McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin

At TEDxUTAustin this spring, UT junior and Dulce Custom Cakes founder Reese Saliceti made the case that perfectionism is the enemy of progress and that failure is rarely as costly as we think.

She started her custom cake business as a teenager. The lesson that stuck: the willingness to try matters more than the outcome.

"Cakes are meant to be cut. They're meant to be a little bit messy. And so are we."

Read more: https://news.mccombs.utexas.edu/student-news/dare-greatly/

What a weekend. 🎓🧡

This past weekend, we had the honor of celebrating the incredible Class of 2026 — every program, every journey, every dream realized. Watching you all cross that stage was a moment we will never forget. Congratulations, graduates. We are so proud of you and can't wait to see everything you do next! ✨

Last fall, 40 juniors and seniors from across UT Austin came together as the inaugural cohort of the Texas Trailblazers: Gay Gaddis Leadership Program.

An initiative of the Center for Leadership and Ethics at McCombs, the program brings together students from every discipline on campus for 14 weeks of leadership training, small-group speaker conversations, and capstone projects that serve the University and broader community.

In their first year, the cohort launched a podcast highlighting outstanding UT student leaders, reimagined a core McCombs introductory course, developed a road map to revive Longhorn traditions, and built the internal structure for Trailblazers to grow and sustain itself for years to come.

With applications growing 66% for the second cohort, the program's momentum is clear. The second cohort will be announced at an event on April 28, and we can't wait to see what they accomplish 🤘 https://news.mccombs.utexas.edu/news/blazing-trails/