Top Student Leaders Honored at Rogers LEAD WT Conference

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

CANYON, Texas — Two West Texas A&M University student leaders were recognized by their peers in one of the University’s most prestigious programs.

Students in the Dyke and Terry Rogers Leadership Education and Development Program, or Rogers LEAD WT, held its third capstone conference March 24, bringing together a selection of community and on-campus leaders to speak on the central theme “Empowering Those You Lead.”

Louis Alcala, a senior business major from Dalhart, was named Senior LEAD Scholar of the Year, and Filiberto Avila, a junior digital communication & media major from Spearman, was named Junior LEAD Scholar of the Year.

“Louis and Fili are truly the image of what a Rogers LEAD Scholar should be,” said Missy Macon, Rogers LEAD WT program director and leadership coordinator in the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership. “They both are dedicated, kind and exhibit strong leadership qualities.”

Each received a $500 scholarship.

The capstone conference also included discussions led by Benton Allen, a research associate in WT’s College of Engineering and a member of the inaugural Rogers LEAD WT class; 181st District Judge Titiana Frausto; Jimmy Lackey, WT alum and president and CEO of Kids, Inc.; Terry B. Rogers, a WT alum, retired school administrator and namesake of WT’s Terry B. Rogers College of Education; and Paula Schlagel, associate lecturer in WT’s Department of Communication.

“We want our senior class to get some additional insight into what leadership looks like in the real world before they graduate and enter it themselves,” said Rick Haasl, Rogers LEAD WT faculty director and associate dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The Rogers LEAD WT program was created in 2012 to challenge high-achieving students to further develop their leadership potential.

In 2014, area philanthropists Dyke and Terry Rogers endowed the program with a $1 million gift, part of the couple’s history of giving to WT that most recently included a $5 million gift to name the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences.

Up to 25 students annually are accepted as LEAD scholars following an extensive application and interview process. The program is completed in two years, with students taking leadership theory courses, working as a team on service projects, and completing internship experiences and taking part in other real-world activities including networking events and public speaking opportunities.

Fostering leadership is a critical component of 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 in September 2021 — has raised more than $120 million.

Photo: Louis Alcala, second from left, a senior business major from Dalhart, was named Senior LEAD Scholar of the Year, and Filiberto Avila, second from right, a junior digital communication & media major from Spearman, was named Junior LEAD Scholar of the Year. Flanking them are Rick Haasl, left, Rogers LEAD WT faculty director and associate dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Missy Macon, right, Rogers LEAD WT program director and leadership coordinator in the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership.

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.

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