One of the goals of Omega Delta Phi is to graduate our Brothers with the highest level of academic success. Joseph Gallardo is a unique example of this goal.
Graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a 3.87 GPA, he was involved on campus with multiple roles such as Longhorn Link academic success coach, peer mentor, participant in the Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre- Graduate Internship, and a legislative intern at the Texas Capitol.
Through his determination, perseverance, and heart Joseph has been able to overcome many academic hurdles. He describes the beginning of his academic career as a shaky one.
“I attended six different high schools. Although that is a lot of schools, I alternated between those six schools multiple times and had to enroll/re-enroll about 15 times,” he said.
“During my sophomore year at Judson High School in Converse, Texas, I left home, dropped out for a year. I returned to school the following year and ultimately graduated in six years on the “minimum plan,” second to last in my class.”
After completing his high school degree Joseph faced a new challenge, college life. He started in Palo AltoCollege (San Antonio) for two years. From there he was able to apply to a four-year institute, The University of Texas at Austin.
At the beginning Joseph had some doubts. “I was way out of my league there” he explained. “I felt like I was surrounded by a bunch of geniuses from the second I stepped foot on campus and I just really wanted to fit in.”
Despite what Joseph described as his “troublesome ways,” he overcame it through support from his family along staying dedicated to school.
“I knew getting on track with my education was the best way to repay everyone’s loyalty and constant encouragement,” Joseph said. “I knew greater things were coming my way but that I’d have to go out and make them happen. Education is really just my ticket to a better life for my family and me.”
For Joseph, it wasn’t just his family that fueled him to complete college. It was his detractors as well.
“There were just as many people that put me down and laughed at me when I was low. I keep those people in mind along the way” he described. “I never forget anything bad that was said or done to me and those people fire up my motivation just as much as anyone else can.”
In the midst of the path to academic success Joseph found Omega Delta Phi. In spring of 2013 he became part of the Alpha Epsilon line at Chi Chapter, University of Texas at Austin.
During the prospective member program, Joseph achieved a 4.0 GPA. He credited the support system of his pledge brothers and the active members for motivating him to maintain his level of academic achievement
“The process has a strong emphasis on academics and I really took that to heart,” Joseph said about achieving a 4.0. “A lot of brothers rallied behind me after that and always made me feel like I had to maintain that. With all of the support the Brotherhood constantly gave me, it was hard to let myself slip up. They make you realize you’re capable of that much more.”
Brother Joseph completed a degree in Public Relations and earned a Red McCombs Business Foundations certification. Following his graduation he was accepted into the prestigious Archer Fellowship Program.
He will live, work, and learn in our nation’s capital while completing UT Austin coursework taught by esteemed professors and gain hands-on work experience in an internship of their choice. In the fall of 2014, after his fellowship, he will be interning for the San Antonio Spurs as he awaits responses from Law Schools.