Graduating Attebury Honors Students Honored at WT Reception

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

CANYON, Texas — Seven top West Texas A&M University scholars were celebrated at a special pre-graduation ceremony.

Students from the Attebury Honors Program toasted their accomplishments and saluted their advisers during a Dec. 5 reception in the Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus.

“Attebury Honors graduates have engaged in scholarship, leadership, and service activities while completing an individualized academic pathway,” said Dr. Carolyn Baum, Attebury Honors Program director and assistant professor in the Department of Communication. “These students are critical thinkers and problem-solvers and will undoubtedly improve the communities in which they work and live.”

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:

Kristina Arzola, a health sciences major from Muleshoe, who completed a comprehensive literature review on the effects of cannabis on tumor growth;

Kaelyn Darden, a biology major from Las Cruces, New Mexico, who researched burnout in pre-med and other pre-professional students;

David Hardin, a psychology major from Clyde, who studied the gene that regulates the circadian clock;

Jonathan Horton, a health sciences major from Amarillo, who researched the effect of calorie consumption versus expenditure on weight;

Landry Judd, an environmental science major from Dalhart, who completed a research internship with the National Weather Service;

Elaina Robinson, an education major from Amarillo, who investigated the challenges of multilingual elementary students; and

Kenedy Wheeler, a studio art major from Flower Mound, who created artwork for her exhibition “Creating Importance: Elevating the Ordinary.”

The graduating seniors will receive a special designation in the commencement program and a medallion at the Dec. 13 and 14 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, which was endowed in 2007 by William H. and Joyce Attebury, includes 228 students.

Currently, 96 students come from the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, 17 from the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, 26 from the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences, 26 from the College of Engineering, 30 from the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities and 33 from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

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 One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. 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 more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and 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: Graduating Attebury Honors students at West Texas A&M University were honored at a Dec. 5 pre-commencement ceremony. Pictured are, from left, Elaina Robinson, Kristina Arzola, Kaelyn Darden, Landry Judd, Kenedy Wheeler, Jonathan Horton and David Hardin.

—WT—