Tiarah Figueroa, the 2021-2022 UHV Student Government Association president, stands next to the "Visionary" portion of the Jaguar Pillars mural inside Jaguar Hall. Figueroa and other student leaders led the charge in creating the Jaguar Pillars during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Students attending the University of Houston-Victoria have a new tradition that highlights the values of the university’s student body, known as the Jaguar Pillars.

UHV’s Jaguar Pillars were created by members of the university’s Student Government Association and other student leaders during the 2021-2022 academic year. Now, after a year of hard work and cooperation, the five pillars have been posted in a mural in a hallway inside UHV Jaguar Hall, 2705 Houston Highway.

Michael Wilkinson

“The Jaguar Pillars represent the core values of our students,” said Michael Wilkinson, UHV senior director of student services and judicial affairs. “Our student leaders wanted to create something that the student body could rally around and teach to future generations of UHV Jaguars. Without a doubt, they accomplished their goal! I’m fascinated to see how this latest tradition will permeate campus and expand in the coming years.”

The idea to create the Jaguar Pillars came about after Tiarah Figueroa, the 2021-2022 SGA president, attended a UHV Shared Governance and Collegiality Committee meeting. In the meeting, the members talked about creating a statement to represent the values of the university. From that conversation, Figueroa was inspired to create a statement for students that would resonate with and define what a UHV Jaguar is for current and future generations.

Throughout the year-long process, Figueroa and other members of UHV’s SGA worked with the university’s administration and the student body to find terms that resonated with students. They took suggestions for the pillars, then narrowed the list down by surveying student leaders, then the student body.

“We wanted to choose words that captured the diversity and versatility of UHV’s students,” Figueroa said. “The pillars go beyond the typical qualities such as ‘trustworthy’ or ‘respectful’ and present something UHV students can truly embody.”

The Jaguar Pillars are:

• Authentic – Jaguars value a self-identity that is original and celebrated. We are honest and sincere in our beliefs, and we embrace unbiased spaces that fuel the culture of learning.
• Courageous – Jaguars are fearless in our pursuit of excellence. We dare to be different in all that we do and possess an inner strength that enables us to persevere through challenges.
• Selfless – Jaguars consistently do what is right without regard to difficulty or convenience. We are generous, compassionate and persistent in our efforts to help individuals achieve success in life.
• United – Jaguars recognize that individuals brought together are stronger than standing alone. We welcome, support and respect every member of our community to build a vibrant campus environment.
• Visionary – Jaguars are imaginative and dedicated forward thinkers. We encourage others to manifest passions, embody a growth mindset and transform dreams into reality.

The university has already begun using the pillars in its annual orientation and other events. The response from the student body has been overwhelmingly positive, Figueroa said.

“I’ve had so many students tell me that they appreciate the hard work we put into creating this for UHV and choosing words that represent them,” she said. “The results have exceeded all of my expectations, and I am excited to see it come to life on campus.”