In the dugout during baseball games, on the sidelines of soccer matches and trackside at cross-country meets, Maria Jose “Majo” Gonzalez has become a fixture of St. Edward’s University athletics. As the lead photography intern for the athletics department, she’s more than just an intern

with photography skills – she’s become an integral part of the teams she covers by capturing victories, defeats and everything in between.

Growing up in Costa Rica, where soccer flows through the nation’s veins and World Cup celebrations flood the streets, Gonzalez’s connection to sports was ingrained in her. Despite never having set foot in Texas, she found herself drawn to St. Edward’s and Austin’s architectural charm. 

“I was confident in coming here,” Gonzalez said. “I knew that God wanted me here and opened these doors for me.”

Gonzalez began her college career as a graphic design major with a photography minor, but professors, who believed in her talent urged her, to double major instead. Her entry into sports photography came through an unexpected avenue – the baseball team’s social media needs. 

“Some of my friends were part of the baseball team, and their social media person quit,” Gonzalez  recalls what started as a volunteer position, shooting baseball games, quickly evolved into something bigger. “During my sophomore year, as I was creating content for baseball, athletics started requesting photographs from me. I stood up for myself, and asked for a job. They immediately told me there was space for me in athletics because they loved my work.”

Now, in her second year covering all NCAA sports on campus, Gonzalez rarely misses a home game. Her commitment goes beyond just showing up – she’s revolutionizing how St. Edward’s athletes are seen. This year, she’s expanded her role to include traveling with teams to focus on sports that compete off-campus like track and field and cross-country. 

“I saw the need to give them more visibility,” Gonzalez explains. “They’re such cool sports, but people don’t know about them.”

Each sport presents its own unique challenges and rewards, but baseball, where it all began, holds a special place in her heart. 

“I had to learn baseball from zero. I remember googling ‘baseball,’ to understand it, and I ended up falling in love with the slowness of the sport,” she says. 

Being in the dugout has given her access not just to the game, but to the camaraderie that makes sports special. Soccer taps into her Costa Rican roots, while basketball has allowed her to document the growth of both men’s and women’s programs under longtime St. Edwards coaches.

The summer of 2024 saw Gonzalez take her talents to the professional level, interning with Inter Miami CF. The internship immersed her in the business side of professional sports, where she created partnership mock-ups for potential sponsors like VISA. While the corporate experience proved valuable, it was the moments she spent near the field that truly resonated. Her role expanded when she volunteered as a photographer coordinator during the Copa America final in Miami, reigniting her passion for capturing the raw emotion and energy that only live sports can deliver.For Gonzalez, sports photography transcends mere documentation. She sees parallels between athletics and life itself. 

“Athletes are people that have to deal with failure a lot of the time,” Gonzalez said. “Having the strength to overcome failure — being resilient, waking up early, being healthy, taking care of your body – these values inspire me.”

Chelsea Purgahn, staff photographer and videographer for the St. Edward’s Marketing and Communications department, has witnessed Gonzalez’s impact firsthand. 

“Her experience as a current student helps elevate the brand and exposure of Hilltopper athletics. She captures more intimate, comprehensive moments because she knows many of the players both on and off their field of play. Students love to see her at games and receive the images she captures of their peak performances,” Purgahn said, adding that Majo goes “the extra, extra mile” by ensuring athletes have these moments to cherish during and after their collegiate careers.

These moments of connection and recognition transformed what began as a job into something far more meaningful. For now, Gonzalez continues to balance her dual roles in the athletics and marketing departments while completing her studies, driven by gratitude for her family’s sacrifices and the understanding that excellence requires pushing through overwhelming moments. Majo Gonzalez builds bridges between athletes and their community, one shot at a time.