Senior Spotlights: Class of 2026

Trinity University’s seniors are preparing to leave campus, powered by college journeys defined by passionate purpose, exploration, and a sense of supportive community. 

Three of those seniors talked with us about finding their paths at Trinity, and why they think their education has set them up for success and lives of fulfillment. 

Khushi Kakadia 

Biology, Pre-Med track 

Khushi Kakadia has known she’s wanted to be a doctor for a long time. At Trinity, she found a perfect mix of opportunities to explore the way she wants to approach medicine. 

Kakadia, a first-gen student with a passion for biology, knew Trinity was a good fit for her because of its academic rigor and hands-on research opportunities, but the University’s supportive community, unique location and connections, and well-rounded Liberal Arts approach also opened doors for the aspiring physician.

“The professional opportunities offered here at Trinity are unmatched,” she says. “A lot of students research here, but I also saw volunteer opportunities, chances to shadow nearby clinics and hospitals, because San Antonio is such a popular medical hub.”

One of Kakadia’s first steps was getting involved with research, a crucial advantage for any undergraduate applying for med school. Kakadia was surprised with how simple the process was, simply emailing Professor Michele Johnson with a request to join her lizard research lab.

Thanks to Trinity's size, she’s gotten the chance to lead, not just work, and has presented papers at conferences as far away as Portland, Oregon. And throughout the process, she’s never felt boxed out by her peers on campus. 

“It’s been really unimaginable how nice everyone is,” says Kakadia, who joined student government and Trinity Women in Science and Technology (TWIST). “The community here is not cutthroat at all. I feel very supported.”

That support, Kakadia says, allows her to be bolder in trying new things through Trinity’s liberal arts environment. She’s flourished in courses such as Asian religions and classical mythology, and particularly enjoyed a medical terminology class that’s offered by the Classics Department. “With these classes, I've been able to broaden my way of thinking, and to start going about my STEM studies in a different way,” Kakadia says.  “Being a doctor will mean being a problem solver, having to work in different circumstances, and the types of critical thinking skills I've learned here at Trinity through these different types of classes will definitely benefit me as I get ready for the future.”

Omar Ratrut 

Political Science

Student Body President

Omar Ratrut learned the importance of seizing every college opportunity from his mom, who came to the United States in the 1980s to pursue a master’s in education. 

In coming to Trinity, he wanted a place where every decision, and every experience, felt like it had a purpose. He wanted to immerse himself in a community “where students not only learn on our campus, but they inhabit it.”

Ratrut, who wants to pursue a law degree after graduating, has had just about as many hands-on opportunities at Trinity as a student can hope to have: college newspaper writer for the Trinitonian, member of a Greek life organization (and serving as an executive member), joining Student Government, and eventually being elected Student Body President. He’s even worked in the admissions office, talking with prospective students about the value of a Trinity degree. Most importantly, he says, “these are all experiences that I plan on using as I go forward into the real world.”

Of all his hands-on opportunities, Ratrut points to study abroad as a turning point.
“In the fall of my junior year, I took a chance and went to Sydney, Australia where I took these amazing classes that really aligned with my future goals,” say Ratrut, who’s fascinated with incarceration law and public service law. “I took classes in human rights, law policy, protest, gender classes that utilize security frameworks in international criminal courts. These were really interesting classes that expanded my passion for knowledge and really reinvigorated this want to learn.”

In the classroom, Ratrut was particularly moved by Dr. Judith Norman's philosophy and literature circle, a class that connects Trinity students with incarcerated individuals in a state penitentiary, all studying and discussing philosophy together.

“I think Trinity students, the intentionality behind every decision we make and behind every opportunity we decide to pour our time and energy into, and I think that sets us up for futures of not only success, but creating legacies.”

Alexis Ibarra  

Political Science, Global Latinx Studies and Spanish

Alexis Ibarra came to Trinity University for the supportive sense of community. As he graduates, he’s found a purpose: using his degree to uplift communities outside of campus through public policy.

“I’ve always believed that the work that we do, has to help the community in some way,” says Ibarra, who plans to work at a nonprofit for a couple years, then pursue a master's and Ph.D. in public policy.

Trinity helped Ibarra transform his passion for community into action. As a McNair Scholar, he pursued fully-funded research, supported by faculty mentors, who also helped connect him with prestigious internships and public policy programs in Washington, D.C., and at Princeton University. Ibarra even studied abroad three times—in Spain, Mexico, and Bosnia-Herzegovina—broadening his global perspective.

Ibarra says he’s grateful for the mentorship of Dr. Rosa Luisi, the chair of the political science department, who “truly opened doors for me by expanding my outlook. I ended up exploring international humanitarian law and criminal justice in international systems,” he says.

For Ibarra, community starts with building connections. As a Latino, he says he found a strong network in Trinity’s Mexico, the Americas, and Spain (MAS) program. “Seeing this community here on Trinity's campus, and seeing that this is actually a place that [Latinos] can feel included, truly made me feel at home here on campus.”

Ultimately, Ibarra says he will center his career on development and philanthropy. “I’ve always been really fascinated by this element of development, of philanthropy that's so central to what it takes to uplift communities. That is the heart and soul of the type of nonprofit public policy work I want to do in general.”

And his Trinity diploma will uplift that goal in multiple ways.

“I'm excited to have a Trinity degree, because it means more than the rigor of what I was taught,” he says. “I was also taught, in a sense, what true belonging is, what a true community may look like, and I’m going to use that to build communities outside of Trinity as well.”