Meet Liam

Name: Liam O’Rourke

Hometown: Pearland, Texas

High School: St. Thomas High School

Major: History

Minor: Liberal Arts Honors

Expected graduation: May 2010

The Best in Texas

When I applied to UT, I did not know what I wanted in terms of a college experience. I applied to many schools hoping to get in, not necessarily hoping to get into any particular one. As deadlines quickly approached, I chose UT because it was not too far from home and it was considerably cheaper. I did not apply to any other Texas schools because I thought at the time (and still do) that Texas is the best in Texas.

Freshman orientation was my first time to see the UT campus. Since then, I have learned about the history and current standing of the university. I must note that UT is ranked extremely high in almost every conceivable category. UT has programs ranked in the top 5 that I did not even know existed before I came to school here. I challenge anyone to find an unimpressive academic program at UT. I have been so impressed with my college experience and I am proud to be a Longhorn.

LAH – A Reliable Support Network

I am in the Liberal Arts Honors (LAH) Program. I highly recommend all prospective students to apply to be in an honors program. The LAH advisors, Paul Sullivan and Stacey Amorous, made my transition from high school and my overall college experience exceed all of my expectations. The advisors are excellent and the classes are smaller. Through the LAH program, I immediately had great friends and a reliable support network when I arrived on campus my freshman year.

History Made Alive

After my freshman year and Dr. Penne Restad’s American History class, I became a history major. I have always loved studying history, but Dr. Restad made it come alive in a way that I had never experienced before. She was not concerned with details as much as she was with concepts and understanding why before how.

Learning to Live and Work with People

I have really enjoyed being a resident assistant. I have been able to meet so many people and learn how to live and work with them. When someone asks me a question in an interview, I almost always use an experience as an RA to highlight my answer. Many of my closest friends are RAs, too. One night, our supervisor took us to the Main Event, which is a giant entertainment complex with laser tag, arcade games, and a bowling alley. Even though we were tired and busy, we spent the entire night there and had a wonderful time.

Helping the Disadvantaged

I was swept up, as many freshmen are, into a Student Government campaign. I was just going through the motions until I realized how many leadership opportunities were available. I served as the director of the Student Government’s Students with Disabilities Agency for two years. In that time, I helped raise the necessary funds for the Lee Bagan endowment that helps economically disadvantaged students with disabilities get the appropriate tests in order to receive assistance and resources. I also met amazing people.

After I graduate, I want to become a lawyer and continue advocating for people with disabilities. The Liberal Arts Honors Program has many challenging classes that have improved my ability to evaluate and refute arguments. Non-academic programs and student organizations have also provided opportunities such as the Student Government’s Students with Disabilities Agency and Best Buddies.

Send Liam an e-mail at Liam.ORourke@mail.utexas.edu