Student Spotlight: Honors Academy’s Hailey Villegas-Dorantes Finds Her Voice – and Her Vision – Through Creativity and Connection

For first-year San Antonio College student Hailey Villegas-Dorantes, opportunity began with a simple act of courage: putting herself out there.

“If I could give one piece of advice,” she said, “it’s this – take initiative, do your own networking, and look for your own opportunities. You never know who’s going to see your work or what doors might open.”

That mindset has already carried Hailey far in just her first semester at SAC, where she is majoring in Liberal Arts and actively building the foundation for a future career in advertising, fashion, and creative direction. Originally from Bryan-College Station, Hailey moved to San Antonio with her family to pursue a more affordable and creative path. She quickly found her place in the Honors Academy, joining the Honors Club and stepping into the role of communications officer, where she helps manage social media and design promotional materials.

“I’m still new, but I’m learning so much,” she said. “Being communications officer is helping me build skills I want for my own photography and creative work.”

From a TikTok Post to a Magazine Collaboration
Hailey’s entrepreneurial moment came this fall when she posted a brief TikTok inviting other fashion-interested creatives in San Antonio to connect. The video was simple – a caption and a callout – but it reached exactly the right person.

Violet & Blair Magazine editor-in-chief Violet saw the post and responded, inviting Hailey to apply as a contributing photographer for the magazine’s upcoming winter issue. Within a day, Hailey received an email confirming that the team wanted to collaborate with her.

“I couldn’t believe something so small reached someone leading a real fashion magazine,” Hailey said. “It all happened so fast.”

This month, she completed her first professional fashion shoot with Violet & Blair, working alongside models, stylists, and an industry-seasoned photographer who serves as marketing director for Texas Fashion Week. For Hailey – who started photography in high school and has shot senior portraits and personal projects – this was her first experience working with a full creative production team.

“It was amazing,” she said. “I learned about teamwork, the creative process, and how a big shoot really comes together. I’ve usually done everything myself, but having a team made it more fun and more collaborative.”

Hailey will be featured in the magazine as both a contributing photographer and an interviewed artist. She is also supporting the publication by sharing behind-the-scenes content on social media, helping expand its audience as it prepares to distribute upcoming issues to bookstores.

A Path Shaped by Creativity and Community
On campus, Hailey is involved in multiple student organizations, including The Sundial, SAC’s student newspaper, and she is a provisional member of Phi Theta Kappa. Each experience, she says, is helping her explore her interests, sharpen her skills, and grow her network.

She hopes to transfer to UT Austin to major in advertising, with long-term aspirations of becoming a creative director or art director in the fashion or beauty industries.

“I love being hands-on,” she said. “I want to be on set, creating, collaborating–bringing ideas to life.”

For Professor Laurie Coleman, Director of the Honors Academy, Hailey’s story is a model example of what can happen when students embrace both academic enrichment and personal initiative.

Looking Ahead
Hailey plans to continue contributing to Violet & Blair as long as she’s living in Texas, and she remains eager to explore new creative opportunities in San Antonio and beyond.

For now, she hopes her journey inspires other students to take chances, ask questions, and put themselves forward.

“Everything happening to me right now started because I reached out,” she said. “You don’t need a perfect portfolio or the perfect moment. Just be brave enough to put yourself in the room–and amazing things can happen.”

-SAC-