Junior Andrea Avila manages to effortlessly juggle an intense academic routine within UT’s prestigious School of Engineering, a consistent and grueling running program and quality time with her boyfriend and adorable pup Robyn. So the question of the hour is… how does she do it? HCTX talked to Andrea a little bit about her love for both engineering and running and how she manages to keep it together during the dreaded mid-semester grind.
Name: Andrea Avila
Major: Chemical Engineering
Year: Junior
Her Campus Texas: Have you always been interested in Chemical Engineering? What do you love most about it? Did you always know it was what you wanted to do?
AA: I chose chemical engineering as kind of a spur of the moment decision. All through high school, I took business classes and did extracurricular business activities, so I initially thought I’d do something accounting related. I went back and forth between accounting and engineering for a while. I liked the idea of engineering because it had good job stability, I loved chemistry, and I was really good at math. I had chosen accounting as my first option and chemical engineering as my second when I applied to UT. I got accepted, and on the last possible day, I ran over to the high school registrar and faxed a letter to UT stating I changed my mind and wanted to do engineering instead. Luckily, it worked out. I love the versatility. I love that everything I am taught can be applied on a global scale and that with the knowledge I’m getting I really am capable of making the world a better place. Chemical engineering gives the obvious benefits of job stability and what not, but I really like that it gives me tools to be a problem solver and help people.
HCTX: Could you tell us a little bit about your love for running? When did that begin?
AA: I fell in love with running when I was in the 5th grade. My brother’s a year older than me, so he started middle school that year. In the school district I was at, middle school started about 45 minutes before elementary, so I was always dropped off at school very early. One of the coaches noticed that this was the situation for a lot of students, so he decided to start up a running club. I joined simply to pass time. We would go to fun run events and run every morning. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with it and I haven’t stopped since.
HCTX: Any future marathon plans? Could you tell us a little about your past half marathons/marathons? How did they go?
AA: I will definitely be doing more full and half marathons. I know the kind of person I am, so I don’t know when I’ll do the next one. I don’t want to run one and not show improvement, so I’m not ready yet. I have run one of each so far. I ran the Austin Half Marathon and actually got 3rd in my division. My time was 1:35. It was an awesome feeling. I ran the San Antonio Rock ‘N Roll Full Marathon at a slower pace than I had hoped, but it’s giving me motivation for my next one. The wind on that race was awful.
HCTX: So you’re pretty much a pro athlete… How do you train for big running events?
AA: I am nowhere near a pro athlete. I just really enjoy running. I probably train for these races the wrong way, but what I do is make sure I can consistently run the distance. I will always start at 5 miles a day, even if I haven’t run for weeks. I will run 5 miles the whole month, then move up to 7, then 10, then 13. I run each new mileage everyday for a whole month before moving up. After 13, I go to 15, then 18, then 20, then 23, then 26. It really takes a toll on my ankles, so from 13 miles up, I run on the elliptical. It’s a lot of running and really takes up a lot of time, but I enjoy it.
HCTX: What are your goals for after graduation?
AA: Number one priority is to definitely get a job that I love. Obviously, that job needs to be in Texas. After I’ve got a steady and healthy career, I want to start a family. Pretty typical stuff, I’d say.
HCTX: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
AA: I will hopefully be in a fulfilling job position that makes me a better person. I want to have also traveled to all 50 states! Oh and hopefully I’ll have gone abroad as well.
HCTX: What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies? Besides running that is.
AA: I love road trips. Flying is nice, but there’s just something about a road trip with good company. You really get to see the scenery change as you cross state borders. I went on a road trip with my boyfriend and our dog this summer all the way to Seattle. It was amazing to try the different foods and see the different things that each place had to offer. I mean, we tried sopapillas in New Mexico, saw the world famous tabernacle choir in Utah, went white water rafting in Idaho, went up the Space Needle in Washington, and hiked up a mountain in Oregon. It was awesome.