The Gradual Spring 2023 Vol. 107

MUSEUM OF TXWES VOL.107

SPRING

THE GRADUAL BY THE RAMBLER

Frederick Slabach

Table of Contents

Letter to Graduates

Dalton Dale: Accounting

Jasmine Salinas: Business Management

Chinonso Oguh: English

Cynthia Ramos: Marketing

List of Graduates

Elizabeth Nelson: Criminal Justice

Mircle Clay: Liberal Studies

Lexie Basham: Psychology

Thamara Aterrazas: Business & Marketing

Nayeli Rios: EC-6 Bilingual Education

Bethany Bordelon: Theater

List of Graduates

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 us, call 817.531.7552.

Student Media Director: Dr. Jenny J. Dean

Editor-in-Chief:

Chiara Watson

Rambler Staff:

Jake Parker, Zarria Carter, Lizette Barcenas

Digital Design and Editing Students:

Cory Didier, Tom Ammann, Caleb Bartlett, Brooke Boyd, Sydney Charlton, Alissa Cruz, Zhen Deng, Ariadna Garza, Eugene Gay, Clayton Glover, Maliah Lacour, Jiaqi Lin, Lerato Mapela, Christian Myhand, Serenada Sanchez, Kevin Santiago.

Integrated Media Students: Tom Amman, Caleb Bartlett, Sydney Charlton, Alissa Cruz, Zhen Den, Cory Didier, Ariadna Garza, Eugene Gay, Clayton Glover, Jiaqi Lin

Brianna Mapela, Christian Myhand, Serenada Sanchez, Lauren Scott

Letter from the President

To the Class of 2023,

Congratulations on completing your Texas Wesleyan degree. You worked so hard to reach this major life accomplishment. The entire campus community, along with your family and friends, are proud of you.

As a first-generation college graduate, I understand the hard work and determination that goes into obtaining a college degree. The hours of work and dedication were important parts of your journey to this moment. I urge you to hold on to those qualities as you move forward.

Whether your next step involves graduate studies or entering the workforce, you are set up for success. 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.

We are so proud of everything you have accomplished. Your success makes Texas Wesleyan the vibrant “Smaller. Smarter.” university that it is. Although a new President will soon take my place to lead the University, I want to wish you the best of luck in your lives and careers. All of us at Texas Wesleyan look forward to seeing you back on campus soon.

Sincerely,

Frederick G. Slabach President Texas Wesleyan University

The Gradual

Dalton Dale record-setting quarterback goes out with a bang!

Dalton Dale has been Texas Wesleyan’s record-breaking quarterback for four years and will graduate with his business degree.

Dale has seen and lived the highs and lows in the football program with the start of the new Rams football team in 2019 where the team had a losing record of 3-7 for the season.

Following the season, Dale became the starter and eventually led Texas Wesleyan to their first ever conference championship going 9-2 in the 2022 season.

“I've been playing football for probably 17 years and I've been playing quarterback here at Texas Wesleyan since my freshman year as a true freshman so I played for four years straight,” Dale said.

Photo courtesy Dalton Dale

Salinas to pursue HR career

Jasmine Nicole Salinas will graduate from Wesleyan in May this year. After graduation, she plans to enter a Human Resources Department and find a position in a company. Salinas believes her overall experience at Wesleyan University has been excellent. "The most important skills I have learned at Wesleyan are soft professional skills and how to move forward in the face of difficulties," Salinas said.

During her years at Wesleyan, Salinas realized that it is possible to seek help and that communication can help alleviate pressure. She believes that the best advice she can give new students is not to be shy and to communicate more with professors and classmates. "Professors will have more experience and will encourage you to have more confidence in accepting challenges. College life can make you feel a lot of pressure, but please remember that challenges are opportunities for growth," Salinas said.

Salinas thinks that trying new things, learning new skills, participating in the community and

doing volunteer activities will make students stronger and more confident. More participation in campus activities is a lot of hidden opportu nities, including internships, scientific research, and community activities. Salinas is convinced that it is because she has participated in many of these activities that she got a chance to exercise her skills and leadership, allowing her to demon strate her abilities.

Salinas is a member of the Student Govern ment Association. The mission of the SGA is to interact with the administration, faculty, staff, and students at Texas Wesleyan University on behalf of the student body for the betterment of all student’s experience. She is also a resident’s assistant and is involved in psychological life, and the Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee on campus.

She said, "Speaking for students and helping them solve problems is one of my proudest things. I am very grateful to be able to study and earn a degree at Wesleyan.”

She believes that the best advice she can give new students is not to be shy and to communicate more with professors and classmates.

Photo courtesy Jasmine Salinas

Imagine standing in front of your computer during lockdown to have dance practice. Cynthia Ramos did just that.

“We were like setting up our computers, going on Zoom, and dancing in front of our laptops,” she said. “It was so weird!”

Ramos said the relationships she established with the Goldline dancers are special. The friends she made from Goldline are bridesmaid material.

The Goldline Captain is closing her chapter as a student at Texas Wesleyan.

Initially, she refrained from joining school activities. When her second semester rolled around, she started getting involved on campus, including Goldline.

“Second semester came; we

Goldline Captain Cynthia Ramos shares how she survived zoom practice

left for spring break, and then we never came back. My academic career shifted,” Ramos said.

Ramos found it difficult to adjust to online school since she is a visual learner. She remembered questioning herself and thinking; “Okay maybe this isn’t for me.”

Having that social interaction taken away made her shy. Being one of the only students to show up to hybrid courses made it difficult to participate.

Being a first-generation college student and earning her degree was a non-negotiable for Ramos. Staying active with dance helped her push through the isolation of the pandemic.

When summer came, she started working with Career Services before working

on the Programming and Activities Committee.

“I applied during the summer and got my internship,” she said.

Dr. Gary Stout gave her tips on mass communication and leadership. She is pursuing a career in social media marketing and content creation.

Ramos plans to share the knowledge she has gained at Texas Wesleyan in the next chapter of her life.

“I want to make the people around me better as well,” she said.

She is not sure what steps she will be taking next. It could be on the marketing in the higher education team at UTA, working as an influencer or managing a content creation plan.

Graduation is a time to celebrate your achievements, prepare for a future of opportunities and embrace a world of infinite possibilities.

Photo courtesy Cynthia Ramos

Back home with a bright future ahead

A determined student from North Richland Hills, Chinonso Oguh would frame her time at Wesleyan through the lens of one core memory, presenting her senior thesis.

Her first two years in college were spent at a university out of state. She wanted a place where she belonged and to grow genuine connections, which was one of her obstacles, so in the spring of 2021 she transferred to Wesleyan. She said, “I am big on finding connections and staying close to the people I care about which is why I came back home.”

Oguh quickly got involved in Texas Wesleyan activities that would prepare and aid her in her career. One of her biggest contributions to the school was becoming an assistant editor of the Aries Literary Magazine.

Oguh encourages students to find the balance between fun and academics. She said, “ultimately you are coming here for education; try not to turn down opportunities to hang out, relax, and make friends.”

Oguh practices what she preaches be-

cause she makes time for herself while planning and staying ahead on assignments, which she is extremely proud of. One word she would describe herself as would be: imaginative.

Because of her love for writing, she is majoring in English, focusing on creative writing. A defining moment for Oguh was presenting her senior thesis. She said, “I did a creative piece, and it was both fun and important to me.” Often academic writing can be rigid, but Oguh found the work to be fun and a good balance between creative and academic writing.

Oguh wants to further her education and will be attending Drexel University as a part of their graduate program in Library Science. She wants to be a children’s Librarian. Knowing that she is close to achieving her goal is her motivation.

Oguh is motivated by the support she gets from her mother and by getting closer to realizing her dreams. She feels secure in her future and sees the pieces coming together.

Photo courtesy Chinonso Oguh

Undergraduates

Misheal Aggrey

Daisy Aguayo

Victoria Al-Adam

Peter Dillon Alam

Kimberlee Alas

Jamesha Allen

Stephanie Alonso

Kertisa Amos

Bryce Archer

Abigail Arellano

Miguel Arrivillaga

Hana Auchenbach

Ashley Babb

Madeline Barbosa

Greyson Barrett

Christian Barrueta

Lexie Basham

Garrett Bodine

Lauren Bolding

David Bonds

Michael Bonner

Bethany Bordelon

Rusty Bowman

Ethan Brandt

Madison Brown

Jonathan Burt

Jerrod Burton

Taj Carden

Daniel Carmona

Chance Carroll

Ralph Casablanca

Jessica Castro

Nayeli Cervantes Rios

Nicolas Changarnier

Jeffrey Chanta

Malisone Chanthapanya

Jaden Chapman

Sydney Charlton

Aileen Chavez

Rebeka Chavez

Carson Cheaney

Miracle Clay

Andrea Coble

Katrina Cole

Nateiona Cole

Mychyl Conner

Makayla Coy

Christina Cross

Elena Cruce

Brenda De la Rosa

Carmen Del Toro

Parker Deleon

Rosealin Delgado

Lucas Diaz Freire

Rosa Diaz Mendez

Ashlee Dowdy

Don Doyle

Margarita Duarte

Chayan Duha

Cynthia Dutra

Autumn Farris

Allison Fisher

Taylor Flatt

Jordan Flood

Kelsey Florence

Brynna Foster

Daniel Gahunde

Juan Galvan

Eduardo Garcia

Esmeralda Garcia

Maritza Garcia

Vallerie Garcia

Noelia Gaytan

Stephanie Godinez

Jesus Gomez

Ariana Guardado Nava

Elijah Hall

Gloria Hardeman

Cameron Hatcher

Alysa Henderson

Divandre Hernandez

Judith Hernandez

Tabatha Hogan

Jack Huffman

Catherine Huffstetter

Victoria Ibarra

Chathumi Illeperuma Achchige

Isidro Jimenez

Nicole Johnson

Katelynn Joiner

Heather Jones

Juwan Jones

Isaack Knapp

Danica Kunschik

Preston Kurmes

Gianina Lambert

Connor Leibrock

Eva Leon

Baltazar Loza

Guadalupe Martinez

Julian Martinez

Shannon Mata

Sherri Mata

Joseph Mays

Brayden McAlister

Morgan McCloud

Jaden McClure

Jonathan Milsap

Matthew Moniak

Isabel Morales

Veronica Moreno

Jarrett Muench

Leia Murray

Ousmane Ndim

Nabintu Neema

Elizabeth Nelson

Violet Niyongere

Bev Nkomo

Chinonso Oguh

Jake Parker

Juan Parra Jimenez

Neel Patel

Shivkumar Patel

Urvish Patel

Jacob Peery

Amethyst Penrice

Max Perez

Anyssa Pfeifer

Hung Phi

Natalie Pina

Thamara Pinto Terrazas

Brendan Powers

Deepkumar Prajapati

Allie Prewitt

Linda Puga

Erick Ramirez

Cynthia Ramos

Nataleigh Riner

Rian Roberts

Briana Rocha

Carlos Rodriguez

Andrew Rollison

Caleb Rudd

Abigail Rueda

Inara Sachwani

Lissette Salgado

Jasmine Salinas

Jennifer Sanchez

Mariana Sandoval

Kevin Santiago

Colin Schwartz

Lily Seavey Penslien

Maitri Shah

Mansi Shiroya

Victor Silverio Valerio

Reese Simonak

Landry Smith

Malik Smith

Natalie Smith

Taylor Somers

Jose Sosa

Theresa Steele

Jaeden Suarez

Khloe Summers

Cole Surratt

Monika Szczepanik

Collin Taylor

Nathan Tobey

Karina Torres

Taylor Tubbs

Erika Valencia

Jeffrey Valko

Krizen Vega

Jaqueline Velazquez

Mathieu Vinet

Akili Vining

Jackson Wagner

Skylar Warde

Marrell Weatherd

Juanyu Weng

Brandon Whitehead

Archie Williams

Tai Williams

Jabari Wilson

Loryn Wooden

Jerry Zenteno

Yawen Zhao

Graduates

Elyssa Aluko

Engy Armanyous

Mariam Arshad

Kaylee Baker

Thomas Barton

Kanu Basson

Lindsey Beckrich

Courtney CalixtoCervantes

Latisha Cartwright

Betty Davis

Shanjala Davis-Allen

Jonathan Dedmon

Christian Diaz

Charles Elam Alyssa Ellis

Jakiya Ezell

Doctoral

Leticia Bertalott

Nilliah Chadwick

Dorothy Harris-DuPont

Derrick Rose

Issac Scoggins

Janeen Smith Rose

Nadia Thompson

Sadaf Ghafoor

Alejandro Grande

Matthew Gray

Tameir Grosvenor

Nicholas Hains

Shaniqua Hatton

Kadija Haywood

Jordan Higgins

Bryan Hunt

Brianna James

Tammie James

Tamika Johnson

Deanna Kelley-Hill

Glen Kidd

Nicholas King

Jonathon Kinkle

Dejan Milosevic

Aminah Moore

Mei Moore

Angelica Morrow

Abdul-Jalil Musa

My Nguyen

Luke O’Steen

Alyssa Perry

Cherelle Phillips

Elvin Rosa

Breanna Salisbury

Jazmieka Smith

Brooke Sullivan

William Swank

Rianna Vidales

From being a teen mother to a college graduate

Elizabeth M. Nelson was a teen mother who survived abusive relationships and turned her life around. Though her journey was not traditional, she will graduate with a bachelor's in criminal justice and minor in sociology.

After becoming a teen mother at the age of 16, she went through a failed marriage two years later that resulted in her being a victim of domestic abuse. She realized she wanted more in life and decided to return to school. “I wrote an essay to get back into Tarrant County College, and let them know that I would not fail, failure was not an option for me.”

Over the years, Nelson remarried and now at the age of 32, she has seven children and eight grandchildren.

Since starting college, her journey has not been easy but despite her setbacks and loss of her mother she has made the dean’s list every semester and made it to three societies, including Phi Theta Kappa,

Alpha Phi Sigma and Pi Gamma Mu.

After suffering the loss of her mother during her college journey, Nelson said, “While she didn't get to see me graduate from either college, I know that I made her and my father proud. I have shown my husband, all my kids, biological and adopted, that mom made something of herself.”

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas Wesleyan was Nelson’s first choice. "My father graduated from Texas Wesleyan in 1979. I always told myself that I was going to follow in his footsteps. He graduated from Tarrant County college, so I did, he graduated from Texas Wesleyan, so I am. I always wanted to be great, just like him,” Nelson said.

Making changes in the world was something she knew she wanted to do. “Criminal justice has always been intriguing. I got my paralegal degree from Tarrant County College, and I decided that I wanted more. I loved the system and being

able to potentially make a change,” Nelson said.

Nelson saw herself as someone other students could go to for help.

“At first, it was hard making friends, the longer I was at the campus, the easier it got for me. I learned to help my classmates who needed it. I was older than 95% of them so I became the mom who looked out for her babies. Now? I will help anyone who needs it, and it comes second nature to me.”

Sheis not exactly sure where life will take her after graduation.

“Right now, I'm unsure on what I want to do career wise, however, I've applied to positions with Child Protective Services. My dream career would be to go to law school and work in family law,” Nelson said. Ultimately, she wants to be an inspiration, "My goal in life was to inspire those who had no idea of how hard some of us had the journey,” she said.

Lights! Camera! Fashion!

Krizen Vega is a very motivated first-generation college graduate who has been a huge help around the Texas Wesleyan campus. Vega has a mindset that sets her apart from her counterparts, as she is very dedicated and solution

Her faith is a big part of her life as she is the social media coordinator for the Connect College Ministry group on campus. She is also a resident assistant and values the lessons learned that come with responsibility. Being an RA has taught her independence, how to appreciate differences and her role outside of her family.

To top it off, she is an English academic advisor in the Academic Success Center, which has contributed to some unexpected friendships. Vega believes the more involved with programs

around the school she became, the more she started to enjoy herself.

Vega enjoys fashion and psychology, so she found a middle ground as a marketing major as it allows her to focus on the product as well as consumer behavior. She is currently an intern doing administrative work in consulting. “My dream industry to work in would be fashion, clothing or just entertainment. I keep telling people [to] let me know (about opportunities). I want to work behind the scenes of a movie, something in the entertainment industry has always been a goal of mine.”

She enjoys watching and sharing films with family and friends. Vega likes to express herself through her 90’s clothes as well as her backpack which features a lot of pins.

Throughout her years at Texas Wesleyan, she has enjoyed learning inside and outside of the classroom as well as about herself. Vega enjoys being her authentic self and values authenticity. After walking the stage, she will make her way to Korea just days after graduation to share the gospel and teach English with the Connect College Ministry.

After graduation she is open to a leadership role in the aspect of faith, but it is not a main goal for her right now. In ten years, she hopes to be living in her own space, building relationships with friends and family and at a job that she loves. Vega is a very passionate individual who gives full effort because she knows that she has an amazing support system.

Photo courtesy Elizabeth M. Nelson

Photo courtesy Krizen Vega

Clay feels Texas is her forever place

Miracle Clay may be a California native, but Texas is her forever place.

Miracle Clay was born in San Bernadino, California and moved to Lockhart, Texas at a young age. Clay is now 22 years old and has plans on moving into an apartment. The Fort Worth area is where she wants to be.

Texas Wesleyan has been Clay’s home since 2019. Where she majored in Liberal Studies and earned a 3.4 GPA.

However, keeping up with her grades came along with hardships.

During the first week of her senior year, Clay had a formidable set back. She lost one of her biggest supporters, Charles Trammell. Doubts settled in for her and she had “the feeling of not knowing how to continue school, cheer or anything else.”

Cheerleading and bonds have helped her grow physically and mentally. Teaching her to continue even when things get hard.

Each set back in Clay’s life has helped her understand her goals. “My goals after school consist of getting into the school district coaching at the secondary level.”

Clay has been a cheerleader since she was 3 years old and knows that this is her mission.

In each step of life Clay looks up to her Nana, even though she’s passed away. “I look up to her because no matter what life threw at her she stayed true to herself and followed Christ.”

She want’s everyone to view her in the same perspective and continue to grow in Christ. However, she hasn’t limited herself to these goals and values. Each day she plans to get better and become the

woman she’s always dreamed of. Clay continues to live by “Big time players make big time plays. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing in life, do it big.”

JAKE PARKER

Photo courtesy Miracle Clay

Basham’s road to the Olympics

Lexie Basham is from Roanoke, Texas, majoring in psychology at Texas Wesleyan University and will receive a bachelor’s degree in psychology when she graduates.

About her plans after graduation, Basham said, “I don’t have a solid plan for graduation. I am considering the possibility of obtaining a master’s de gree or becoming a high school coach, but either way, I will also pursue my dream of the 2024 Olympic Games.”

Her performance received the attention of the United States National Women’s Freestyle Wrestling Team, and she was eventually selected for the 2022 Senior National Team, becoming a potential player to represent the United States in the world championships and the Olympic Games.

Starting on October 17, she will represent the United States team at the Under 23 World Championships in Ponte Vedra, Spain.

Basham’s college career was exciting. In the 2021-22 season, she set two records in school history, winning the NAIA National Championships, and becoming the first national champion in the history of Texas Wesleyan Women’s Wrestling.

In the 2022-2023 season, she won her second national championship.

Basham showed her expertise in psychology and applied it to her wrestling competitions. Basham said, “I have learned a lot from my psychology professor. I am grateful for the knowledge my psychology professor has taught me and how to apply it.”

Taking part in training and com petitions while learning is extremely challenging for Basham, but instead of being overwhelmed, she is actively moving forward.

“Every class at Wesleyan has been very helpful to me. Whether studying, training or living here, I feel fulfilled. I am grateful for every day here,” she said.

She has shown extraordinary skill and perseverance, as well as a deep understanding of wrestling. She also showed her expertise in psychology, which made her an important pillar of

Photo courtsey Lexi Basham

Photos courtsey Lexi Basham

Terrazas succeeds on and off the court

Dedicated in the classroom and graduating with a double major in Marketing and Business Administration, Thamara Pinto Terrazas is one of Texas Wesleyan’s international students that will be graduating this spring.

Terrazas is from Peru and moved to the U.S. to pursue tennis as well as getting an education. She started her college career at the University of Maryville in Missouri then transferring to Texas Wesleyan in 2020.

“The reason why I transferred to Texas Wesleyan was because I like the tennis program. Coach Angel Martinez also speaks Spanish so I can easily communicate with him. Texas Wesleyan also has a great business program.”

One aspect of the school she likes is that the school is located in the city because there is always something to do outside of school.

Terrazas has been playing tennis for 15 years and she has had a lot of fun on the court playing for TxWes. Her most memorable moment was winning the doubles Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) tournament in 2021, and also going to nationals the same year.

“One of the best parts about playing college sports is meeting new people from all over the

world.”

She has loved two years at Texas Wesleyan. “My teachers have helped me a lot, since being on the tennis team we travel around a lot and sometimes it is hard to keep up with my school work, my professors have been very understanding and they go out of their way to help me catch up.”

One of the hardest parts with moving countries was the language barrier. “My first year in America I struggled with English, over time and with a lot of practice I have gotten a lot better with speaking English.”

After graduating Terrazas wants to finish her pilot training; she started her training over the summer of 2021. It has been a dream of her’s to be able to fly a plane.

“My experience at Texas Wesleyan has been great, I have enjoyed every minute of it. I would like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way from my family and friends to my teachers and coaches. This place will always have a special place in my heart.”

Photo courtesy Thamara Pinto Terrazas

Rios learns to embrace change amidst challenges

Nayeli Rios, born in Tarandacuano, Mexico, left what she had known her whole life and faced one of her biggest fears to come to America and get a college education.

Being separated from her father for a while, at the age of 15 her parents decided that her mom, brother and herself would move to the United States to be with him. They believed that they could have more opportunities and wanted to be together as a family.

When arriving in Texas, she went to the international newcomer’s academy where she met some of her role models. “The teachers that I had, they were just amazing. I knew little to no English and they helped me a lot. I was there only for a year and when I left, I knew how to speak English, not perfectly of course, but I did.”

It was her teachers’ help and

patience that inspired her. “One of my goals is to be a teacher like them who helps students who don’t know the language or are barely learning the language and also supporting their parents because I know it’s hard whenever you first come into the U.S.,” Nayeli said.

Rios is currently striving to be a bilingual teacher, but this was not her first choice. She first wanted to be a nurse and went to TCC to do her nursing basics, but after getting to know the career she realized that it wasn’t for her and took a year off. During this gap year she started working with children and learned that this is what she loved to do and decided to make a career out of it.

When coming to Texas Wesleyan, her biggest challenge was the transition from TCC. “The first semester was kind of rough, getting to know everyone, getting to know the professors, getting

to know the campus. But after that first semester I made lifelong friends. I found the support that I expected from the smaller classrooms, and I really love the small setting.”

Nayeli is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and is currently getting certified in EC-6 Bilingual Education. The most important thing that Rios has learned from Texas Wesleyan is connections.

“Life is all about making connections, so it is always good to have a smile on your face. Whatever connections you make you know you have a support system, and you know you have someone to rely on or to go back and ask questions whenever its needed.”

Rios’ friend, Rosa, can confirm Nayeli’s smiley personality.

“Anywhere she goes, she always transmits so much joy and harmony with her smile and her energy.” Rosa said.

SAC player of the year pursues coaching aspirations

Kertisa Amos is a women’s basketball player ready to graduate and start her career as a coach and educator.

Amos was excited about her exercise science major. “I wanted to learn about the body during exercise to one day become a physical education teacher and coach,” she said.

Born and raised in Burleson, Texas, when choosing to come to Texas Wesleyan, Amos was persuaded by three things. “I wanted to stay close to home. Texas Wesleyan is a smaller campus with smaller classes. I also came because of Coach Jackson to play

basketball.”

“I play basketball and love watching movies and tv shows with my family,” she said.

Amos has been a key player on the Texas Wesleyan women’s basketball team. She was awarded the Sooner Athletic Conference women’s basketball overall player of the year and defensive player of the year. She also made the SAC first team and is the 16th Wesleyan player to score 1000 points in Program.

Amos is ready to graduate. “After graduation I want to become a coach,” she said.

She plans to pursue her career

in education as well. Amos said, “I want to not only coach but teach physical education at the middle school level.”

Photo courtesy Nayeli Rios

Photo courtesy Kertisa Amos

A true comeback story

Jerrod Burton is a 46-year-old father of two who came back to school to earn a degree in business administration.

Burton started his college career in 1995 where he attended Weatherford Community College before dropping out to provide for his family.

“I decided I had to work, got married, had a child, couldn’t afford to do both at the time and I didn’t know a whole lot about financial aid.” Burton said.

That didn’t stop Burton from becoming a successful business owner. He currently owns two businesses. He defied the odds and worked his way up without a degree. He was in the restaurant business for 20 years, “I had missed certain opportunities because I did not have a degree.”

Bordelon to experience theater around the world

As graduation season approaches, Texas Wesleyan University bids farewell to Bethany Bordelon, a senior theater major who has left an indelible mark on the university community.

Bethany’s journey at Texas Wesleyan was not a straightforward one. She had never heard of the university before but a fellow theater student at her high school, Taylor, shared photos of the productions she had worked on. Intrigued, Bethany visited Texas Wesleyan and was immediately taken by the small size of the school and the warm and welcoming people she met, particularly the theater department. “I came to Texas Wesleyan for a tour and immediately loved it, I never realized I wanted a small school but I loved the size and the people, and the theater department made a really really good impression on me”

Throughout her four years at Texas Wesleyan, Bethany has been involved in an astonishing number of extracurricular activities. She served as the secretary of the American Association of University Women, the vice president of event coordination for Alpha Psi Delta, the president of Alpha Psi Omega, a member of the Programming and Activities Committee, and she had even created a plant club called the Growgetters. Bethany also worked as a resident assistant for two years, a new student mentor and for her last semester she became a lead student mentor.

Bethany’s theater career at Texas Wesleyan has been equally impressive. She has acted in every show she auditioned for, costume designed, and stage managed. Her passion for the performing arts does not end at Texas Wesleyan since Bethany wants to continue pursuing her passion for it after graduation. “I plan to get settled in the metroplex and audition for roles in community theater around the area. I just want to be in theater as much as I can.” Bethany emphasizes her desire to travel and experience theater in different parts of the world. “My long-term goal is to travel and see the world to see how theater is in different places and learn new skills.” Once Bethany is ready to settle from her travels, she wants to go back to grad school and become a theater teacher. She’s grateful for the opportunities she’s had and the people she’s met along the way, and she’s excited

Burton wanted to go back to college for two reasons. One was when someone tried to belittle him because he didn’t go to college.

“Before I decided to come back to school, I had somebody throw that in my face like I’m smarter than you because I have a degree and I decided at that time I wanted to get my own degree so I could never have anybody throw that in my face again.”

Another motivator that drove Burton to return to school was to show his children the importance of getting a degree.

Burton said he is a family man who wanted to set a strong example for his children and show them the importance of getting your degree no matter what your circumstances are.

“By doing that my one daughter is in school going to be a nurse,” Burton said.

Burton’s path was different from a normal college student but what made it more unique is that he attended a junior college first. This is not common for non-traditional students but shows Jerrod’s determination to get his degree.

When Burton was in high school attending classes, “everything was still old school.” Even though having classes that are part online would have been helpful when running his own business, Burton still preferred attending classes in person with hands-on learning.

Burton believes in pursuing education and making that investment in yourself. “Stay in school. Find a way to make it work. You may struggle in the short term, but it’ll pay off in the long term.”

Photo courtesy Bethany Bordelon

From the School of Arts & Sciences

May your dreams blossom and grow.