WT Attebury Honors Students Honored at Reception

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Fourteen of West Texas A&M University’s most accomplished May graduates were recognized April 20 at a pre-commencement reception.

Students from the Attebury Honors Program celebrated their accomplishments and saluted their advisers during the reception in the Alumni Banquet Hall on WT’s Canyon campus.

“Completing a college degree comes with many challenges including financial hardships, barriers for first generation and underrepresented groups, high expectations, and of course, sleep deprivation. The students we honor today are here in spite of these challenges, and each of you should be proud to have arrived at this culmination of hard work and sacrifice,” said Dr. Carolyn Baum, Attebury Honors Program director and assistant professor in the Department of Communication.

The program was established in 2001 to provide an enriched learning community for some of WT’s best and brightest students.

The students have taken specially designed courses under faculty from across the University, completed a capstone project unique to their skills and majors, and displayed leadership in their respective disciplines, Baum said.

Those honored included:

• Payton Brookshire, psychology major from Amarillo;
• Joshua Copas, English major from Floresville;
• Andrew Alarcon, mechanical engineering major from Peru;
• Courtney Fahey, accounting major from Anamosa, Iowa;
• Gerald Farrell, psychology from Lubbock;
• Jalyn Kocsis, health sciences major from Amarillo;
• Billy Lee, biochemistry major from Amarillo;
• Orion Macias, acting major from San Antonio;
• Jennifer Martinez, psychology major from Amarillo;
• Aubrey Mead, biology major from Inverness, Florida;
• Duncan Miertschin, physics major from Amarillo;
• Eleisha Miller, vocal performance major from San Antonio;
• Sarah Mitchell, science education major from Lubbock; and
• Rachel Widder, digital communication and media major from Galveston.

The graduating seniors will receive a special designation in the commencement program and a medallion at the May 7 commencement ceremonies in the First United Bank Center on the Canyon campus.

Attebury Honors students initially enroll in honors sections of core curriculum courses taught by honors faculty that encourage development of exceptional written and oral communication skills with expanded content.

After taking courses within their major, students enroll in upper-level interdisciplinary honors seminar courses, where they critically consider local and global issues both past and present. Students are mentored throughout their degree by honors faculty from across the institution and complete an honors capstone research project or experience that showcase their unique talents. 

Honors students also receive peer mentoring, priority registration and support for engagement in research conferences, internships and study abroad, and live in an honors-only residence hall.

The Attebury Honors program currently includes 117 students.

Currently, 38 students come from the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, seven from the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, 17 from the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences, 22 from the College of Engineering, 16 from the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, and seven from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

It was endowed in 2007 by William H. and Joyce Attebury.

The honors program is part of the rigorous educational environment laid out in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $110 million.

Photo: Dr. Carolyn Baum, left, director of the Attebury Honors Program, celebrates with graduating seniors from the program — Joshua Copas, from left, Sarah Mitchell, Jennifer Martinez, Billy Lee, Richel Widder, Duncan Miertschin, Courtney Fahey, Payton Brookshire, Jalyn Kocsis, Eleisha Miller, Andrew Alarcon and Orion Macias.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—