Alumni Awards

Class of '16

For a young man just five years out of college, Brian Harrin has accomplished more than many people do in a lifetime. And he has a four-page, single-spaced resume of wow-worthy achievements to prove it.

To be fair, Brian started his multi-faceted career at a very young age. Inspired by international travel with his family, Brian started his own business—U-travel--at age 14. During high school, where his after-school work program revolved around insurance, his father, a successful entrepreneur, asked if Brian would be interested in starting such a business with him. Not one to bypass an opportunity to broaden his skill set, Brian became a licensed insurance broker and co-founding partner of San Antonio-based The Harrin Group.

For higher education, Brian chose Texas A&M University-San Antonio because he wanted to attend an institution that was different than those his high school peers were attending. “I was drawn by the opportunity to potentially make a mark on this new but growing institution,” he explains.

While majoring in communication/journalism Brian honed his Herculean work ethic, leadership capabilities, and wide-ranging interests. He spent a semester interning for Texas Senator Ted Cruz, monetized his hobby of collecting autographs by publishing his Amazon.com four-star rated Can I have your Autograph at the age of 20, and served as vice president of the Student Government Association.

After graduation Brian earned a master’s in international affairs from the University of North Georgia, with a specialization in Middle Eastern security issues.

Currently he is a full-time intelligence specialist for the U.S. Air Force based at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and remains fully engaged in management of The Harrin Group. “I find fulfillment in both jobs,” he says, “and find it very doable.”

A life-long learner with a passion for travel, intelligence work, and learning about other cultures, Brian has amassed a list of credentials that include an Intelligence Fundamentals Professional certificate awarded by the Department of Defense, a three-month graduate course in Critical Thinking from Cornell University, a certificate in Modern Standard Arabic from Noor Majan Arabic Institute in Oman,  and a certificate on The Puzzle of Terrorism and Counterterrorism from the International Institute for Counterterrorism in Israel. In addition to English, he speaks Spanish and Arabic. Of his recent U.S. Air Force’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award, he modestly says, “I’m really glad I made an impact at the 547^th Intelligence Squadron at Nellis AFB in Nevada, whose history dates back to 1944.”

In the past, Brian found time for volunteer projects where his communication, organizational and technical skills could positively impact organizations such as the Calvin Coolidge Presential Foundation, the Karnes County Historical Society and the San Antonio Area Metal Detecting Club, part of what they do is assist law enforcement officials at crime scenes.

Certainly not all work and no play, Brian’s extensive list of interests and hobbies runs the gamut from fitness and athletics to numerous cultural pursuits and

especially international travel. To date, he has visited 18 countries and in 2024 he'll add Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. He’s also on target to earn his private pilot’s license.

Whatever his future entails, it’s safe to assume this Distinguished Alumnus will always “make an impact.”