WT’s CAMP Program Honors Top Scholars for 2022-23

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

CANYON, Texas — Students from migrant families were honored for successfully completing their first year at West Texas A&M University in a special ceremony May 4.

The 2022-23 cohort of WT’s College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, celebrated the end of the academic year during a luncheon in WT’s Alumni Banquet Hall on the Canyon campus.

CAMP is a federally funded program designed to help students from migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds succeed at WT.

Juan Castañeda, a freshman agribusiness and economics major from Amarillo, was named 2022-23 CAMP Scholar of the Year.

“Juan has huge responsibilities working in the farm with his dad that include late nights and early mornings, but he continued to get his grades up and focus on his academic responsibilities. He’s a well rounded young man and am proud that CAMP was able to serve him for his first year of college,” said Fabiola Hernandez, CAMP academic adviser and coordinator.

“It was a privilege to be part of CAMP,” Castañeda said. “I have been a successful college student this year in large part due to CAMP, because I always had someone to rely on—my fellow CAMP students, our mentors and the CAMP director.”

Christian Anett, a freshman civil engineering major from Bovina, was named the 2022-23 CAMP Rising Scholar of the Year.

“Christian is a true reflection of what the program does to help students stay the course,” Hernandez said. “Although Christian may have struggled his fall semester, he persevered and continued to stay connected by utilizing our resources. He has the upmost commitment and passion to what he participates in.”

“I really don’t think I’d be here without CAMP,” Anett said. “It has been a great help financially, academically and personally. They’ve been there for anything I need.”

Like Castañeda, Anett is a first-generation college student.

“My parents really pushed me and my two older sisters to go to college,” Anett said. “I’m from a migrant family, so I want to prove that their sacrifices have been for something.”

Aidan Tsichlis, a senior musical theatre major from Plano, was named 2022-23 CAMP Tutor of the Year.

“Aidan provided extraordinary service to the students and the program,” Hernandez said. “He enriched the students’ experience by finding innovative ways to engage the students, and his positivity greatly influenced the work environment.”

“It’s really nice to be acknowledged because I’m working to help them thrive,” Tsichlis said. “I hope that I’ve helped prepare them with the right kind of skills to continue to be successful.”

CAMP facilitates the transition from high school to college and offers first-year support services to develop the skills necessary to persist and graduate from college.

The program provides academic advising and support; tutoring and supplemental instruction; financial aid counseling; cultural enrichment; social adjustment; leadership and professional development activities; and services, including scholarships up to $2,700, book assistance and a monthly stipend. 

Serving CAMP students is one way in which WT is regionally responsive, a key 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.

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.

Photo: Fabiola Hernandez, CAMP academic adviser and coordinator, gives end-of-year awards to Juan Castañeda, from left, Christian Anett and Aidan Tsichlis. 

—WT—