When most people think of a Kinesiology Sports Management degree, they picture a future athletic trainer, a strength coach or a sports administrator. But for one HCU alumna, that degree became the launchpad for something far less expected: a seat in a press room with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and a thriving creative marketing agency back home in El Paso, Texas.
Sarah Villalobos’ story is a testament to what sets Houston Christian University apart: not just its academic programs, but the people, the relationships and the Christ-centered culture that encourages students to show up fully, connect deeply and trust that opportunity has a way of finding those who invest in others.
A Major Change, A Mentor and a New Direction
Her path to HCU’s marketing department began with a simple love for social media and a willingness to say yes. When she arrived at HCU, she dove into an internship with the university’s marketing department during her very first semester. It was there that her supervisor, a Social Media Specialist who recognized her raw talent, encouraged her to consider pivoting from her original Nursing major toward something that combined her passion for athletics and media.
She switched to Kinesiology Sports Management, a move that allowed her to bring her growing marketing skills directly into the sports world she loved. But the most defining chapter of her internship came through a relationship with Ethan Lee, a writer in the department and the husband of another HCU alumna, who introduced her to the power of storytelling through the written word. Under his mentorship, she began conducting athlete interviews and writing long-form articles that highlighted the journeys of HCU student athletes, eventually interviewing head coaches like Clay Vanderlaan during HCU Baseball’s Conference Championship season.
This is the HCU difference: the right mentor at the right time, made possible by a campus culture that prioritizes genuine human connection.
The Call That Changed Everything
Fast-forward to the week of Super Bowl LIX. That same mentor, now running his own independent news and media outlet The Underdog Tribune, called her on a Thursday with an opportunity she couldn’t have scripted. He asked her to represent his outlet at a Raising Cane’s Super Bowl event, where she would sit in on a press conference with the winning quarterback. The destination? That would depend on who won the game.
Seattle won. And within 48 hours, she was on a plane.
The trip was a whirlwind. She landed in Seattle at 11:30 PM Monday night, spent all of Tuesday at the event and exploring the city, and was back on a 6 AM flight Wednesday morning. But in that short window, she found herself in a press room covering Sam Darnold, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, for a Raising Cane’s community celebration event. 
She walked in nervous, then did what HCU trained her to do: reset and push forward. “I had to remind myself that I wouldn’t be there if I wasn’t capable,” Villalobos said. “I said a few affirmations to myself and then I proceeded through the rest of the event with confidence, doing what I do best.”
She introduced herself to every media professional in the room, spoke openly about her work covering collegiate athletes and represented both The Underdog Tribune and her own business with poise. “I made so many great connections with all of the other press people that were there to cover the event,” Villalobos said.
The opportunity came directly through an HCU connection. That’s not coincidence. That’s the fruit of intentional relationship-building in a community where people remember your name and champion your growth.
Faith, Drive and the Go-Getter Mindset HCU Instilled
It would be easy to look at this story and credit luck. But the foundation beneath every bold move she has made is something deeper: a faith that was actively shaped and strengthened during her years at Houston Christian University.
At HCU, faith isn’t a footnote to the academic experience. It’s woven into the culture, the mentorship and the way students are challenged to see themselves and their God-given potential. She learned early that confidence and faith are not opposites of hard work. 
They are the fuel for it. When she walked into that Seattle press room feeling out of place, she didn’t freeze. She prayed, she pushed and she performed.
“I was hoping and praying for the opportunity to get to go to Seattle,” Villalobos said, and that posture of active faith combined with relentless pursuit defined her approach to the entire experience. For her, prayer wasn’t passive. It was a starting point, followed immediately by action.
HCU also cultivated the go-getter mindset that made her stand out the moment she entered that room. She didn’t wait for people to come to her. She networked boldly, introduced herself to everyone and spoke about her business with the energy of someone who had been in rooms like that a hundred times before. “It sounds cliche, but fake it till you make it was really my motto,” Villalobos said. “I’m not trying to be somebody I’m not. I’m trying to act for the part I want, not the part I have.”
That combination of faith-rooted confidence and scrappy determination is exactly what a Christ-centered education cultivates. Students at HCU are encouraged to dream big, trust God’s timing and then do the work. She did all three.
She even discovered one of her greatest professional assets through a personality assessment in a first-year seminar class. When her top strength came back as adaptability, she didn’t think much of it at the time. But when a Super Bowl press trip gets confirmed two days before kickoff, adaptability stops being a personality trait and starts being a calling.
“It keeps you on your toes in the best way possible,” Villalobos said of working in media. “It’s always moving and changing and it forces you to do the same.”
Building From the Ground Up
The Seattle trip didn’t just validate her ability to compete in professional media spaces. It gave her the confidence and the push to keep building the business she launched after graduation: Five to Two Creative Marketing, a story-driven creative agency serving small businesses and athletes in El Paso, Texas.
Five to Two was born out of a gap she identified in her hometown, communities rich with passion and talent whose stories were going untold or filtered through a narrow lens. “There are so many incredible small business owners and a huge passion for high school sports in the community, but much of the storytelling is either told through a male lens or not captured at all,” Villalobos said.
Through intentional content creation, social media strategy and event coverage, she gives meaningful visibility to the people and businesses that deserve to be seen. “Instead of just focusing on wins and losses or sales numbers, I aim to tell stories that make people feel something,” Villalobos said. “Stories that showcase character, dedication and the real people behind the brand or the jersey.”
It’s the same mission that began in HCU’s marketing department. Tell the stories that matter, and tell them well.
The HCU Network Is Robust
For prospective students weighing their college options, this story carries a clear message: the value of Houston Christian University extends far beyond its classrooms.
It lives in the employees who believe in your potential, the mentors who push you toward your purpose, the alumni who carry HCU values into their careers and the connections that follow you long after graduation day.
“It’s important to build connections with everyone you come across whether you think they are important or not, because opportunities can come from anywhere,” Villalobos said.
A Christ-centered education at HCU doesn’t just prepare you for a job. It prepares you for a life where the relationships you build, the faith you carry and the drive you develop can open doors you didn’t even know existed, including, apparently, a press room in Seattle.