Same School, Different Story

Growing up, Cesar Padron ’28 always looked up to his older brothers. 

Hoping to follow in their footsteps, he matched everything they did—though he was determined to do it all just a little better thanks to their good-natured sibling rivalry. 

When two of his brothers, seven and eight years older than him, chose to attend Trinity University, it was only natural that it became Padron’s own dream school. 

When Padron moved into Herndon Hall his first year, he carried with him what he had constantly heard from his older brothers: that Trinity was a great institution. Since then, Padron’s own experiences have strengthened that belief, exceeding the expectations he walked in with. 

Padron’s time at Trinity began with the Skyline Scholars Program, an opportunity for students to move in two weeks early in order to begin their First-Year Experience course, attend workshops, and meet other students. 

For Padron, the best part about the program was forming meaningful relationships. The majority of his friends from Skyline lived with him in Herndon, so they were quickly able to grow closer to each other. As the year went on, their group fell into a routine. 

“All week, we would study our own thing. We were dedicated to academics,” Padron says. “Then at the end, we would just hang out, go to a party, go do something. That was just the best. It was really fun.” 

Even after his first year, Padron remains close with these friends. 

He has found community in other groups as well. Padron is part of the club basketball team and the boxing club, and he enjoys helping out with the Trinity University Latino Association and the Mexico, Americas, and Spain program (MAS). 

Yet, Padron feels he’s making his biggest impact on campus as a residential assistant (RA), through which he’s met and made connections with so many people. Because he is in the first-year area, he takes his role seriously, recognizing that he is the first person that new students see when they arrive on campus. 

“I think being an RA, I have a very important responsibility for how new students come in, how they feel welcomed, and how they can express themselves,” Padron says. “So I think something I take away very deeply is having the ability to be that person, to hopefully let you be who you are.” 

While Padron’s RA position motivates him to serve as a leader on campus, he’s also motivated to follow in his brothers’ footsteps and excel academically on campus. 

Like his brothers, Padron is majoring in biology. Though this decision was influenced by his brothers, he’s stuck with it because of his own genuine interest. 

“I really like understanding how things work and why things do certain things,” Padron says. 

As a biology major, studying demands a lot of his attention and time. He works hard for his classes, but even with the late nights and many hours spent in a lab, he says he’s confident that biology is right for him. 

“There has been nothing else subject-wise in school which has interested me the same way,” Padron says. “I want to keep learning more about how the world and ourselves work, but more than that, I want to share that knowledge with others.” 

In order to do just that, Padron hopes to pursue a career in education. He has taken some classes to complete the education minor and is considering applying to Trinity’s Master of Arts in Teaching. 

This decision stems from a desire to help people. When he was younger, he didn’t know exactly what that would look like, but it became clearer as he grew up. 

“As I got older, I learned that education was one of the most powerful things anybody can have,” Padron says. “Unfortunately, it's something many people don't get access to. So that's when my dream of helping people learn and share the knowledge I have with others started.” 

Padron trusts that Trinity will help him succeed in this dream, confident in its ability to prepare students for life beyond graduation. 

“Trinity doesn't just give you information and test you on remembering. It tests you and helps you develop,” Padron says. “I think that's a very essential skill, not just for academics, but for life. You can’t just go around memorizing things. You have to know why it's happening, so you can apply it for yourself.” 

Now, Padron knows his brothers were right about Trinity because he’s lived it firsthand. 

“I have met amazing people who have shaped me into the person I am today,” Padron says. “I think it's an amazing place for anyone looking to work hard and become a better version of themselves.”