Reporting Texas
News and features from UT-Austin's School of Journalism
byErika González and Noemi Castanon
Elizabeth Mazariegos flips through her folder full of school reports, letters of recommendation and college documents, feeling worried. “I never thought I could get this far, and now I feel all my effort is disappearing overnight. It’s like everything I achieved is not enough,” said Mazariegos, a 31-year-old Guatemalan who has lived in the United States for two decades.
For years, the U.S. policy of Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, protected immigrants who came here as children and allowed Mazariegos to study, work and plan a stable future. Now, that path has become more uncertain as both the state and federal governments clamp down on immigrants.
On June 5, Texas repealed the Texas Dream Act, a law that since 2001 had allowed undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates and to have access scholarships and loans.
bySheldon Munroe
With America facing mounting pressure to reduce its dependence on foreign rare earth minerals, Texas and the University of Texas are seeking a role in rebuilding a domestic supply chain. The University of Texas at Austin has held two educational forums in the past five months, seeking a role in driving innovation and dialogue around […]
byIsabel Neumann
A new public-art initiative aims to beautify Austin while providing employment for the city’s growing unhoused population.
“The goal is to turn the library garage site into a city-funded program for unhoused people,” said Tiffany Kowalski, director of project and artist management for Raasin in the Sun.
bySamantha Rubin
Just after sunrise, blue-shirted ambassadors step into the stream of students along Guadalupe Street trading greetings, answering questions and keeping eyes on the stretch long known as The Drag.
“In a nutshell, what we’re doing here is hospitality-heavy,” Kevin Morris Sr. said during a recent morning walk-along. “That’s why we’re always talking and vibrant. It’s about visibility.”
The West Campus Ambassador Program was created to address the gap between West Campus’ rapid redevelopment and its lagging safety and beautification efforts
