Request Mentorship

Meet our team of volunteer mentors and request an opportunity to meet with them to build your professional network, jumpstart your career, or build crucial life skills.

Our Volunteers

The Runners Rising Project has built a team of amazing volunteer mentors who are willing to meet with any UTSA student-athlete who is seeking career guidance from folks in their respective field. We also offer an array of learning opportunities for UTSA student-athletes looking to gain new skills or receive general life guidance.

If you’re interested in meeting with any of our mentors please contact us via the form at the bottom of this page. Interested in joining our team of mentor volunteers? Please sign up at this link.

Mentorship Offerings

Jarveon Williams

NFL | Coaching | Non-Profits

Jarveon Williams is a Converse native and a graduate from Judson High School. As a monument in the program’s history Jarveon became UTSA’s first 1,000-yard rusher as well as leading the Roadrunners to their first ever bowl appearance in 2016. In 2017 Jarveon graduated with a B.B.A in Management from The University of Texas at San Antonio. He then went on to compete in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals for 2 years before being recruited to play in Canada for the Montreal Alouettes for a year in 2019 . Since then Jarveon has went on to coach at the Division 1 level for his alma mater UTSA in 2020. Jarveon is currently the Running Backs coach at Judson High School where he also teaches Economics. He continues to provide opportunities for the youth in San Antonio through his Non-profit organization, 2Ten Development, which is designed to provide at risk youth with effective developmental programs through the power of sports

Eddie Benningfield

Military Careers | Leadership | Organizational Development

Eddie Benningfield is a 2012 alumnus of the UTSA College of Fine Arts, where he was also a member of AFROTC Det 842 and the Honors College. Eddie holds a BA in History and is pursuing a MS in Org Development and Leadership Studies from UIW. Eddie is a Major Select in the United States Airforce and has experience leading teams of up to 120 members. Experienced in Airfield Operations, multi-national teams, and contingency planning.

Teresa A. Duran, M.D.

Medical Careers

Dr. Teresa A. Duran earned a Bachelor of Arts from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa and her M.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She completed her medical school prerequisite courses at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Duran is Board Certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Cytopathology, and Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine. She is a partner at Clinical Pathology Associates and is currently the Vice Chief of Staff at Northeast Baptist Hospital, San Antonio, Texas.

Mark Ruffin

Education | Coaching

The current Superintendent of Normangee ISD, Mark Ruffin was a pitcher for UTSA baseball from 2004 to 2008 when the Roadrunners won three championships. Mark has worked in eduction for 13 years as a teacher and coach. He is also the vice-chair for the Regional Advisory Committee for the Region 6 Education Service Center.

Jared Kalmus

IT Careers | Personal cybersecurity

A 2014 alumnus of the UTSA Alvarez College of Business, Jared has over eight years of experience working in software development and cybersecurity for some of the largest enterprises in the world. His areas of expertise include vulnerability management, threat intelligence, and cyber risk assessment. Jared is well versed in all areas of cybersecurity and can help you protect your data and privacy online.

Julian "Diesel" Benton

Military Careers

Lieutenant Colonel Julian "Diesel" Benton is the Commander of the 47th Operations Support Squadron at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. Originally from Houston, Texas, Diesel graduated and commissioned from the the Air Force Academy in 2004, where he was a member of the Academy's Gymnastics team. He earned his pilot wings in 2006 and went on to fly the KC-135 Stratotanker and the T-6 Texan II. Lt Col Benton holds three masters degrees and speaks four languages. His area of expertise outside of flying is foreign relations, and he has held assignments in the Dominican Republic and Colombia. Diesel's passions can be summed up into three areas: flying, leadership mentorship, and languages.

Chase Sekula

IT Careers

Chase graduated from UTSA in 2010 with a Bachelors in Information Systems and Infrastructure Assurance. He is currently a Director of Software Engineering at USAA. He has done everything from mobile application development to leading large scale multi-million dollar projects. He is passionate about developing the people around him.

Mark Cevallos

Legal Careers

Mark A. Cevallos earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from from Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana in 1999 and a Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2002. He has been licensed to practice law since 2003. Mr. Cevallos has a diverse statewide litigation practice in both Texas and Federal courts. He has been a UTSA athletic booster since 2009.

Anna Reyes

Mental Coaching | Leadership Coaching

Master Sergeant (MSgt) Anna Reyes is the Senior Enlisted Leader of the 436th Contracting Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. She serves as the principal advisor to the commander on all enlisted matters and mentors elite military and civilian contracting professionals, executing an annual portfolio exceeding $670 million. She provides oversight for direct support to more than 9,000 Airmen and joint-service members, civilians and families. Anna was born in the Philippines and grew up in Bakersfield, CA. She entered the Air Force in September 2008 and has served in various positions as a Contracting Officer for contingency operations, base support, construction, and architecture/engineering. Anna has her Bachelors of Science in Leadership from Bellevue University, Bellevue, Nebraska. She's currently pursuing her Masters of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership Studies from the University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas. Anna and her wife Stephanie currently reside in Dover, Delaware.

Keith Harris

Aviation Careers | Non-Profits

Keith Harris is a former baseball player and graduate of Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. After graduating college, Kieth commissioned into the United States Air Force via Officer's Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and served as a Airfield Operations Officer from 2014 to 2020. Post Air Force, Kieth is a certified flight instructor with time flying the C-400 and the BE-58, focusing mostly on private operations and VIP airlift. Outside of flying, Keith operates with different non-profit groups in the San Antonio area.