7 minute read
CAMPUS LIFE
A Vessel for God's Glory
Last semester, the U.S. Marine Corps presented senior Christian studies major Thomas Henderson with the prestigious Commandant Trophy for outstanding leadership and superior accomplishments.
Thomas, who graduated in December, was an active leader on the UMHB campus, serving as Student Foundation president, a student leader for UMHB33, and other ministry roles in the community.
In the spring of 2021, Thomas was selected for the Platoon Leaders Class Program, an undergraduate commissioning program that allows full-time enrolled college students to pursue a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps without interrupting the academic school year. He attended officer candidate school the past two summers in Quantico, Va. Throughout the six weeks of training, he distinguished himself and ultimately finished first over 223 other graduating candidates from Lima Company and was selected as their honor graduate. Though hundreds of candidates from across the country trained at OCS this summer, Thomas was one of seven to be recognized with the Commandant’s Trophy.
“The most significant thing about this award to me was seeing how proud my parents were. I remember first finding out that I would receive this award. I was so overwhelmed with emotions,” Thomas said. “I truly know God was with me during my time at officer candidate school. Yes, I worked hard and put a lot of effort forward, but I recognize God was working in me and through me.”
In addition to the framed certificate Henderson received, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor received a trophy in recognition of the outstanding preparation of students. Thomas is from Keller and is the son of Jerry and Penny Henderson.
Miss MHB
Shayden Spradley Crowned Miss Mary Hardin-Baylor 2023
Miss Student Foundation, Shayden Spradley, was named Miss Mary Hardin-Baylor 2023 on Oct. 22, in the annual Miss MHB Pageant. Shayden is a junior transformational development major from Belton. She is involved in Student Government Association, Student Foundation, and Hope for the Hungry. Her personal platform was “Providing Special Needs Families with Community Connections.”
The reigning Miss MHB, Samantha Cardenas, crowned Spradley at the end of the evening’s contest. Also recognized were the fourth runner-up, Jessica Jorczak, Miss Nursing Student Association; third runner-up Yanelle Licona, Miss Hispanic Student Association; second runner-up Jenna Kurburski, Miss Gamma Sigma Epsilon; and first runner-up, Ella Stockton, Miss Healthy Minds.
Your PURPOSE for God's Glory
PASTOR AND CHRISTIAN BROADCASTER DR. TONY EVANS DELIVERS 18TH McLANE LECTURE
UMHB was honored to welcome pastor and syndicated Christian broadcaster Dr. Tony Evans as the featured speaker for the 2022 McLane Lecture on Sept. 28.
Evans is the long-time pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, is heard daily on more than 1,400 US outlets and 130 countries. Named as one of the "12 Most Effective Preachers in the EnglishSpeaking World," Evans has published more than 150 books, booklets and Bible studies. Evans, who is the first African American to earn a Doctor of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, also served as chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks.
He spoke to students about making a difference in this fast-changing world. A culture "without direction – that is existing in confusion."
Evans encouraged the crowd of more than 500 students and community members to “live a life with purpose.” "You don’t want to live your life meandering, looking back, and then saying, ‘I don’t know why I was here,’" he said. "To live on purpose is to serve the purposes of God. If you never get around to serving the purposes of God, you will never have lived; you will have existed for whatever amount of years you were on this earth."
This is the 18th McLane Lecture sponsored by Elizabeth and Drayton McLane Jr. The purpose of the McLane Lecture is to bring outstanding individuals to the UMHB campus to share their experiences and insights about leadership, government, business, and faith. Dr. Tony Evans joins a long list of exceptional McLane Lecture speakers, including Charlie Duke, George W. Bush, Chuck Norris, Mary Lou Retton, George Foreman, and more.
NOTEWORTHY
NEW ALUMNI
BOARD PRESIDENT
Rose Morales ’00 has been named the new Alumni Board president. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UMHB in 2000. Rose is currently a first-grade teacher at Leon Heights Elementary. She and her husband, Tony’02, live in Temple and are Cru sports fans.
Read Rose's full story at umhb.edu/life
STICKER STOP
One of the fun ways the Marketing & Communications team has engaged students this semester is through monthly pop-up Sticker Stop events. Students had fun collecting themed, limited-edition stickers all over campus.
#UMHBHOCO2022 #UMHBHOCO2022 #UMHBHOCO2022 HOMECOMING RECAP
Close to 1,300 alumni and their families and friends gathered on campus Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 to celebrate the traditions and special activities for Homecoming 2022. Activities included Stunt Night, pep rally, carnival on King Street, and a Young Alumni Coffee Hour. Reunions were also held for Legacy Families, the Class of 1981, Class of 1982, Class of 1992, Class of 2007 and Class of 2012. The Crusaders walked away with a 38-7 win against Austin College.
SAVE THE DATE! HOMECOMING 2023 | 09.30.23 | #UMHBHOCO2023
Two Programs Receive Accreditation
Two of UMHB’s academic programs received accreditation in 2022. The Strength and Conditioning Education Program (SCEP) within the exercise physiology major was the first in the country to receive accreditation from the Council of Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning (CASCE).
The SCEP prepares undergraduate students to serve as leaders who demonstrate excellence in improving human performance, maximizing athlete safety and mastering athletes’ needs. The program provides an innovative and dynamic curriculum that reflects a scientific basis for understanding, contemporary strength and conditioning practice, exercise testing and technique, program design and program administration.
“It’s important that as a profession we standardize strength and conditioning education so we can optimize athlete peak performance, but more importantly, ensure athlete safety,” explained Dr. Colin Wilborn, executive dean for the Mayborn College of Health Sciences and director of the Strength and Conditioning Education Program. “We could not be more honored to be recognized as the first program in the country to receive CASCE accreditation. This accreditation opens so many doors for the future of UMHB’s exercise physiology graduates.”
The engineering program is also now accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public. "ABET accreditation assures that UMHB's engineering program meets the quality standards of the engineering profession and is a key milestone in the continued growth of our program," said Dr. Paul Griesemer, associate professor and engineering department chair. "We are excited about the opportunities our accreditation will open up for our students."
Charter Celebration
Alumni Engagement hosted Charter Celebration on Aug. 27, celebrating the 50-year reunion for the class of 1972 and the 60-year reunion for the class of 1962. Reunions were also hosted for Historical Phila, Royal Academia and the Campus Boys. More than 160 alumni and friends participated in the event. Pictured above is the class of 1972, celebrating its 50-year reunion.
