Meet Ben Montecillo, Associate Director of Financial Aid/NCAA Compliance for Texas Tech
“We bear our banners far and wide,” is the saying at Texas Tech, but none holds truer for this month’s Alumni Spotlight, Ben Montecillo. A native of Indiana, Montecillo came to Texas Tech in the spring of 2002 and has been in Raiderland ever since.
We had the chance to sit down with Ben and learn about his background, his involvement as a student at Texas Tech, find out more about his current position as Associate Director of Financial Aid/NCAA Compliance, and much more.
Check out our Q&A discussion with Ben below:
Tell us about your background:
I came to Tech from Indiana. I grew up there, but I came here and just fell in love on day one. Just seeing the beauty of the Texas Tech campus, I knew this is where I wanted to be. I was involved in the Saddle Tramps, worked with some SGA committees, and was a basketball manager under Coach Bobby Knight. I settled on a Political Science degree from Texas Tech and started working for Workforce Solutions. I was out of school for about a year before I was able to get the position with financial aid.
What is your day-to-day like?
Every day is a little bit different. It’s about coming in and helping kids all day long. Sometimes that’s offering scholarships and seeing how that can change their lives. e best feeling is seeing them on graduation day and just knowing that we made a difference.
What about Lubbock kept you here after graduation?
I remember the moment I had the opportunity to interview for this position and things just fell into place. That’s one thing about Lubbock, when came I here, it just felt like home and I knew this is where I needed to be. I’ve been fortunate being able to stay; it has helped me grow professionally and allowed me to develop some good relationships. Lubbock is a great place to be. ere’s good people here and a great culture.
Outside of work, what are some of your favorite things to do?
I love Tech Athletics and have season tickets to everything. I love the live music scene here and there’s always some sort of entertainment. You can go out and golf or head out to Buffalo Springs Lake. Even though we’re a little isolated, there are still a lot of good spots where you can go out and do things.
Where are your top food recommendations?
I’m a Midwest kid so I really like burgers. I’d recommend Spanky’s for a burger. Orlando’s is a pretty good spot for Italian food. For student’s I’d say Chimmy’s, they have a pretty good lunch there. For a really good steak, I would recommend Double Nickel.
What’s your message to students about to graduate?
There’s going to be moments to get out there and explore other places and live up to your potential but come back as o en as you can, whether for a game or just to spend a weekend. Come back, get re-energized and go out and bear our banners.