Texas State Net Impact chapter places in the top 10 in national Up to Us challenge

SAN MARCOS, Texas — The Net Impact chapter at Texas State University’s McCoy College of Business earned national recognition after placing 7th in the 14th annual Up to Us Leadership Networks Fall 2025 Campus Competition, a nationwide initiative focused on civic engagement and fiscal sustainability.

​The annual competition brings together student leaders from campuses across the country to educate their peers about the national debt and its effects while building leadership and outreach skills. This year’s participants hosted hundreds of events nationwide and engaged thousands of students in conversations about fiscal policy and economic responsibility during the longest government shutdown in history. Sixty student leaders across 40 campuses nationwide participated.

“I screamed,” said Catalina Salas, sophomore business management major and Net Impact president, after finding out the chapter had placed in the top 10 — a first for Texas State’s chapter. “I was so excited.”

At Texas State, the campaign was led by Salinas along with a small team of student officers and members. To raise awareness, the chapter hosted more than 10 events across campus, including tabling in the Quad, the Mall, and at McCoy Hall, and also conducted outreach to elected officials at the state and federal levels, which Salinas believes contributed to their recognition in the competition.

Salinas said one of the campaign's biggest challenges was encouraging students to see how fiscal policy connects with their daily lives. By focusing on conversation and personal relevance, the team collected 145 pledge signatures, exceeding the campaign's 100-pledge requirement.

“I leaned into how it affects them directly,” she said. “For example, [how the national debt affects] tuition, rent, groceries, gas, and any little aspects of that directly affect them.”

Trevi Kelley, assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Information Systems and Analytics at McCoy College and the chapter’s faculty advisor, said the recognition was a proud moment for the chapter.

“We're a very small group, and we placed above some big chapters,” Kelley said. “The [students] put in the time, came up with the engagement events, and they made this work.”

The chapter, which completed the campaign with a team of 5, received $750 in prize money, and Salinas is expected to attend a prize trip in late spring.

“It’s great news,” Salinas said. “This chapter’s [membership] has previously fallen off, and we’re trying to rebuild it.”

Net Impact at McCoy College is part of a global network of more than 60,000 members who advance sustainable, socially responsible business practices through hands-on projects, professional engagement, and community impact initiatives. ✯