Our Lady of the Lake University (¾«¶«Ó°Òµ) President, Dr. Abel Chávez, was recently featured in the 4th edition of Invest: San Antonio, a prestigious business report published by Capital Analytics Associates. The annual report spotlights leaders shaping the economic, educational, and civic growth of the San Antonio region.

In his interview, Dr. Chávez discussed ¾«¶«Ó°Òµâ€™s pivotal role in preparing students to meet the city’s evolving workforce needs and the university’s ongoing commitment to community-centered education. He emphasized that ¾«¶«Ó°Òµâ€™s mission—rooted in the ministries of the Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence—continues to guide its efforts to advance education, community service, and community health.

Reflecting on his participation, Dr. Chávez shared:

Last week reminded me why education remains the great equalizer. At the Invest San Antonio panel, which I was invited to join, we discussed our city’s future through the lens of education, and throughout the conversation, I reflected on the three ministries upon which the Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence founded our university—education, community service, and community health. I’ve been thinking a lot about how inseparable each is from the other. We cannot build strong educational pathways without healthy and whole communities, and we cannot build healthy communities without education that uplifts and prepares. When these three essential ingredients are present and in synergy, civic engagement and human flourishing follow. 

During Dr. Donna Carroll’s visit, her reflections on the vocation of Catholic higher education have also stayed with me. In this turbulent moment for our world and our sector, her reminder was clear…we are called not merely to sustain our institutions, but to flourish them so that they serve students and families, by forming lives that are whole, healthy, and rooted in purpose. That is our vocation.

Dr. Chávez concluded with a call to action:

Let us, all of us who have been entrusted with a postsecondary credential and knowledge, open wide the pathways for others, to also have access to credentials and knowledge. Let us innovate boldly and act with the trust and confidence in Providence, removing barriers so that education once again becomes a bridge to wholeness for every student and family we get to serve.