RAMS OF THE YEAR
THE GRADUAL
SPRING 2019 Vol. 103
the gradual
Contents 3 | Letter from the President Opinions expressed in THE RAMBLER are those of the individual authors only and do not neccesarilty reflect the views of the Texas Wesleyan community as a whole. To contact call (817)-531-7552. Student Media Director: Dr. Kay Colley Faculty Adviser: Dr. Dave Ferman Class Adviser: Dr. Jenny J. Dean Digital Design and Editing Students: Editor-in-chief: Hannah Lathen Hannah Onder, Tina Huynh, LaTerra Wair, Ashton Willis, Jacinda Chan, Elena Maldonado, Amanda Roach, Massaran Kromah, Ebeline Luna, Chelsea Day, Tyler Shelby Cunningham, Carsen Cunningham Integrated Media Students: Miranda Day, Kaylia Brown, Thomas Moore, LaTerra Wair, Jacinda Chan, Jaylen King, Chelsea Day, Ebeline Luna, Tyler Shelby Cunningham, Carsen Cunningham, Cesar Vidana
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4-5 | List of Graduates STORIES 6 | Torris Dewayne Curry theatre major
TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT ENGA RAMS UP STELLA HALL MARTIN HALL A&L RAMILY FOOTBALL G RAMSPACE DEGREES WEST LIBRARY STUDYING HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES POLYTECHNIC UNITED METHODIST CHURCH STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS RAMBLER MEDIA NIC MARTIN UNIVERSITY CENTER TABLE TENNIS SID RICHARDSON BASKETBALL SGA SAC CHAMPIONS ACADEMIC CONFENCES GOLF THEATRE WESEYAN RESEARCH ALUMNI SERVICE LEADERSHIP NURSE ANESTHESIA Photo by LaTerra Wair Criminal justice major Kiana Veasley poses for a photo.
10 | Elena Sinde-Romero business marketing major Photo by LaTerra Wair Business management major Nikita Dhoubhadel.
11 | Kiana Veasley criminal justice major
8 | Nikita Dhoubhadel business management major
12 | Akeel Johnson mass communication major
Photo by LaTerra Wair Computer science major Miles Cruz.
9 | Alanna James history major with secondary certification
14 | Ann Davis master’s in general business
15 | Miles Cruz computer science major
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Congratulations to all 2019 graduates from the School of Business Administration!
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May 2019
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To the Class of 2019,
Letter from the
President
Congratulations on completing your degree at Texas Wesleyan. You have worked hard to reach this major life accomplishment. The entire campus community, along with your family and friends, are proud of your hard work. Your determination and commitment are important parts of your journey to success. As a first-generation college graduate, I understand that wholeheartedly. I urge you to hold on to those qualities as you move forward. Never give up and always pursue your dreams. Whatever the next step in your journey may be, whether it involves graduate school or entering the workforce, rest assured that you are ready. The emphasis on critical thinking and analytical reasoning at Texas Wesleyan will help you in your future endeavors, and we hope that your experiences here will be a constant source of inspiration as you make your mark on the world. May this be the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning. We are so proud of everything you have accomplished. Your success makes Texas Wesleyan the vibrant “Smaller. Smarter� university that it is. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to seeing you back on campus soon.
Sincerely, Fred Frederick G. Slabach President Texas Wesleyan University Photo courtesy of Ann Davis
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Congratulations Graduates! Undergraduate Program Stephanie Acosta Jasmin Aguirre Jannet Alarcon Mohammad Fahad Aldosari Elizabeth Allen Saad Alqahtani Nasser Alshuaifi Mohammed Althabet Chalon Anderson Jessica Arciniega Haley Arnspiger Christopher Austin Jennine Barley Brennely Barrera Debra Barrick George Battersby Sarah Benitez Lorian Benjamin John Robert Berthiaume-Brady Lauren Bond Maggie Brasher Jonathan Brooks Tahia Brown William Bull Ashley Burston Logan Butler Gladneetra Campbell Thi Hong An Cao Josefina Carranza Adriano Carreno Maxine Carter Andrew Castillo Jennifer Chadwick Arielle Chaffin Kailey Chastain Shu Chen Britany Clark Tierra Coverson Miles Cruz Torris Curry Kurt Dalton Zachary De la Cruz Jonathan Dermott Nikita Dhoubhadel
Joseph Eisen David Estrada Keiohna Evans Alexandra Flurry Briona Foster Brian Franks Brisa Galaviz Laura Gannarelli Renee Garcia Corbyn Gayle Sheridan Gerth Nichole Ghormley Anthony Giarraputo Alexis Gonzalez Sophia Gordon Savannah Green Carl Greenfield Tobin Griffin Amanda Guirguis Andrea Gutierrez Nolan Gutierrez Tatiana Guzman Janie Hale Rhazhane Harris Alisha Haynes Kindsey Henderson Matthew Henley Enriqueta Hernandez Isaac Hernandez Ashley Hicks Kian Hosseinpour Benjamin Huebner Chanel Hurd Nancy Huynh Martreveus Jackson Alanna James Damien James Akeel Johnson Jocelyn Johnson Nicholas Kane Matthew Keating Lane Kelly Alyssa Kilgore Mariah Kuhn
Zackary Lanham Hannah Lathen Sallie Lazzaro Phuong Le Amber Leachman Matthew Lewis Jacqueline Lira Dana Lohrke Giovanni Lopez Ebeline Luna Dylan Luster Kiffany Lyons Elena Maldonado Kirstin Malpass Tiffany Mann Heather Manos Emmanuel Marquez Mary Martin Patricia Martinez Yennifer Martinez Ted Maxie Wallace Mays Alyssa McCoy Fermin Medellin Kaitlyn Mendoza Andrea Molina Keanon Monroe Erick Montufar Lynzie Moore Lizbeth Mora Lacey Mosier Karan Muns Rebecca Nagle Paulina Nava Ashley Nelson Anna Nguyen Toi Nguyen Lee-Ann Notice Felicia Nunez Fernando Orellana Fabiola Ortiz Samantha Ortiz Ojuok Otieno
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Kimberly Owen Alexis Owens Piyush Paliwal Conner Parish Pamela Parra Vickykumar Patel Joyce Pedigo Laura Peluffo Oscar Pena Erika Perez Jaron Porter Paulina Quintana Stephanie Ramirez Mackenzie Redmon Vanessa Renteria Anyela Rocha Estela Rodriguez Estella Rodriguez Jacqueline Rodriguez Julian Rodriguez Kiara Rodriguez Mason Rodriguez Yan Rodriguez Corazon Rojas Adrian Rosales Franky Rosas Michael Rosser William Rucker Ujjaval Sadana Ruqea Saheb Rebecca Sample Tomi Sanchez Alexander Sandles Brandon Shaw Damanian Shepherd Kory Shreck Daniel Sigala Ramirez Tyler Simpson Alexi Sinclair Elena Sinde Romero Hannah Six Alicia Smith Baylee Smith Samuel Smith
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Mason Standish Letao Sun Alfredo Tamayo Han Tian Keith Tittle Rachel Tomlinson Jose Torres Randall Turner Leonard Underwood Nisarg Vakharia Kiana Veasley Joann Velasquez Jessie Velazquez Joe Valazquez Jennifer Watson Alex Wehling Alan Whetsel Setford Georgia Wilson Luke Womble Angel Wren Yiqi Yang James Yarbrough Breanne Zuniga
Graduate Program Nicholas Alaniz Ema Alatini Ashley Archie Guadalupe Cerda Kelly Czyzniejewski Ann Davis Misty Diaz Cassandra Donahue Michele Donahue Kathryn Fulghum Tracie Gutierrez Sydney Heyler Leona High-Lasker Biyu Huang Aaron Iwema Meghan Karasek Jishan Liang Itsel Lira
Andrew Lloyd Dulce Luna Ryan Mar Mollykate Mc Laughlin Lorena Mendoza Nancy Nunez Ariel Peaks Luis Perez Medina Itzamara Pinon Jerlinda Price Joseph Prud’homme Ashely Smith Anthony Smith-Wright Ingred Thompson Elsa Torres Cruz Huyen Tran Wai Mai Tsang Lauren Tutt Jessica Virnoche Paulina Wainstein Shuai Wang Lois Wilson Xiaoqing Xing
Doctorate Program Sharon Amaya Elisabeth Ivy Elsa Muro Hill Itzel Pozos-Rivera Lorraine Schoen Ashly Spencer Michelle White
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Curry dances his way to the top
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hough he’ll be too busy to physically walk the stage, theatre major Torris (TJ) Curry has become an active and involved part of the Texas Wesleyan community who will be missed after he graduates this spring. Curry will miss graduation to audition for the Dallas Cowboy’s hip-hop dance team, The Rhythm & Blue. “I’m trying out for DCR&B, the Dallas Cowboy’s hip-hop team,” Curry said, “I’m skipping graduation to go and do that, but I feel like I’ve got a good shot.” As a dedicated member of Texas Wesleyan’s Gold Line dance team, Curry said dance has become a major part of his life. His leap into dance was unexpected, even to himself. “I didn’t even plan on joining Gold Line. I went to a practice and they threw me in there, the rest is history I guess,” Curry said. Curry didn’t take up dancing until his first year at Tarrant County College. “I waited until my freshman year of college to take some dance classes. I wasn’t allowed to take dance classes growing up,” Curry said, “Every
After graduating from Mansfield Timberview High School in 2015, Curry spent a year at TCC before he transferred and officially became a Texas Wesleyan Ram. “I took a year at TCC and I hated it,” Curry said, “A friend of mine was attending Wesleyan at the time and recommended it to me.” The Smaller. Smarter. aspect Wesleyan offers its students is a major reason that Curry decided to attend the university. “I like the idea of a smaller place. With a theatre program, the smaller the program, the better it tends to be and the more opportunities you have,” Curry said. “With the fine arts degree that I chose, Texas Wesleyan was what’s best for me.” Though he dreams of making it big, Photo provided by TJ Curry Curry admitted that he will miss the enTorris (TJ) Curry is a member of the Gold Line dance team and plans to skip his gradu- vironment he’s experienced at Wesleyan. “I’m going to miss the atmosphere, ation to try out for the Dallas Cowboy’s hip hop dance team Rhythm & Blue. it always kind of felt like home and everyone was so much fun to be around,” thing that happened with dance to me many other organizations on campus. kind of happened on a whim.” “I’m a part of Golden Shears, Tau Sig- Curry said. Curry is confident in his future and he In addition to dancing on the Gold ma the honor society, APO, and Gold can’t wait to see all that it holds for him. Line team, Curry has become a part of Line,” Curry said.
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THE GRADUAL
Dhoubhadel leaves her mark
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ikita Dhoubhadel has exemplified what it means to be a Ram at Texas Wesleyan University. In her four years here, she has been involved in more than 10 organizations, including one of the most prestigious on campus, Guardian of the Golden Shears. As an international student from Nepal, Dhoubhadel has found that the people at Wesleyan have helped her to adjust to the American lifestyle. “When I enrolled as a freshman, everyone accepted me with open arms and I believe that helped me ease into this unfamiliar territory. Of course, there are times when I missed my family and friends from Nepal, but the Wesleyan community always made me feel at home,” Dhoubhadel said. She had been looking for a college in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and chose Wesleyan after talking to the professional staff. During her freshman year, Dhoubhadel became a part of the orientation team. She decided to get more involved and became a Ram Camp leader, Golden Rams tour guide, tutor for the Academic Success Center, Student Life ambassador, recruitment officer for Phi Epsilon Nu, member of the Ram Squad, secretary of the honor society Beta Gamma Sigma, president of Enactus, Ram Camp director, resident assistant, and a member of the honor society Alpha Chi. Dhoubhadel said that she is going to miss her friends the most after graduation. “The people in Texas Wesleyan are very special to me and have supported me throughout my undergraduate career,” she said. “There have been countless instances when a quick hello or a smile from someone made my day. The warm and friendly nature of our Wesleyan community makes it unique from any other.” Dhoubhadel plans on furthering her education after Wesleyan and has committed to the University
May 2019
You've done it! Congratulations graduates!
Photo by LaTerra Wair Senior Nikita Dhoubhadel was in more than 10 organizations while attending Wesleyan.
of Edinburgh in Scotland, which she will attend the fall of 2019. Her studies will be focused on international business and emerging markets. When asked what words of wisdom she wants to leave behind, Dhoubhadel answered, “Become familiar with the concept of challenge by choice. It is important to step out of your comfort zone and take advantage of the opportunities the school can provide you, whether it is being involved in various student organizations or spending an afternoon making a new friend.” Dhoubhadel also believes that finding people you have things in common with is a very important part of finding your Ramily, but people that challenge your opinions are also intriguing. “Connecting with like-minded people and sharing common passions are great but you never know what you will learn from exchanging opposite viewpoints with the people with a completely different background from yours,” she said. While she has enjoyed her time with friends, Dhoubhadel said that she has cherished the moments in the classroom the most. “There is no substitute for being in a classroom and learning from the professor and fellow students,” she said.
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James reinvents herself at Wesleyan I
t’s helped me meet a lot of interesting people, and I’ve gained valuable friendships through these organizations. My organizations have also helped me gain a lot of skills and knowledge that I can apply to my future teaching.”
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n the few years since history secondary education major Alanna James came to Texas Wesleyan she has grown from being shy and detached to a campus leader. James was the director of Wesleyan’s Programming and Activities Committee, president of the Gay Straight Alliance, and historian of Mortar Board; she is a member of the history honor society Phi Alpha Theta and serves as a resident assistant in West Village. When she first came to Wesleyan, James said, she was hesitant to get involved. “I was only into academic stuff,” James said. “I wasn’t in any clubs. I was just hanging out in my dorm room most of the time.” She said if she could go back to her first years in college, she would have been more involved. “When I was younger I was always afraid to get involved with school clubs and events because I was really shy; I didn’t even go to Ram Camp when I got to Wesleyan because I was afraid that people wouldn’t like me, and I would be by myself the whole time,” she said. “Due to that fear I missed out on experiences that I could have look fondly back on and missed my opportunity to make more friends.” James said being so involved on campus shaped her
Photo provided by Alanna James Graduate Alanna James will be recieving her bachelor’s in history with secondary education in May but will be back on stage next year to recieve her master’s.
experience for the better. “It’s helped me meet a lot of interesting people and I’ve gained valuable friendships through these organizations,” James said. “My organizations have also helped me gain a lot of skills and knowledge that I can apply to my future teaching.” James is from Alvarado and said that if anyone from there saw her now, they would not recognize her. “I am just so different from how I was in high school,” James said. “I was not involved in a lot of things.” James said one of her proudest moments while being at Wesleyan was when she presented at a history conference held on campus. “I thought I did terrible,” James said. “The air conditioner was broken, and I was stuttering.” However, later that night, James received an award for her presentation. “I never thought I was a good enough writer,” James said. “Even though it was a small award, I was happy.” James was also instrumental in the free HIV testing event she held on campus for GSA where 15 people got tested. James said this was another great moment for her on campus. “I am just one of those people where I like to promote safety and health on campus,” James said. “A lot
of people don’t worry about getting things like that until it happens to you or someone close to you.” James just finished her clinical teaching for her degree. She taught at the leadership academy in Forest Oak Elementary School and then at Polytechnic High School. “I had some really amazing teachers and it just solidified my want to become a teacher and just my love of teaching history,” James said. After graduating this spring, James will be back on the graduation stage in a year to receive her master’s in education as part of the fifth-year option in the School of Education. James said not many women want to teach history; as one of the few that does, the mark she hopeto have left on campus was that she was never afraid to speak up in class when covering topics that included the suppression of women. “I was always known in those classes as the one who will talk if I feel that something is really sexist, or we are going in the wrong direction,” James said. “Even though I am not in those classes anymore, I hear other girls are also doing that and that is nice. Letting people know it is OK to do that even if other guys are making fun of you.”
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Romero EMBODIES student-athlete
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The main idea is to end up getting my master’s in sports management
where I can do business and organize events that have something to do with sports.”
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raveling more than 4,500 miles away from home, Elena Sinde Romero came to America with two goals in mind. Born and raised in La Coruña, Spain, Romero packed up her bags and came to America for the first time in August 2015 to pursue her goals as a student-athlete; she did not know English. “At [Texas] Wesleyan I found a very welcoming coach with a very good team that had a huge potential and I really liked the idea of coming and playing golf,” said Romero, “and do my best for the team, for myself as a student and get a degree.” Romero had no idea where she wanted to go for college but knew she wanted to receive a degree and play golf at the collegiate level. She was offered many opportunities at other universities to play golf, but found herself drawn to what Wesleyan has to offer. “I really liked the coach actually, I talked to him for a little bit and he made me feel like I was going to be OK at this school,” she said. “I looked up the programs as well and the business program was good, too.” When she was in high school, Romero wanted to study architecture. Wesleyan does not have an architecture program; because she was excited about Wesleyan’s golf program, she decided to change her major to business marketing and management. Unsure whether to enter the job
world or continue her education after graduation, she hopes to further her love for sports after graduation in May. “I want to relate my major to sports so I’m looking forward to getting my master’s,” she said. “The main idea is to end up getting my master’s in sports management where I can do business and organize events that have something to do with sports.” Romero has been accepted into the German Sport University Cologne; this is the largest sports university in Europe. She will focus her studies on fields in sports. The university “offers the graduate program I’m looking for is called Olympic Studies and it basically teaches me about big events and organizations,” she said. “It will last for two years.” In 2015, Romero’s first year at Wesleyan, she earned herself the SAC Freshman of the Year title, according to ramsports.net. She also finished third overall in this year’s Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament and was named to the all-tournament team for the second year in a row. Her experience at Wesleyan these past four years has helped her self-growth and taught her different cultures, as well as and the importance of team camaraderie. “It taught me to appreciate what I have back at home and what I have here and the people that has helped me all throughout the four years,” she said.
Photo illustrated by LaTerra Wair and Jacinda Chan
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When I went on college visits, I only went to
private colleges because they all said smaller classes and I was looking for smaller classes.”
Kiana Veasley poses for a photo at her job at the Eunice & James L. West Library.
Photo by Massaran Kromah
Veasley turns a new chapter Twenty-two-year-old criminal justice major Kiana Veasley was born in Mesquite, but she moved in with her father Kenneth Veasley during her high school years when she attended and graduated from Crowley High School in Crowley. In high school, Veasley had many friends because she was involved in many school activities such as track and field, theater, the National Honor Society, Law Enforcement Club, and the National Technical Club. Participating at school did not stop Veasley from making good grades; in fact, she kept As and Bs all throughout high school. “My high school life was about me taking pre-AP classes; I couldn’t take regular classes because my parents wouldn’t let me, and I couldn’t get any-
thing lower than a B because a C was considered to be failing a class,” said Veasley. “It was very stressful managing all the clubs and maintaining As and Bs.” When Veasley graduated high school, she knew that she wanted to attend a private university because of the smaller classes they offer students. “When I went on college visits, I only went to private colleges because they all said smaller classes and I was looking for smaller classes,” she said. Veasley heard about Texas Wesleyan University from her high school theater teacher Laura Skipper, who graduated from Wesleyan. She applied to Wesleyan and received an acceptance letter along with the Dean`s scholarship. “The application process was easy. When my teacher told me about
Wesleyan I applied; they only asked for my transcript,” she said. “Later I got an acceptance letter and the Dean`s scholarship.” When Veasley came to Wesleyan, she had hopes of taking the pre-law major. But when she arrived, she realized that Wesleyan no longer had the program and, by default, they recommend she try the criminal justice program. “I came to Wesleyan, and the pre-law major was gone, so I was put into criminal justice,” she said. “When I took an introduction to criminal justice, I was like yes, this was made for me.” During her time at Wesleyan, Veasley worked in the Eunice & James L. West Library with her twin sister Briana Veasley and held a position in the Black Students Association. Dr. Cary Adkinson, associate professor of
criminal justice, and former professor Dr. Eddy Lynton had a significant influence on her. After graduation, Veasley plans to take a year off from school. She hopes to obtain a higher position at her job during this time. She has plans to attend Texas A&M University-Commerce to study law. “I`m taking a year off school; I don’t want to flunk law school, because I`m just very tested out right now,” she said. She hopes that other college students will not make the mistake of working two jobs and taking on 18 hours of classes as she did. “Do not work two jobs and take on 18 hours; it’s very stressful. Give yourself time to work on assignments and have a social life,” she said.
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Akeel Johnson exemplifies the importance of being genuine
Photo by Akeel Johnson Akeel Johnson, 23, will be graduating with his bachelor’s in mass communication and will purse photography, cinematography, music and poetry after graduation.
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n a world of conformity, being yourself can be a challenge for many young adults. For Akeel Johnson, authenticity is a way of life. Johnson, 23, graduated from Mansfield Summit High School in 2014 and discovered Wesleyan through his grandmother June Johnson who works at the university circulation desk. Johnson, a mass communication major, says helping people by being himself is one of his most notable accomplishments during his time at Texas Wesleyan University. “I personally believe many people can influence someone by being themselves,” Johnson said. “I’ve always made changes to become the person I want to be and have helped so many people by doing that.” Johnson has had the opportunity to introduce this philosophy to many aspects of the Wesleyan community with an impressive resume of campus involvement. He has been involved in many organizations on campus, including an internship with the School of Business and time as president of the creative writing organization Phi Epsilon Nu.
He is currently a Resident Assistant for West Village, and is involved in many other activities. “I don’t like sitting on ideas or hesitating when it comes to doing something.” Johnson said. “I decided to become an R.A to help people and put my ideas into action.” Johnson said he has had many students tell him that he is their favorite RA or that he has really helped them; he finds the experience very rewarding. Surprisingly, even with such a busy schedule, Johnson said that his greatest challenges in college were never directly school related. “My biggest challenge was staying focused through an existential crisis.” Johnson said. “It has become social norm to never talk about our problems, but we all go through the same things.” Johnson encourages those with personal struggles to push through them. “It is hard to maintain your responsibilities when dealing with personal issues, but we tend to underestimate ourselves,” Johnson said. “We forget all the things that overwhelmed us before are now behind us
and we always find a way past it.” Johnson said that by following this ideology, he ironically made the Dean’s list during what he remembers as his most difficult semester. When asked what he plans to do after graduation, Johnson said that he feels there is never a clear answer. “I am going to work to pursue photography, cinematography, music, and poetry,” Johnson said “I’m going to move to California when I can and try to apply my skills with a gaming company.” Johnson’s advice to those he is leaving behind at Wesleyan is to find yourself and try new things. “At the end of your life you won’t worry about what people thought of you,” Johnson said. “You will wonder about the experiences you didn’t have and the things you didn’t do.” Johnson concluded his advice with his favorite quote from Dr. Seuss. “Be who you are and say what you feel,” Johnson quoted. “Because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
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May 2019
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n o i s t , G a l r u a t d a r u g a n t e o s C
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From the School of Natural & Social Sciences
May your dreams blossom and grow.
Congratulations, Graduates! From the School of Education
THE GRADUAL
May 2019
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Mother, director, MBA grad: Davis has it all Texas Wesleyan’s Senior Director of Communications Ann Davis is a well-known face on campus. One can often catch Davis sitting at her desk promoting the Smaller. Smarter. experience and working on communication strategies for the university. However, on May 18, Davis will leave her office to walk the graduating stage because she is receiving her master’s in general business. “It has been a wonderful journey,” Davis said. Davis was born and raised in Fort Worth and graduated from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville in 2001 with her bachelor’s in communications. She has two daughters, Alice, 11, and Bess, 10. She said she started working at Texas Wesleyan six years ago and it wasn’t until the school moved the MBA program online that she decided to go for it. “Before that when I wouldn’t do it, I was a single mom and there was just no way I was going to be able to spend three hours each day physically in class in the evening,” Davis said. “This new format just opened the door for me because I can do it on my own time.” Davis said that working on campus also pushed her interest in the classes being taught. “Especially in my job I get to meet so many neat faculty members and I hear about what they are doing and what is going on in their class and I am just so fascinated by all of these different topics and things happening on campus,” she said. Learning to be a student again was one of the hardest parts of going back to school, Davis said. “When it all started, I was not actually sure if I would be able to graduate,” Davis said. “I just kept telling myself, ‘OK, you are going to be able to do this one class at a time and see how it goes,’ because I haven’t been a student since 2001.”
Davis said she treated her very first class like she does her work at Wesleyan, making sure to do everything exact and not cut any corners. “It is funny because I would think, ‘I am not getting paid for this,’” Davis said with a laugh. “’I am doing all this work and I am not getting paid.’ It was weird switching your mind back into student mode.” Managing being a mom and student while working a full-time job was not easy, Davis said. “I usually get home at six and then from six to nine it is kids and dinner and homework and dogs and then nine to 11 to 12 is school work and then I am up again at six the next day,” she said. “On the weekends, I have to spend a big chunk of time doing homework and assignments, plus laundry, going to the grocery store, planning the week.” Davis said after she graduates she looks forward to getting to relax again. “It was already busy, and it will be nice to have some of that time back,” she said. Davis might not only be celebrating a graduation this year. She said her fiancé Dereck proposed to her before Christmas. “He tied the ring to the coffee cup and asked me to marry him,” she said. The two moved in together last year, combining their families. “We did the whole Brady Bunch thing and we have a blended family,” Davis said. “Kids and dogs and a hermit crab and the cat all under one roof.” Davis said part of her reason for going back to school Photo by LaTerra Wair was so that she can inspire her kids and soon-to-be Ann Davis, Texas Wesleyan’s senior director of step-kids. communications, managed to finish her MBA while “I want to show then that learning doesn’t stop, eduhaving a full-time job and two children. cation doesn’t stop,” she said.
Before that when I wouldn’t do it, I was a single mom, and there was just no way I was going to be able to spend three hours each day physically in class in the evening. This new format just opened the door for me because I can do it on my own time.”
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May 2019
Photo by Thomas Moore Miles Cruz looks ahead after getting a degree in computer science.
Cruz rewrites his life with second degree For senior Miles Cruz, this May’s graduation is not his first one. The 28-year-old computer science major earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of North Texas in 2012. Although Cruz found success in his professional life, working at Amazon and the Sprint corporate office, he had still pursued tech jobs in his free time. “I got my A+ certification and started taking on more responsibility at work,” Cruz said. “Then my company got bought out three months after I started there.” Cruz lost his job as a result of the buyout. The momentary setback brought Cruz to Texas Wesleyan in 2016. He credits the university’s smaller size to allowing him to thrive academically and pursue his dream of working in information technology full time. “I went to UNT right after high school,” Cruz said. “I enjoyed my time there but when I actually looked at what I was doing and that I was just a number [in a large program] it sucked, it forced me to want to do something that I liked.” Cruz’s grandmother Olga Robinson passed away while he was applying to Wesleyan in 2016; this only strengthened his resolve to pursue a new career. “When things like that happen, it really makes you reevaluate your priorities,” Cruz said. “My grandmother helped raise me, so what
better way to honor her memory than to live a life doing what makes me happy?” Cruz is not the first in his family to graduate from Wesleyan; his mother Joyce Cruz graduated in 1998 with a degree in education. “The whole Smaller. Smarter. thing is not new to campus,” Cruz said. “It was the same way in the ‘90s when my mom went here, and she was a big influence in why I chose Texas Wesleyan.” Cruz credits his success in the program to Dr. Yukong Zhang, whose mentorship gave Cruz the tools to succeed. Zhang was impressed by Cruz’s work and engagement in class and gave him a job in the university’s IT department. “Dr. Zhang and the rest of the computer science department really wanted to see me succeed,” Cruz said. “It really helped open the right doors and allowed me to learn in a way that I could not get anywhere else.” Cruz has an internship lined up at RFTB, a creative digital design agency located in the Stockyards in north Fort Worth. The company specializes in digital and print media advertisement, according to the agency’s website. While Cruz’s future is bright, his desires are simple. “I don’t want to be rich,” Cruz said. “I just want to be comfortable and have a career that makes me happy.”
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