Top WT Student Employees for 2024-2025 Honored

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

CANYON, Texas — An undergraduate who was called “the ideal student employee” and a graduate student who helped assist fellow students by streamlining several critical operations were honored April 7 as WT’s top student workers.

Kayden Burgess, a senior computer science major from Pampa, was recognized as the undergraduate student employee of the year, and Mariam Adegbindin, a graduate student in computer information systems and business analytics from Lagos, Nigeria, was honored as graduate assistant of the year.

Burgess, Adegbindin and 70 other nominated student workers were celebrated during a 3 p.m. April 7 event in the Fairly Club at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.

Burgess also won a special leadership award, and five other students were recognized with special awards:

• Career and Self Development Award: Clayton Stevenson, senior animal science major from Earth;
• Communication Award: Avery Feldman, senior agricultural media and communication major from Raton, New Mexico;
• Critical Thinking Award: Celina Pinela, senior mechanical engineering major from Bovina;
• Innovation and Technology Award: Sydnee Hendrick, senior graphic design major from White Deer; and
• Teamwork Award: Paityn Nicholson, junior agricultural media and communication major from Melrose, New Mexico

“Your work, alongside staff and faculty, is essential to fulfilling the mission of WT. You are an essential part of, not only the classroom through your studies, but the business of WT through your student employment,” WT President Walter V. Wendler told the winners and nominees during the April 7 celebration. “You embody the kind of hard work and rugged individualism which is an example for your classmates to follow and for the whole WT staff and faculty.”

Winners were chosen by a selection committee representing the Office of Career and Professional Development, recruitment, staff and faculty.

Burgess is a student manager, event manager and bartender in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center, where he is known to be “a quick learner (who) is very attentive to all of the details of setting up a space properly,” according to a nomination letter from his supervisor, Chari Hill, JBK assistant director.

“He has excellent critical thinking skills, often seeing areas to improve,” Hill wrote. “He can quickly troubleshoot problems during events and find solutions. He truly epitomizes the ideal student employee and has a passion for not only the JBK but for WT.”

Burgess is so well-thought-of that clients specifically request him as event manager or bartender, Hill wrote.

“This honor means that all of the work I put in for the past four years is really paying off,” Burgess said. “I’m really lucky to have been able to work with the kind of people at the JBK that I have and been in such a welcoming ecosystem such as WT.”

Adegbinden was hired to help the Office of Career and Professional Services manage and utilize large amounts of data, according to a nomination letter from her supervisor, Jessi Barrientos, senior career services coordinator.

“She developed gorgeous and functional data dashboards that allow for more streamlined data gathering and analysis,” Barrientos wrote. “Her work will have lasting positive impacts on students at WTAMU as it allows our department to assess and advocate for services that better meet student needs.”

Adegbinden also was lauded for her help in improving the office’s free headshot service and the Professional Clothing Closet.

“I’m very shy, I’m very quiet, and getting this kind of honor makes me see that, even still, the work I do kind of speaks for itself and is making a difference,” Adegbinden said.

Other nominees included:

Juan Aguinaga, a senior marketing major from Plains; Ashley Baca, a senior biology major from Spearman; Ximena Badillo, a junior education major from Wheeler; Isabella Bailey, a senior musical theatre major from Little Elm; Teagen Barnett, a senior wildlife biology major from Canyon; Connor Barrera, a senior computer science major from Amarillo; Jory Barrera, a senior health sciences major from Amarillo; Foster Bentley, a junior mechanical engineering major from Darrouzett; Payton Berry, a senior animal science major from Stratford; Paige Brandon, a graduate student in agriculture from Edgewood, New Mexico; Jordan Byrd, a junior agricultural media and communication from Kingwood; Alexis Camara, a senior animal science major from Makawao, Hawaii; Xavier Champion, a sophomore digital communication and media major from Littlefield; Amaya Coronado, a senior history major from Hereford; Lezley Cummings, a graduate student in nursing from Amarillo; Keenan Davis, a senior psychology major from Amarillo; Knight Davis, a junior finance major from Seminole; Megan Eckhardt, a doctoral student in agriculture from New Braunfels; Ella Engel, a freshman criminal justice major from Chandler, Arizona; Payton Goodman, a junior agricultural media and communication major from Scott City, Kansas; David Hardin, a graduate student in interdisciplinary studies from Clyde; Riley Hawk, a senior art major from Boys Ranch; Monica Hernandez-Olivo, a graduate student in school counseling from Dumas; Anna Holcomb, a senior psychology major from Amarillo; Hayden Holwick, a senior animal science / pre-vet major from Wheeler; Tex Houseal, a senior psychology major from Amarillo; and Kaden Husband, a senior animal science / pre-vet major from Childress.

Also, Jeremiah Jakpa, a senior finance major Delta, Nigeria; Ava Jones, a junior mechanical engineering major from Amarillo; Noah Koetter, a sophomore criminal justice major from Windthorst; Kaitlyn Lacombe, a junior sports and exercise science major from Lubbock; Alex Lam, a senior music education from Sachse; Katelyn Lechwar, a junior sports and exercise science major from Tulia; Alexis Lee, a senior accounting major from Amarillo; Michael Lehmann, a senior animal science major from Eureka, Kansas; Casen Lucas, a senior political science major from Lubbock; Danielle MacKeown, a sophomore mathematics major from Amarillo; Luis Abraham Martinez Jr., a senior finance and business double major from Pampa; Wesley Matthews, a senior finance major from Canyon; Tate Maxwell, a junior digital communication and media major from Granbury; Lexis Metz, a graduate student in plant, soil, and environmental sciences from Monte Vista, Colorado; Peyton Metz, a sophomore agricultural business and economics major from Monte Vista, Colorado; Jordon Muller, a junior wildlife biology major from Westbrook; Meredith Muno, a senior biology major from Amarillo; McKenna Nall, a senior music therapy major from Midlothian; Jennifer Nieto, a junior nursing major from Jal, New Mexico; Jozie Petit, a junior agricultural media and communication major from Seymour; Tyann Phillips, a senior agricultural media and communication major from Lockney; Landrey Posey, a sophomore psychology major from Amarillo; Madison Rodriguez, a junior sports and exercise science major from Itasca; Anthony Sarmiento, a graduate student in school psychology from Big Spring; Konrad Schertler, a senior general studies major from Canyon; Ava Sealy, a senior environmental science major from Lovington, New Mexico; Jamar Shaw, a senior digital communication and media major from Indianapolis; Avery Shelton, a junior social work major from Amarillo; Abbigayle Smith, a junior agricultural media and communication major from Robert Lee; Camden Sperry, a junior accounting and finance major from Happy; Gracie Spinar, a junior graphic design major from Texline; Abdl-Ille “Mohammed” Tajjiou-Noble, a sophomore education major from Wiesbaden, Germany; Briana Vigil, a junior management major from Spearman; Kayla Warren, a junior animal science / pre-vet major from Fort Worth; Kenedy Wheeler, a graduate student in studio art from Flower Mound; Prairie Wild, a senior animal science / pre-vet major from Windom; Hailey Williams, a senior English major from Wolfforth; and Noah Wolff, a junior criminal justice major from Pampa.

Recruiting, retaining and rewarding the best students is a key principle of 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 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; 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: West Texas A&M University celebrated its top student employees of the year at an April 7 reception. Pictured are, from left, Warren Pitt, assistant vice president of human relations; Mariam Adegbindin, graduate assistant of the year; WT President Walter V. Wendler; and Kayden Burgess, undergraduate student employee of the year.

—WT—