Alumni Spotlight - Flavio Tirado

A&M-Texarkana alumnus Flavio Tirado grew up in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with parents who believed deeply in his education.  

“From an early age, my parents were considering my future. They were always asking themselves what kind of environment they wanted their children to grow up in and what influences they wanted us to have.”  

Flavio attended school at a United States based international school in the Dominican Republic. “I was educated in English with an American curriculum, while still growing up in Dominican culture and speaking Spanish at home. I started thinking early on that I wanted to go to college in the United States.”  

By his junior year of high school, Flavio became more serious about pursuing his dream. “I remember buying a used SAT prep book. I would go to the library and work through practice questions. At the same time, I was very passionate about baseball. One of the other big reasons I wanted to come to the United States was to play college baseball and compete at the next level.”  

That goal led Flavio to a surprisingly simple Google search for characteristics he wanted in an American university: a state with a relatively warm climate, a school where he could play baseball, and a program aligned with his academic interests. “Believe it or not, the way I found Texas A&M University-Texarkana was through a simple Google search. My major interest was sports medicine. I’ve always been fascinated by injury rehabilitation, how the body recovers, and how athletes return to performance. I searched for schools that fit those criteria and found A&M-Texarkana. I honestly didn’t look anywhere else. I felt like it was my opportunity, and I was going to take it.”  

The Google search may have been simple, however, Flavio’s journey to Texarkana was anything but. “Getting here wasn’t easy. The immigration process alone was a whole different challenge. You have deadlines, documents, and restrictions. It’s a lot to organize, and the timing must be right.”  

Despite the challenges, Flavio experienced firsthand what he truly believes to be God’s perfect timing, and full confirmation that A&M-Texarkana was where he was meant to be.   

“Classes were supposed to start Tuesday, August 27, 2018, and the week before that, I still didn’t have my visa. Miraculously, I got an interview scheduled the Monday before classes started. I went in, did the interview, and they said, ‘Come back in three hours and your passport will be ready with the visa.’ That almost never happens. It was incredible.”  

A week later, Flavio was flying to the United States. “My parents dropped me off at the airport at 6 a.m. in Santo Domingo, and by 10 p.m. that night, I was walking into my dorm room. The next morning, I started classes. That’s the day I truly became an adult.”  

Life as an American college student brought many new experiences from learning effective note-taking to understanding “Texan.” It also included new responsibilities as a student athlete. “Even things like the food were different. It was a lot of small changes all at once, but they were all part of the experience. Baseball played a big role in shaping who I became. It taught me discipline, responsibility, and consistency. Those are life skills that go beyond the classroom.”  

By his junior year, something shifted for Flavio. A&M-Texarkana began to feel more like home. “I started thinking less about the next break to travel home and more about how I could give back to the University and the community.”  

Flavio became a Student Ambassador, representing and promoting the University through various activities, and served as president of the International Student Organization. He also completed an internship in Connecticut at a sports performance facility, focusing on kinesiology and performance training. “The internship showed me there were other ways to contribute to athletics through strength and conditioning, injury prevention, and performance training.”  

That experience helped clarify his direction. When he returned to campus after the internship, he asked his baseball coach if he could help develop the team’s strength and conditioning program, taking on the responsibility voluntarily. “I designed the workouts, organized the training schedules, and worked with the players throughout the season. Eventually, the program produced noticeable results, and the athletes responded well. The following year, I was officially given the title of Director of Strength and Conditioning for the baseball team.”  

Not all of Flavio’s life-changing American experiences happened in the classroom or on the field. In late 2020, Flavio had to borrow a friend’s car while his own was in the repair shop. One day, someone left a note on the windshield that read, “If you’re single, please text me,” with a phone number attached. “What’s funny is that I didn’t even see the note that day. The car was driven around another day or two, even to Dequeen and back, before my friend finally noticed it and sent me a picture of the note that I still keep in my wallet. When I saw the picture of the note, I decided to text the number. That’s how I met CaLeesa, who is now my wife.”  

Flavio and CaLeesa began dating in January 2021, and Flavio proposed on the day of his undergraduate graduation in May 2022. “My wife is a big reason why I am the man I am today. School and sports gave me skills, but her support and encouragement pushed me forward in ways I can’t fully describe.”  

With his role as Director of Strength and Conditioning with the baseball team, Flavio was given a graduate assistant position which helped pay for his master’s degree in business administration from the University. “While I was finishing my master’s degree and working as the strength and conditioning director, I was also exploring potential careers.”  

Physical Therapy had always been an interest and long-term goal for Flavio. One day, while he was working at the Patterson Student Center, A&M-Texarkana President Dr. Ross Alexander came in to work out and asked Flavio about his plans for the future. “I told him I wanted to pursue physical therapy. Then, he asked me something unexpected. He asked, ‘Flavio, can you recruit?’ I said, ‘Yes, I can recruit,’ and he said, ‘Well, then we may have a job for you.’" 

Soon after their conversation, Flavio applied for an open admissions counselor position at the University. “I quickly realized that my biggest strength in admissions is simply sharing my experience. I’m not just explaining what the University offers—I’ve lived it. That makes the conversations very genuine. I truly love my job.”   

In fall 2026, Flavio will begin pursuing his long-term goal in the newly launched Doctor of Physical Therapy program. “For a long time, it was just an idea. Then I started seeing the vision become reality here at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. To go from hearing about the idea of the program to being accepted into it is a feeling that’s hard to describe. It feels like everything came full circle.” 

Flavio will join the inaugural cohort of the DPT program in the Fall, working towards his third A&M-Texarkana degree. “One thing I’ve realized about this University is that when there’s a vision, it eventually becomes reality. The physical therapy program was once just a vision. The new buildings were once just a vision. Even the football program was once just a vision. Now those things are real and that’s something very special about this institution.”  

Today, Flavio and CaLeesa have a precious 17-month-old daughter, Sophia, a reflection of how far his journey has taken him and God’s blessings throughout his life. “From where I started to where I am today, I’ve been incredibly blessed. I’m pursuing a doctorate, raising my family, and working at the University that means so much to me. No matter where life takes me, I’ll always stay connected to A&M-Texarkana. It’s the place that changed my life.”