Finding His Place, Leaving His Mark
Balancing classes, student teaching and campus leadership roles would be enough for most students. But for Dylan Garcia (’26), involvement wasn’t just part of the college experience — it became the foundation of it.
In May, Dylan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education and completed a semester of student teaching at Medlin Middle School and Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas. He was also one of the spring 2026 UNT Ring Award recipients — awarded every semester to students who embody the spirit of the university.
And Dylan has done exactly that.
“I was able to have all these amazing opportunities to be involved in all these great organizations and have had probably the pinnacle UNT experience because of the friendships and connections on campus,” Dylan says. “And those relationships will take me far and beyond after graduation.”
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dylan and his family came to Texas shortly after he was born, living in Midland for about five years before moving to Abilene in 2009. By age 11, Dylan began playing the violin — a skill he would develop throughout middle and high school and eventually take into college after being accepted into UNT’s prestigious College of Music.
“I didn’t know how my first year was going to go,” Dylan says. “It was my first time being alone and finding out more about myself and finding my path overall.”
Dylan’s time as a student was enriched by his involvement with numerous student organizations across campus. From the Student Alumni Ambassadors and the Student Government Association to NT40, the President’s Student Advisory Committee and the UNT Homecoming Court in fall 2025, Dylan’s ties to the university run deep.
Dylan became a UNT Student Alumni Ambassador as a junior, representing the Alumni Association through engagement and educational opportunities, and remained ingrained in the organization through graduation.
In fall 2025, Dylan represented the Student Alumni Ambassadors on the UNT Homecoming Court.
“That week was a fever dream, it really was,” he says. “It was special because I got to represent the Student Alumni Ambassadors on the court, which was an amazing opportunity. I think my favorite part about Homecoming week was being on the field during halftime.”
The moment serving as just one of many highlights on UNT’s campus.
“I got to do all of that here at UNT because of the relationships I got to build, because of the camaraderie here at UNT,” Dylan says. “And that’s why I consider these four years to be so special — because of these people that supported me.”
Among the many relationships Dylan built at UNT, one has had a particularly lasting influence on his future as an educator: alumna and UNT System Regent Cathy Bryce (’91 Ed.D.), who he met at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new science and technology building on UNT’s main campus.
Introduced by another mentor of Dylan’s, Bryce’s long and unparalleled career as a choir director, teacher and superintendent made her a perfect match to become a valued mentor to Dylan.
“Cathy is such a special soul,” he says. “She’s someone who I can easily just go to, not only for leadership and professional development opportunities, but also personally.”
Dylan’s connection with Bryce has been inspirational to how he plans to approach the students in his classroom when he becomes a teacher.
“Cathy has always been someone that has always poured their entire person into me, and that is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life, especially as a future educator,” Dylan says. “I want to give to my students those same principles and support.”
Having completed student teaching, graduated from UNT and earned his class ring, Dylan is ready to step confidently into his next chapter.
In May, as he prepared to have his UNT ring placed on his finger by his beloved mother and speak to the crowd at the UNT Ring Ceremony and Eagle Ring Dive, he was eager to reflect on all the ways UNT has shaped him.
“It’s been a pinnacle of my UNT experience — I finally get to share with the entire UNT community what this class ring award really means to me and reflect on how much this campus has given to me and how much I’ve given back,” Dylan says. “I get to share how this ring serves as a culmination of all four years for me and the relationships I’ve built.”
The UNT Alumni Association is proud to help make more UNT class ring dreams a reality through the Ring Program Excellence Endowment — established by dedicated UNT alumna Leah Woodruff Hatfield (’77).