Emma Alegria Castillo 
Jose Rodriguez/THE RIDER
UTRGV students gathered Tuesday for COMMversation, an event to introduce interested students to explore career paths and opportunities within the department. The event was held in Health Affairs Building East Room 1.114 on the Edinburg campus.
Guest speaker Ray Villarreal, in-arena host for the University of Texas Longhorns, San Antonio Spurs and Monster Jam, spoke about his journey in the communications field and offered advice to students preparing to enter the media industry.
Villarreal emphasized the importance of adaptability and making the most out of opportunities presented.
“I always say success comes from failure and a whole bunch of no’s,” he said. “My career has always been kind of built around failure. I would say I’m not a very eloquent speaker, but what I do have is a way to create genuine moments instead.”
Villarreal said his own career experiences detail how his interest in the field of communication allowed him to move across different professional roles, from news and broadcasting to a future of teaching and mentoring others.
He described how social anxiety on the job held him back and how he overcame those barriers.
“I realized that [improv in front of a crowd] was my worst fear, and I had lived through it,” Villarreal said. “I wasn’t scared to be in front of the crowd … and that I could actually do this.”
After trial and error throughout many aspects in the communication field, Villarreal confidently found his place in broadcasting and performing voice-overs, recently having his voice featured in a Bass Pro Shops commercial.
Students said the event gave them a chance to hear firsthand how skills and effort translate into professional success. Mia Salinas, a mass communication major, said she enjoyed listening to Villarreal’s insights and appreciated the encouragement to keep pursuing her goals.
“As communication majors, we often face fears of rejection, but also fears of maybe not reaching our ultimate goals,” Salinas said. “I think his story was a very great example of working toward it, no matter the fate of your spirit.”
Dario Nava, a mass communication senior, said the event made him feel more confident about his choice of major.
“I think having guest speakers, especially those who reinforce our major, helps with [developing] our skills,” Nava said. “They help navigate a new perspective into what we want in our career and possibly other opportunities.”
The event also highlighted the department’s efforts to create a stronger sense of community among students. Villarreal’s talk was followed by informal discussions that allowed students to ask questions and receive more personal advice.
“It’s OK not to know what you want to do and just know that that’s very real, because society kind of says you have to have it all figured out,” he said. “Just realize most people don’t know, and the important thing is to put yourself in positions to build opportunities.”
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