were struggling with. Without Student-Made, I would not have become the person I am now. I have never considered myself a good leader, but I would say yes to this job again in a heartbeat. You can ask anyone I know that I have truly become a different person.
I would love to continue to work with college students in the future. I love the planning and management side of it as well, and I think it’s definitely something I want to keep doing at other universities or colleges.
This role has genuinely put me ahead of the curve when it becomes time to look for a job after college. I believe it’s impressive how much I have accomplished at such a young age, and that’s all thanks to Student-Made.
I have built so many friendships, and I hope that I continue to build relationships like that in the future. I hope this community knows that putting themselves out there can be the best thing they decide to do.
I like to tell the creators that it’s not a race but a journey. Everyone may start at different spots, and it will always take time to get where you want to go.
