CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
THE GRADUAL
December 2016
a special publication of The Rambler
Cover art by Cheyan Fite
the gradual Founded in 1917 as The Handout Publisher: Frederick Slabach
December 2016
Choose your page.........
Choose your adventure
Seniors share their adventures............
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Seniors’ adventures, continued...........
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Continuing adventures at Wesleyan...
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Where does your adventure begin?....
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Alumnus’ adventures in business.......
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List of graduates.................................
...............................................pg. 10-11
Letter from the President...................
....................................................pg. 12
Student Media Director Dr. Kay Colley Faculty Adviser Dr. David Ferman Editor-in-chief Dalise DeVos IMG Director Caroline Kajihara Digital Media Editor Calvin Johnson
Content Producers Nicholas Acosta, Shaydi Paramore, Hannah Onder, Karan Muns, Cheyan Fite, Akeel Johnson, Gracie Weger Opinions expressed in The Rambler are those of the individual authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Wesleyan community as a whole. To contact The Rambler (817) 531-7552
Congratulations to the Graduates receiving the B.S. in Paralegal Studies
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Lisa Boatman Stefanie Landess Valerie Liggitt Ida Lopez Carlos Ruiz Michael Valeriano Laura Rodriguez-McKinney
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December 2016
Seniors share their adventures
Psychology major KayLyn Baldwin’s adventure at Texas Wesleyan began in the fall of 2012. She chose to pursue a college degree at Wesleyan because her great-grandfather, William Sydney Rogers, a Wesleyan alumni and former board of trustees member, had always dreamed to see her go to the university. Rogers died in 2011 before Baldwin had graduated high school. Baldwin wanted to make him proud by attending the university that he loved. Baldwin loves showing Wesleyan pride by cheering on the Rams at basketball games and watching the baseball team play during her free time. This will be Baldwin’s final semester on the cheer team, which she joined at the beginning of her freshman year. She chose to cheer because she used to be a gymnast and was looking for a fun way to earn scholarship money and make friends. “I tried to be really social and friendly to everyone around campus!” she said. As Baldwin finishes her final semester, she wants people to remember her as a friend.
Photo by Jeremy Hunt
“I wanted to make as many friends as possible and make the best of college.”
Baldwin wanted to create an enjoyable environment for everyone she met, and make college as memorable as possible. “I wanted to make as many friends as possible and make the best of college,” Baldwin said.
Ruben Rodriguez Jr., a criminal justice major, can’t wait to finish his final semester at Texas Wesleyan. Rodriguez, who has been in the United States Marine Reserves since May 2013 and on the university’s cheer team for four and a half years, has been at Wesleyan for four semesters. Rodriguez went to NAIA nationals two times with the Wesleyan cheer team and he continues to cheer on the Rams at basketball games. He always has a can-do attitude in every situation that he’s presented with. He is focused and precise in every task. He wants to do the best job possible in the most efficient way. Rodriguez is extremely driven and aspires to encourage others with his ambitious personality while still having fun. He has enjoyed being able to build oneon-one relationships with his professors. A larger school would not have provided the same type of intimacy that Rodriguez was looking for in a college. Rodriguez not only strived for greatness in school, but also with the Marines, which he said he joined because he “wanted to be part of the elite, and
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Photo courtesy of Ruben Rodrigue Jr.
“I wanted to be part of the elite, and with the Marine Corps being the hardest branch, I wanted the challenge.” with the Marine Corps being the hardest branch, I wanted the challenge.” After graduation, Rodriguez plans on being an active-duty Marine and applying for Officer Candidate School.
Congratulations to All 2016 Graduates From the Faculty and Staff of the School of Education
the gradual
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Senior adventures, continued
Photo by Nicholas Acosta
“Every semester pushes you to a limit you don’t know you can reach.” Emil Santos, a table tennis player and
general business major from the Dominican Republic, believes that if you want to achieve something, you have to work hard for it. “It takes time and desire,” said Santos, who came to Wesleyan after hearing how
good the team is. Santos, who graduates with his undergraduate degree this month, said that coming to a small school has taught him to treat everyone like family. “Every semester pushes you to a limit you don’t know you can reach,” Santos said. Santos plans to continue his education by working on getting his master’s degree at Wesleyan in the spring of 2017. He plans to stay in the United States after graduation. “I will keep around the team, try to help them with the program while I get my master’s,” Santos said. Santos said he like the business classes at Wesleyan because they relate what it’s really like to work in a business environment. “I have learned to manage with different kinds of people,” Santos said. “I can apply that to any job I apply to.” His advice to anyone considering getting a higher education degree is to go for it. “A degree will open a lot of doors for you and you get to meet a lot of different people,” Santos said.
Photo by Hannah Onder
“At Wesleyan, I’ve felt like I’m at a home away from home.” Senior psychology major Anna Walton came to Texas Wesleyan in 2015 as a transfer student from Tarrant County College. “When I started at Wesleyan, I was at this point where I was just going to get in and get out and not be a part of anything,” Walton said. “I was just going to do my
CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES! FROM STUDENT LIFE
school and get through.” Walton may have planned on just doing schoolwork, but the small campus drew her in. “The psychology department is very small, and I became friends with the president and vice president of Psi Chi,” Walton said. “I really loved working with people and volunteering at different places, so I got involved with it as much as possible.” Walton is now the president of Psi Chi, the psychology honors society. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” Walton said. “I’ve kind of been an outcast for a major part of my life but since I’ve been at Wesleyan I’ve felt like I’m at a home away from home. I feel like I’m a part of a bigger family and it’s been a great experience.” Walton plans to start earning her master’s degree in counseling at Southern Methodist University this January and then go into a counseling career. “I really love working with people and being there for others,” Walton said. “I think it’s a great experience to say that you are in a profession you love. I know (counseling’s) my passion.”
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December 2016
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Continuing adventures at Wesleyan Upon graduating from Texas Wesleyan in Spring 2015, Jacob RiveraSanchez became Theatre Wesleyan’s business manager to continue his love for the community and the theatre arts. Sanchez said he enjoys the opportunity to meet high school and transfer students striving for a higher education. “I love showing future students that the cost of school should never deter-
to excel as a person.” Sanchez met with members of Theatre Wesleyan and auditioned for the program before graduating from Fort Worth’s Trimble Tech High School. “Wesleyan was definitely my top option of where to go to school,” he said. “My high school theatre director was an alumni and always had such great things to say about the university. After meeting members of the program and going through the audi-
“It’s a community where everyone is constantly working together to make this a greater experience for every student.” mine the factor of going to an university,” Sanchez said. He has always had a love for learning and becoming a stronger student and performer. “I love being in a learning environment,” Sanchez said. “It’s exciting to get the opportunity to constantly go through trial and error and learn how
tion process, I felt a stronger need to be a part of Wesleyan.” Sanchez hopes to travel to New York and showcase his graphic designs and audition for main stage plays. “I’ve always enjoyed creating graphic designs,” Sanchez said. “I’d like to show my portfolio to a popu-
Katherine Smith Alejandro Hernandez Samuel Leos
Photo courtsey of Jacob Rivera-Sanchez
lar marketing and communications group to strengthen my designs and continue my work. Recently, I was able to receive my equity card. With my equity card, I hope to be able to audition and perform in Broadway shows or in touring shows.” Sanchez enjoys spending time with his family, catching up on television series and reading plays. “Whenever we can, I enjoy getting
the chance to have dinner and catch a movie with my family,” he says. Sanchez hopes to continue to help Wesleyan students to excel in everything they do. “Wesleyan is a great learning enviroment,” Sanchez said. “It’s a community where everyone is constantly working together to make this a greater experience for every student.”
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December 2016
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Where does your adventure begin? Life is one grand adventure, and the way that adventure ends is often not the result of just one choice, but a succession of choices, meaning that even the smallest choices can have a lasting impact. For Texas Wesleyan’s graduates, one of those choices was to earn a degree. Even that choice was made up of small choices, like choosing to stay in and study, and big choices, like deciding on a major. For every student has yet to declare their major, or that perhaps has already declared but is now thinking of going in a different direction, there are some important things to consider before making that choice, according to princetonreview.com. First, will your chosen major lead to your dream job? This question is only relevant for students that are certain about what they want to do after graduation. But remember, just because a job is your dream doesn’t mean you have the qualities or characteristics that make that job the right fit for you. Before you declare a major on this basis alone, take a class or two in the relevant discipline, talk to other students majoring in that field and make sure that you will be able to complete the required coursework. Second, will your chosen major lead to a lucrative career? If you’re not sure about what path you want to take after graduation, or if you find that your dream job might not be the best fit for you, consider the future earning potential of different majors. This is especially important for those students taking out loans or paying their own way through school, as they’ll need to ensure a return on their investment. Majors in engineering, actuarial mathematics, computer science, physics, statistics, government and economics typically lead to
the highest salaries, according to payscale.com. Third, is your chosen major something you’re passionate about? Passion might not pay the bills, but you’re much more likely to stick with something you love, which might pay off more in the long run. If you love what you’re studying, you’re more likely to actively engage in your classes and college experience, which can lead to better grades and better relationships with others in your field. For example, if you’re passionate about philosophy, don’t ignore it just because you’re not sure about graduate school, or what the job market holds for philosophers. Many liberal arts majors provide students with critical thinking skills and writing abilities that are in high demand by employers. This might seem like a lot to consider when choosing a major, but don’t worry, it’s not a decision that has to be made overnight. Use a few semesters to take classes in different fields, and talk to professors, advisors, department heads, and other students in those fields. Exploring your interests will help you find your best fit major. If you’ve already declared your major, but are concerned that it won’t lead to the career of your choice, have no fear. The major you choose will neither predict nor guarantee your future. Many
Graphic by Dalise DeVos
graduates find jobs that have nothing to do with what they studied in college. If you are enjoying your studies, keep your major, but if you do consider switching, keep in mind this might prevent you from graduating when you intended. All in all, choosing your major determines a big part of what your college adventure holds for you, and perhaps what your adventure after graduation holds for you. Take the time to choose wisely and make the most of your adventure.
Happy Holidays from the Department of Music
Look for Coverage of Saturday`s Graduation Ceremony at therambler.org
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December 2016
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Alumnus’ adventures in business Nathan Mutchler graduated from Wesleyan in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management, and said he was extremely happy to have earned his diploma here. Mutchler said he came to Wesleyan because he wanted to be close to his family in Euless, and because he had received a
leyan he realized that there were two routes in business: working for someone else or for yourself. “I caught that entrepreneur spirt partly at Wesleyan,” Mutchler said. “I kinda went my own way, but I used all that experience from my professors who owned their own businesses.”
“Don’t to be afraid to fail a couple times.That’s the Wesleyan spirit. We’re little guys but we got a lot of fight in us.”
Photo courtsey of Nathan Mutchler
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soccer scholarship. “When I graduated and stepped into the professional world I had a lot of experience,” Mutchler said. “I could avoid the pitfalls that some of the professors explained to me that they fell into.” Mutchler owns a real estate business and a company that installs science laboratory equipment in high school and college science labs. He said when he was attending Wes-
Mutchler’s advice for current graduating seniors is to try to find something that you like and use the educational tools at Wesleyan to pursue that. “Don’t to be afraid to fail a couple times,” Mutchler said. “I had a couple of businesses that didn’t work after college and I just kept trying. That’s the Wesleyan spirit. We’re little guys but we got a lot of fight in us.”
Congratulations to the 2016 Graduates of the Liberal Studies Program
David Butler, Lucia Centeno, Ryan Collier, Jose Jaimes, David Lonsdale, Roberto Loya, Alexa Mentesana, Janee Miller, Luke Miller, Cathy Rivers, Mark Turner, Rolando Villa, Cameron Webb
the gradual Arredondo-Alba, Maria Dorman, Kristi Martinez, Rebecca Roberts, Keonna Smart, Sheldon Alanis, Nadia Bakalyar, Kelsi Garcia, Adele Gomez, Carlos Luis Lolley, Bentley Norris, Keri Barnes, Nathanael Beck, Heather Boling, Vincent Bongga, John Jayson Bozone, Scott Bradshaw, Natalie Broyles, Allison Carbajal, Junior Cargill, Kayla Cavazos, David Cavuoti, Whitney Church, Skipper Clark, Katherine Clontz, Carolyn Cook, Alicia Coppock, Jessica De La Paz, Laura Delacruz, Rafael Dockins, Lindsay Dodson, Sarah Dowse, Rewa Duncan, Andrew Dyce, Heather Elizondo, Robert Emery, Kari Escalante, Chastity Evans, Zjia Evans, Amanda Exum, Michael Fitzgerald, Lauren Fix, Samantha Foley, Josten Ford, Penny Fouts, Jason Froehlich, Alexandra
December 2016
Frye, Lindsay Gabbard, Crystal Gallo, Angela Gardiner, Tara Garza, Andrew Genga, Linda Gilbert, Olivia Glenn, Alyssa Goodell, Paula Green, Sherwood Griego, Andrea Harrison, Sarah Hays, Lauren Henry, Megan Hinojosa, Daniel Horieh, Dean Horton, Delissa Horton, Stacy Ibarra, Blanca Jackson, Kevin Japinga Witman, Matthew Johnson, Taylor Jones, Wesley Jovicic, Nikola Juneau, Donald Karimi, Mandy Khan, Filza Kim, Hyoshin Korte, Laura Kouegbe, Kuypaceu Enoc Lagrimas, Carl Lamar, Wendi Lindsey, Gregory Logsdon, Emily Luitel, Rachana Mack, Stephanie Malone, Sophia Maloney, Kristine Manglicmot, Jeffrey Marston, Lauren Martinez-Martinez, Erika Mathews, Jetti Mathews, Jetti Max, Jeffrey McGovern, Jenna Medina, Jesse
Mendoza, Lance Metzen, Gregory Michael-Ogbe, Ovie Michel, Elliot Mohajir, Rafay Moore, Joseph Murdock, Zachary Nelson, Anthony Nicholas, Sara Orleans, Nicolas Owens, April Parsons, William Payne, Joseph Rasmussen-Travnicek, Kaitlin Ray, Audrey Rembalski, Nichole Reveles, Sonia Rivera, Christina Roberts, Jamie Rodriguez, Susan Rodriguez, April Rodriguez, Diana Ruppert, Megan Ruvalcaba, Krista Rybka, Anastasiia Salgado, Nancy Sanchez-Montelongo, Janell Seay Burleson, Jaclyn Shannon, James Shears, Katie Silvestri, Andrew Steward, Zola Steward, Zola Taylor, Ethan Thapa, Rupesh Thompson, Mary Thornton, Victoria Tierce, Kelly Toles, Elizabeth Tran, Sophia Valdez, Lynda Valle, Ranferi Vallejo, Norma Varghese, Sherine Wade, Hayden Walker, Murray
Weaver, Kimberly White, Shandi White, Sara Wigton, William Wilburn, David Williams, Cynthia Willis, Brent Winkelbauer, Ami Wood, Lanaya Woods, Rebecca Zimmerer, Jennifer Abdulmannan, Sahar Abidin, Mohammed Adkisson, Paul Al Thuwayqib, Mohammed Alabdulaziz, Naif Alajmi, Dhaifallah Alajmi, Dhaifallah Alakibi, Saeed Alali, Mohammed Alanis, Yasmeen Aleissa, Ruqayah Alghabban, Enad Alghabban, Enad Alghadhfan, Muath Alghadhfan, Muath Alghannam, Tariq Alghannam, Tariq Alghannam, Mohammed Alghussein, Hafidh Alhajri, Abdulmalik Alharbi, Abdullah Alharthi, Abdulaziz Alharthi, Abdullah Alhemaidan, Athbaa Alhumid, Abdulhamed Alhumyed, Marwan Ali, Ayman Alkadi, Ahmed Alkaltham, Saad Alkaltham, Saad Almansour, Ahmed Alnajrani, Adnan Alnasser, Nasser Alnasser, Mustafa Alnufaei, Mohammed
“Education is not filling a bucket but lightining a fire� William Butler Yeats
Congratulations to our 2016 graduates from School of Natural and Social Sciences! From the Faculty and Staff of School of Natural and Social Sciences
Biology Chemistry and Biochemistry Computer Science Criminal Justice History Mathematics Paralegal Studies Political Sciences Sociology Psychology
Alotaibi, Khalid Alqaidi, Mohammed Alrajeh, Mohammed Alrumih, Abdullah Alrwiliy, Bandar Alsagoor, Saleh Alsefri, Abdulmojed Alsefri, Abdulmojed Alsenan, Fahad Alshomemry, Tarq Alsugair, Ahmed Alsuhibani, Mohammad Anderson, Chelsea Axelrod, Ashley Baldwin, Kaylyn Beene, Jessica Benitez, Ashlie Bermejo, Amanda Bin Huwaymil, Najla Boatman, Lisa Bolden, Christina Boone, Jordan Bowers, Tamara Brasher, Danielle Brewer, Meagan Burton, Breanna Butler, David Carpenter, Kate Centeno, Lucia Charleston, Rebekah Collier, Ryan Davidson, Amber Do, Trina Duncan, R’relle Espiritu, Eliza Estrada, David Franco, Stacy Gann, Krista Garner, Erik Gobin, Demethria Gomez, Guadalupe Gomez, Omar Gomez, Oscar Gorecki, Artur Guevara, Gladys Guse, Teresa
Hanboli, Abdulmuaez Hart, Kaylie Hart, Kaylie Hebron, Pamela Hebron, Pamela Heiser, Erica Hernandez, Lashanda Hernandez, Alejandro Hernandez, Selene Hexter, Matthew Hollingsworth, Jordan Hornburg, Chelsea Hull, Ricky Jaimes, Jose Jaynes, Candace Jdily-Ezzad, Leila Jenkins, Cerenity Jolly, Cynthia Jones, Joseph Kajihara, Caroline Kajihara, Caroline King-Nelson , Lori Kutubaldin, Mohammed Kutubaldin, Mohammed Landess, Stefanie Leos, Samuel Liggitt, Valerie Listach, Patrick Lloyd, Tamara Lonsdale, David Lopez, Sydney Lopez, Ida Loya, Roberto Manuel, Kelsey Mariscal, Maegan McDowell, Ryan Mentesana, Alexa Miller, Janee Miller, Luke Mindieta, Marina Montejano, Kattie Montez, Stephanie Moore, Regina Moore, Shelbi Morales, Erica Moreno, Denise
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Murin, David Newton, Sherry Nolisa, Onyesonam Nunez, Nancy Oropeza, Crystal Pell, Ashley Perez, Ambar Perez, Adrian Petry, Andi Pruitt, Tanner Ramirez, Ruben Ramos, Natalie Renteria, Sonia Reynolds, Kristen Richardson, Demarcus Rivers, Cathy Rodriguez, Ruben Rodriguez-McKinney, Laura Rogers, Nicole Rosas, Kelley Ruiz, Carlos Saheb, Mouj Sanchez, Maria Santos, Emil Saucedo, Giselle Scharnweber, Jennie Scott, Christine
Shelton, Jeremy Shokri, Abdulaziz Simmons, Kristen Simmons, Antonio Skiles, Stephanie Smith, Katherine Solis, Jennifer Squyres, Nicholas Tan, Sze Chin Tan, Sze Chin Taylor, Erin Thomas, Nicholas Toledo, Ivan Turner, Mark Tuya, Christina Valenciano, Ivette Valeriano, Michael Vaughn, Avary Villa, Rolando Walton, Anna Warren, Jennifer Webb, Cameron Wells, Crystal White, Madison Withers, Roni Woodruff, Molly Zuniga, Yaneth
School of Arts & Letters
School Legend
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School of Education School of Natural & Social Sciences School of Business Administration Graduate Programs of Nurse Anesthesia
CONGRATULATIONS skills faculty society
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From the School of Arts & Letters
English. Liberal Studies. Mass Communication. Music. Religion. Spanish. Theatre.
Letter from the President:
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Dear 2016 graduates, Congratulations on completing your degree at Texas Wesleyan. This is a major life achievement and we, along with your family and friends, are extremely proud of your hard work and success. At Texas Wesleyan, we seek to make the world a better place by transforming lives, one student at a time. We emphasize critical thinking, problemsolving and analytical reasoning skills because these skills are essential to develop you to your full potential as individuals and as members of the world community. As you prepare to move into the next phase of your life, whether a professional career or graduate studies, we hope that you will continue to draw from your experiences and the skills you developed at Texas Wesleyan. The world community needs critical thinkers like you. I encourage you to pursue your passions and make learning a lifetime pursuit. Again, congratulations. Your work, passion and commitment to your studies make Texas Wesleyan the vibrant, “Smaller. Smarter.� University that it is. I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you back here at Texas Wesleyan very soon. Sincerely, Fred Frederick G. Slabach President
Caroline Kajihara IMG Director
Caroline continues her adventure in Rockville, Maryland, as a business analyst. She will be greatly missed!