By Christi Mays
It all started with an unexpected letter, but it changed the trajectory of three lives forever. Brothers Bryan, Steve and Justin Villalobos were each born two years apart. They each had completely different paths planned out for college, and not one of these plans included following in their brothers’ footsteps or attending a small Christian university in Central Texas. But when they tell people how they ended up at UMHB, it’s impossible not to see God’s hand at work.
Bryan was the first of three brothers to graduate high school and begin planning for college. He knew he wanted to attend a Christian school but only had eyes for out-of-state schools so he could “experience something different.” The unexpected—and unsolicited—letter from UMHB appeared in his mailbox one day and changed everything.
Growing up in Houston, Bryan had never heard of UMHB; however, to appease his parents, he agreed to a tour, even though he had already been accepted to a Christian school in New York.
“UMHB was very different from what I was used to as far as environment,” he recalls. “As soon as we walked onto campus, everyone was smiling, happy and excited.”
Three minutes into the tour, he already knew that UMHB was where he was supposed to be.
“At that point, the New York school didn’t matter as much,” said Bryan, who completed a bachelor’s in biology in 2019 and his MBA in 2020. “It was a feeling. I just felt comfortable and like I fit in.”
Two years after Bryan started at UMHB, it was Steve’s turn to college hunt. He said his plan included two years at a community college and then transferring to a large DI or DII school—someplace with name recognition. He was packed up and ready to go, but through prayer (and some heavy persuasion from big brother touting how much he loved UMHB), Steve changed his mind and applied to UMHB just a few days before classes began. “I was picking my classes in the middle of Welcome Week!” he laughed. “It was, no question, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
