Student Spotlight Archive
- Stephen Boyles, Pre-Health Professions
- Jeff Harris, Student Government
- Leonor Constancio, Communication
- Lura Hayes, Agriculture
- Jamie Mandujano, International Business
- Kyle Ratliff, Government
- Alexa Nichols, Honors Program Internship
- Brenda Medrano, Nursing
- Logan Hancock, Physics
- Heather Guthrie, Government
- Sam Mendoza, Art
- Paul Martinez, Kinesiology
- Abiola Okeyode, Physical Therapy
- David Trevino, Grammy Winner
- Sagan Everett, Kinesiology
- Clay Calfee, Agriculture Department
- Jennifer Rios, Journalism
- Adam Torres, Music
- Jennifer Hendryx, Physics
- Adree Lakey, Kinesiology
- Anthony Sanchez, International Business/Accounting
- Cadet Major Dan Nguyen
Breaking New Ground
ASU biology major Stephen Boyles spends half his time trying to knock people’s teeth out, and the other half preparing for a career in fixing them.
As an offensive line starter on the ASU Rams football team, Boyles bangs heads weekly with some of the biggest and meanest players on the opponents’ rosters. Off the field he is a gentle giant who could be the first ASU football player to apply to medical school and only the second to apply to dental school.
It almost didn’t happen that way for Boyles, though, as he was actually considering giving up football to be a full-time student, even though he had interest from NCAA Division I schools like Texas Tech. But, when he and his parents investigated ASU, they discovered he could live out both of his dreams.
“ASU was one of my last football visits,” Boyles said. “I loved the campus, I liked the coaches and I really liked what Dr. (Russell) Wilke and Dr. (Alan) Bloebaum said about how it’s possible to both play football and be a doctor. So, I made my choice.”
“There has been a real push, especially in Division II athletics, for the ‘student-athlete,’” he added. “The well-rounded student-athlete, where you are involved in the community, you do excellent in school, you have a bright career ahead of you and you do well in athletics. At ASU it is definitely possible to do it all and I’ve done great here.”
Only a junior in football eligibility, Boyles has two more seasons to deliver teeth-rattling blows from his left guard position. He also gets to take advantage of ASU’s pre-health program that boasts one of the top medical and dental school acceptance rates in the state.
“Basically, by the time I graduate, I will have had my first two years of dental or med school, with at least background in everything,” Boyles said. “We have medical genetics, histology, anatomy and general physiology. There are tons of classes here that work out perfectly to set you up to be at the top of your class in medical or dental school. Not just get in, but to compete to be a top student.”
Boyles is already a top student at ASU. He has been awarded a Carr Academic Scholarship and Biology Special Academic Scholarship, was picked for the Lone Star Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll and is a member of the Alpha Chi and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies. He is also a member of the Tri-Beta biology honor society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Who’s Who Among American College and University Students, and was picked for the District 6 All-Academic Team by ESPN.
In the Athletic Department, he is a member of the Student Athlete Advising Council, is on the Champions’ Table for team leaders and is part of the Player’s Panel that helps with recruiting high school football players.
“During recruiting season, our coaches try to match up our players with high school players who have the same interests,” Boyles said. “It might be by position or where they are from or academics. It helps to form ties between the different players.”
In addition to all of his campus activities, Boyles also has community service and shadowing responsibilities as part of the pre-health program. He has performed almost 100 hours of community service with agencies like Meals for the Elderly, Rebuilding Together and the San Angelo Children’s Fair, and has spent more than 100 hours shadowing various medical professionals in fields ranging from OB/GYN and orthopedics to ophthalmology, dermatology, oral surgery and periodontics.
In fact, it was through shadowing periodontist Dr. Marshall Morgan that Boyles reaffirmed his desire to go to dental school.
“I’ve always been leaning toward the dental field because that is what I’m familiar with,” he said. “I’ve worked in my dad’s office and I already know how to do a lot of different things that he taught me. But, it was when I shadowed a periodontist back in Odessa that I really got intrigued with that field.”
Regardless of what medical field he eventually chooses, at 6’4” and 280 pounds, Boyles will strike a commanding figure as one of ASU’s first football players to stride the halls of dental or medical school.
Interested in a Pre-Health Profession?
Driven to Serve
Jeff Harris won a second term as ASU Student Government Association (SGA) president in April, but will trade it for a higher position after being named the student regent on the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents in May.
Governor Rick Perry’s office informed Harris that he would have to step down from the SGA post to assume the regent position, something he sees as worthwhile.
“The Board of Regents will be more work, but nothing I can’t handle,” he said. “I will graduate next May, but I will only lack four hours that semester which will be good because the Tech system will be going into the legislative session.”
Harris also sought the Precinct 5 seat on the San Angelo City Council, but lost to local businessman Kendall Hirschfeld.
“That was good practice for running for office,” Harris said. “I’ve worked on a few campaigns, but I’ve never run one of my own. I don’t think I want for anything for trying. I learned there is a lot of hands-on time that has to be spent, especially in the district where you’re running.”
“I ultimately want to end up in politics,” he added. “I’ve done a lot of work with the Republican Party, and I restarted the College Republicans here at ASU in fall 2007. We also started a program that should keep the College Republicans running during off-election years. When there are no elections, it’s more of an informational group bringing in speakers and helping people understand what’s going on in politics.”
Harris sees himself as a catalyst for getting necessary projects accomplished.
When he assumed the SGA post in spring of 2009, Harris looked at projects that were already in effect to make sure they were running as efficiently as possible.
“We came in and looked at the committees and the student discount program,” he said. “We are up to 48 or 49 businesses in the discount program with everything from electric companies, to food and entertainment entities, retail and pretty much anything you can look for.”
An issue that recently arose among ASU students and alumni is the lack of ASU-branded products available in the community.
“It’s one of those deals that has always been a small complaint, but it came up recently, especially with our shift to the Texas Tech system,” Harris said. “People saw a lot of Tech merchandise everywhere, but not ASU merchandise.”
The SGA started a push to increase available goods and, after meeting with administrators and local business owners, found out there was a perceived lack of demand.
“Businesses didn’t think demand would justify carrying ASU products,” he said. “We initiated the petition to get ASU products in the stores. Now, Academy, Wal-Mart and Hastings are carrying ASU products. Now people need to buy them because the more people buy the merchandise, the cheaper it will get and the more they will carry.”
A graduate from Arlington High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Harris is still active in the Texas Republican Party and the state College Republicans, where he serves on the executive board focusing on resolutions. When he isn’t elbow-deep in politics, Harris likes to volunteer for worthy causes.
“I’ve done a lot of work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the American Cancer Society, Meals for the Elderly and Special Olympics, and I’ve gone out to Legend Oaks Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center to help out there.”
But for now, Harris focuses on ASU students’ concerns.
He was recently instrumental in getting a student vote on a campus health care fee passed, a measure that will allow the ASU Health Clinic to keep operating at its current level and negotiate a deal with a local hospital for services and prescriptions to keep prices reasonable.
Harris also has worked with the city government to get more professional internships for students with city agencies because it helps with student retention at ASU and in San Angelo.
“My two big words are investment and involvement,” he said, “because when you start involving people in a local field where they can stay here and get their credit or experience from it, they are becoming invested in this community. Once people become more invested in the community, they are more likely to stay here to develop an identity with the community and be a part of it.”
Currently a senior, Harris plans to get a Master of Public Administration degree at ASU after getting his bachelor’s degree in May 2011.
“Really, politics is a matter of opinion on how things should be run,” he said. “If you have office politics and you don’t agree on something, you have to agree to disagree and get on with the job. Usually, you have an extreme option here and an extreme option there. When you put them together and compromise, you usually get a pretty decent option that everybody can live with.”
Interested in Student Government?
It’s Never Too Late
Though circumstances may change, the value of a college education remains constant. That’s why Leonor Constancio decided to start college at an age she prefers not to discuss.
Sure, her own son is in college and she has a new grandson, but when she left high school she needed to make a living. Consequently, she just never got around to college before now.
When Angelo State initiated its Employee Tuition Exemption Program last fall, Constancio, who works as publications assistant in ASU’s Communications and Marketing Office, decided it was time.
“I’ve always wanted a degree,” she said, “and I always regretted that I had chosen the easy way out and gotten a diploma from a business college. It was fast and easy and I had life to live and no time to waste. Not to mention, I thought I couldn’t afford college anyway. It was just something that was not a part of my plan, or so I thought.”
A career, though, was part of her plan. Her work ethic, interpersonal skills and sense of humor ultimately helped her get a well paying job with great benefits at a San Angelo company. She planned to retire there.
“Well, that didn’t happen,” Constancio said. “The company closed its doors and after 15 years, I was left to start all over again and find a new career. I found myself looking at jobs that paid what I was used to making only to discover that they all required a degree. I had to start all over again. It didn’t matter how much experience I had or how great I thought I was, without that college degree nobody was ever going to see my value.”
Last fall she started taking classes, psychology because she wanted to and math because she had to. Though apprehensive about being in classes with students young enough to be her son, she soon realized that she brought to class a different set of life skills which served her well.
“All the fears I had were really unfounded,” Constancio said. “I remember realizing that anybody who wants to can go to college. All you have to do is try. As for the time factor, well, time goes by anyway, so why not work at the degree as it passes?”
On top of that, it helps her relate to her son, Levi, in a way he was probably not prepared for.
“Now I call my son and ask him how his grades are,” Constancio said. “Of course, I have to brag about how his mom is going to one-up him on the GPA. I feel him cringe!”
She is proud, of course, that Levi is a third-year studio art/graphic design major at the University of Texas at El Paso and that he has taken her advice to pursue his education early. By contrast, her parents never finished high school.
“We were encouraged to stay in school and graduate, but no one really ever encouraged us to go farther. Higher ed was not a way of life for our family,” Constancio said.
“My advice to high school students is don’t wait to start college and don’t even think about not going. Do it now because you don’t want to be me in 20 years. My advice to people my age or anyone who has desired that degree, ‘Do it! Don’t waste another minute!’ I get asked a lot if it is hard. My answer is ‘It’s hard work, but something worth having never comes easy.”
Taking six or so hours a semester while working full time means, it will take her a while, but she is okay with that. As she entered her second semester as a student this spring, she forwarded her supervisor a story about a 100-year-old woman who finally got her college degree, then died the next day.
“After reading that, I don’t know whether to speed up or slow down,” she said.
Interested in the Employee Tuition Exemption Program?
Top Hand
Whoever thinks ranching is just for the guys has never met Lura Hayes.
A senior animal science major in the ASU Department of Agriculture, Hayes defies type-casting and works as one of the “hands” at the 6,000-acre Management, Instruction and Research Center, better known as the ASU Ranch.
“I help maintain the lamb barn, check cattle, check pastures and mix feed, those kinds of things,” Hayes said. “I do all the basic ranch-hand work.”
As part of her ranch work, she also helps each year with the ASU Meat Goat Performance Test, the oldest and best-known test of its kind in the U.S.
A native of Kermit, Hayes grew up around animals and periodically helped out on ranches around her hometown. The love of animals and ranching pretty much runs in her family.
“My pawpaw had a big influence on me,” Hayes said. “He has always been around cattle and horses. I was also in 4-H ever since I was a little girl.”
And, Hayes does not just limit her activities to the ASU Ranch. She spent time on the award-winning Wool Judging Team as a sophomore, and is a three-year member of the Rambouillet Show Team that regularly brings home top prizes from stock shows around the state.
“We have done really well in the past and we are supposed to do well again this year, hopefully,” Hayes said. “We have had a bunch of reserve champions, but we haven’t had a grand champion in awhile. That is still really good, though.”
During the 2009 season, Hayes and her teammates showed the Reserve Champion Ram at the Fort Worth, San Antonio and San Angelo stock shows, as well as the Champion Flock in Fort Worth. They also racked up a total of seven first-place ribbons, four second-places and eight third-places overall.
“Out at the ranch, we have a big mound of ribbons,” she added. “Dr. (Gil) Engdahl also has a bunch of stuff that we have won. It’s usually hanging up in the Ag Department Office.”
On campus, Hayes sometimes raises eyebrows when she tells people that she is in the Agriculture Department, which is stereotyped by many people as a bunch of guys in boots and cowboy hats. But, apparently, times are changing.
“They are more surprised that I work on a ranch,” Hayes said. “They react like, ‘What? That’s a guy’s job.’ But, probably about half of the Agriculture Department is girls now, though I think a lot of that is because agriculture business is starting to become real big here.”
Set to graduate in May of 2010, Hayes already has her career path picked out as an animal medicine pharmaceutical rep, but first she is going to spend a little more time up close and personal with all the types of animals she loves.
“I’m going to work at a vet clinic first, for a little bit, to get a better grasp on all the medicines,” Hayes said. “I know the majority of them, but there are a lot more out there that I don’t know about. So, I want to learn about those and help out with the animals.”
To Washington and Beyond
By utilizing several elective programs offered at ASU, recent graduate Jamie Mandujano finished his bachelor’s degree with the global perspective that is becoming so important in today’s business world.
An international business major from Coyanosa, Mandujano got his first taste of foreign culture when he participated during his junior year in a semester-long study abroad trip to the University of Paris-Dauphine, where he studied at one of France’s top business schools.
“I’ve always had a desire to see more of what is beyond the ‘city limits’ sign and that was an opportunity to expand my horizons,” Mandujano said. “I got a more global perspective of the world and it opened my eyes to other cultures and ideas that, otherwise, I would have overlooked. I realized that everybody is connected and that each of our actions has an effect on the world.”
As graduation approached, Mandujano decided he needed some hands-on experience before heading out into the world and applied for an internship through The Washington Center, a non-profit organization that connects college students with work and internship opportunities in Washington, D.C. With funding aid from the Alvin and Patricia New Honors Program Enhancement Fund, he was soon on his way to an internship with Management Dynamics Inc. (MDI), a Maryland-based company that develops computer programs to track tariffs and taxes on international trade.
“I got to see what globalization was like first hand,” Mandujano said. “We had offices in India that we worked with and had weekly teleconferences to make sure we were on the same page. It was really fun to work on a project with a guy in India and see how places like that are becoming competitive with the U.S. The amount of interaction between our offices was incredible and it was just like Thomas Friedman’s book, The World is Flat, which explains how the world has changed into a very globalized society.”
Mandujano was supposed to stay at MDI for 10 weeks, but halfway through his internship, he was offered another opportunity by The Washington Center to intern at the Organization of American States (OAS).
“I had wanted an internship that focused more on political affairs and international relations,” Mandujano said. “They usually don’t like students to change internships, but they had been contacted by the OAS, which needed an intern immediately. Having had some experience in one of my previous classes with the OAS and having done a Model OAS as part of that class, I was very excited to interview.”
Once he was accepted, Mandujano went to work for a senior specialist on the staff of OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin.
“I got to sit in on real meetings between the Permanent Council of Observers,” Mandujano said. “It was really interesting to see the ambassadors discuss the issues at hand. I got into the OAS when the Honduran crisis was happening and it was really cool to see how international diplomacy occurs. There are so many people behind the scenes that do so much work and are barely noticed.”
Despite being kept busy with exciting internship duties, Mandujano was able to find some time to go sight-seeing in the nation’s capital. He also got to hear Sen. John McCain speak, meet several foreign dignitaries and see an outdoor show of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Now that he has his bachelor’s degree, Mandujano is hoping to put off graduate school for awhile to do some more traveling, having applied to join the Peace Corps. While he has long thought about joining the Peace Corps, it was a meeting with recruiters in Washington, D.C., that prompted him to apply now.
“My future plans are to work in sustainable development by helping those who are less fortunate,” Mandujano said. “The Peace Corps just seems like a good way to get started on that path, plus it will be enriching to learn from people who are different than me and not so blessed to have what I have. I just love the cultural exchange, and I think learning about other people and their cultures is mind-altering and changes your outlook on the world.”
Interested in International Business?
Higher Calling
Kyle Ratliff’s attraction to the legal world pulled him to Washington, D.C., this summer for an internship in Congress and another in the Supreme Court of the United States this fall.
The senior government major from Seminole plans to attend law school when he graduates and practice international or corporate law, so the internships won’t hurt his résumé when he reaches for those goals.
He served in the office of U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, 23rd District representative from San Antonio until the end of July and took on the rare opportunity to work in the highest court in the land. Ratliff’s internship in the Supreme Court began on Aug. 31 and will run through December.
Ratliff said, “I’m working in the Supreme Court clerk’s office, dealing all of the cases that initially come into the court. Attorneys call and ask for updates and the clerk’s office also inputs all cases into the database to make sure they meet the requirements to go before the Supreme Court.”
“I will receive credit for the internships,” Ratliff said. “This one (in Rodriguez’s office) will suffice for government credit for my degree. The Supreme Court internship will be an elective government course.”
Ratliff was looking for an internship in Washington, D.C. in the spring when he applied for the Supreme Court position and with several congressmen. After not hearing from the Supreme Court, he accepted the internship from Rodriguez’s office.
A Supreme Court representative later suggested that Ratliff apply for a fall internship to which he was accepted. He said the high court usually only selects two or three applicants for internship sessions and generally no more than five.
“It’s a greater honor for me because it is so selective,” Ratliff said.
Ratliff will graduate from ASU in December after receiving credit for the internships and completing an independent research study course with Dr. Casey Jones of the ASU Government Department. He plans to attend law school and then practice international or corporate law.
Ratliff, who regularly appears on the dean’s list, will graduate 3 ½ years after he started at ASU. Besides Government, he minored in music with an emphasis on vocal performance. Although he has plans for his career after law school, Ratliff is keeping his options open.
“I do have some political aspirations,” he said. “I don’t have any preconceived notions about law school and I’ll specialize in what field suits me.”
He’ll likely be a community activist if his college days are any indication. Ratliff has worked in ASU’s Community Development Initiative (CDI) as a youth counselor for a local youth groups and as a peer tutor in the ASU Writing Center. As part of the CDI, he has worked with the Galilee Community Development Corp., a non-profit group that helps with housing needs for low-to-moderate income residents in San Angelo.
In a testimonial on his time with the CDI, Ratliff highlighted various projects he has worked on to compile data from the community on housing issues in San Angelo.
Ratliff stated, “I have been privileged to see first-hand the inner-workings of city government and their non-profit counterparts. This experience through Community Development Initiative has opened my eyes to public service and enabled me to understand how multi-faceted government can be, but also how people and government can work together to build a better community.”
Overcoming Adversity
Though a high school accident has severely limited her physical dexterity, ASU junior Alexa Nichols is not letting it hinder her upward mobility.
A biology major from San Angelo and member of the ASU Honors Program, Nichols spent six weeks this summer as an intern in the Washington, D.C., office of U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas. Funded by the Alvin and Patricia New Honors Program Enhancement Fund, the internship in the office of a politician may seem a bit odd for a science major, but not to Nichols.
“I have always been interested in politics, ever since the 2000 election,” Nichols said. “It was such a great opportunity to get to go to Washington. I think I want to eventually work for a think tank or research group that handles bio-ethical issues, so that will combine both science and politics.”
During her internship, Nichols handled many routine administrative duties, including distributing newspapers, logging and answering constituent letters, researching constituent questions and attending intern lectures. But, it wasn’t all office work.
“I got to go to committee hearings if one of the staffers was busy or if I saw one that was interesting,” Nichols said. “I also got to give Capitol tours, which was lots of fun. It was a great way to work in a professional environment and still get to do fun things around Washington. It wasn’t just sitting in the office all day.”
Getting involved in the political process also gave Nichols a new respect for congressional leaders in general and Rep. Conaway in particular.
“He is so smart,” Nichols said. “I guess I knew they did a lot of stuff, but I never realized just how much they have going on. He always seemed to know about everything that was going on at the time. I was really, really impressed.”
Confined to a wheelchair and with only limited use of her hands since a high school diving accident, Nichols admits to being intimidated prior to arriving in Washington. But, the internship experience helped her personally as much as it enhanced her resumé.
“At first I was really nervous, having to ask for help, but all the staffers made it really comfortable for me,” Nichols said. “So, now I know that when I go into the real job world, I won’t be afraid to ask for help. I have a lot more self-confidence about going to work after college.”
Ironically, being in a wheelchair actually worked to Nichols’ advantage during a trip to the White House. Because she had to take the elevator, she got to see the kitchen and several other rooms not usually part of regular White House tours. She calls it the highlight of her time in Washington.
Now, Nichols is ready to get back to work at ASU, where she plans to complete her incredible story of overcoming adversity to not only attend college, but to excel in her studies and move forward toward a fulfilling career. She is scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2011.
Interested in the Honors Program?
Up and Coming Success Story
After growing up in a home where Spanish was the primary language, ASU senior Brenda Medrano hopes to use her bilingualism to aid her patients when she finishes her nursing degree.
The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Medrano has long been the interpreter for her mother, Rosario, who speaks no English, and her father, Jose, who speaks just enough to work in construction.
“When they bought our house, I did all the paperwork,” Medrano said. “I also handle all their bank accounts, 401(k)s and bills for them. Basically, anything that comes into the house that requires reading or anything like that, they come to me and I help them out. Even with my little brother registering in school, I do most of the paperwork.”
Using the skills she learned at home, Medrano volunteers as an interpreter for diabetes education classes at ASU’s San Jacinto School Based Clinic and Family Wellness Center.
“I’m happy to do the interpreting because I know what it is like, that it is hard for people who don’t understand,” Medrano said. “There was a lady named Sarah in a class, and she does not have anyone who can help her. She told me how difficult it is just to get health care, how hard it is to tell what is wrong with you when you can’t make the doctor understand.”
Medrano also helped translate a book of diabetes-appropriate recipes so that all those attending the classes can use it.
Born in Mount Pleasant, Medrano lived a transient life as her family constantly moved to where ever her father was working. Moving almost yearly, she also lived in Midlothian, Canadian, Dallas, Kansas and Oklahoma before settling in San Angelo as a fifth-grader. In the sixth grade, she was introduced to ASU’s Up and Coming Scholars Program.
“We had to maintain high grades and do extracurricular activities,” Medrano said, “and we also got to do a lot of things with ASU. We also had to stay within the San Angelo Independent School District and we had to take random drug tests.”
At the end of each school year, she also got to take outings to the ASU Lake House to learn more about the benefits of an ASU education. By staying in the program, she gets a full scholarship for ASU tuition and fees.
“Having a twin brother, the program really benefited me,” Medrano said, “because I don’t know if my parents would have been able to pay for both of us to go to college. But, now I get a full ride for four years.”
Despite the demands of her nursing education, Medrano still finds time to volunteer at the San Jacinto facility and works two days a week at a local restaurant. With her father often out of town on construction jobs, she also has to look after her mother and the family finances.
“My dad put me in charge of all the bank transactions,” Medrano said. “That way, we can figure out how to get bills paid, all the taxes, the title to the house, all that stuff. We work together, but I do most of the talking and writing checks.”
Scheduled to graduate in May 2010, Medrano has not decided on a nursing field yet, but does plan to work in San Angelo to stay close to her family.
“There are so many fields of nursing,” she said. “Right now, I just want to learn as much as I can.”
Interested in a career in nursing?
Physics Webmaster
Through his work on the “Physics to Go” Web site during a summer internship and later as an online consultant, ASU junior Logan Hancock has helped provide physics resources and education to a potentially international audience.
An applied physics major from Brownfield, Hancock originally came to ASU on a band scholarship, but it wasn’t long before his love of physics took precedence over his love of music.
“Not being a music major, it was difficult trying to shuffle my classes,” Hancock said. “I had a couple of conflicts with band and physics classes at the same time and, I hate to say it, but physics was more important. It was hard to give up the band, but I guess it has worked out.”
While he no longer has his band scholarship, Hancock does receive a Carr Academic Scholarship and a Special Academic Scholarship from the ASU Physics Department. He is also one of only about 40 students nationwide to receive a 2008-09 Columbia Crew Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship from the Texas Space Grant Consortium.
During the summer of 2008, Hancock earned an internship at the national office of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) in College Park, Md., where he worked for the American Physical Society. The main focus of the internship was working on the Physics to Go Web site, which is a component of the ComPADRE online network of 11 educational resource collections. The collections support teachers and students in physics and astronomy as part of the National Science Digital Library.
“It is mostly Web sites in the Physics to Go collection,” Hancock said. “It is targeted toward the general public, so we feature eye-catching images and different activities that would be more beneficial to someone who doesn’t have a physics background.”
“Energy is one thing that a lot of people are searching online about right now,” he added. “We have several articles on the site about energy, so if someone Googles ‘energy,’ Physics to Go will pop up and they can go to our Web site where there are resources for their benefit.”
Since the completion of his internship, Hancock has continued to work on the site as an online consultant. He is charged with finding new resources for the site, providing written descriptions, adding them to the existing collection and updating the Physics to Go home page every two weeks.
As president of the Angelo State SPS chapter, Hancock is also involved in other activities like the spring “Peer Pressure” Road Show and the annual Can Roll holiday food drive in November. He recently attended an American Physical Society Joint Texas Section meeting in El Paso and the 2008 Quadrennial Congress of the Sigma Pi Sigma national physics honor society at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) near Chicago.
Scheduled to graduate in May 2010, Hancock was initially interested in ASU’s “three-two” program that would have provided him with a Texas A&M engineering degree on his way to becoming a civil engineer. But, he has enjoyed the hands-on physics education at ASU so much, he has decided to finish his applied physics degree here.
“I think civil engineering is still probably my plan,” Hancock said. “But, I’ve also been thinking a lot about going into physics education, so it is still kind of up in the air.”
If you want some physics education from Hancock right now, visit the Physics to Go Web site.
Interested in a career in physics?
Watching History Unfold
Angelo State senior Heather Guthrie is a government major, but in January she got to be part of history.
Through the ASU Honors Program, Guthrie participated in a two-week Washington Center program in Washington D.C. that included attending the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
“It was amazing,” Guthrie said. “Everyone was so elated and so happy to be there to experience that together. I have never seen that many people in one place that got along so well in spite of the cold and how crowded it was.”
“The feeling of being part of that piece of history, part of that group, the hope and the happiness that was in the air, it was something I have never experienced before,” she added. “That was the most amazing part of the whole experience.”
Prior to the inauguration ceremony, Guthrie spent much of the two weeks attending seminars and visiting foreign embassies. The seminars included presentations by former ABC “Nightline” anchor Ted Koppel and the ambassador from Pakistan. Visits to the Chinese and Canadian embassies were highlighted by presentations from the Chinese ambassador and Canadian foreign minister. But, Guthrie also got to play tourist.
“We also got a lot of free time to go and do what we wanted,” she said. “So, I went to Ford’s Theater and roamed around the city a lot. I also went to the National Archives to see the original Declaration of Independence and the original U.S. Constitution.”
Some of her other activities included trips to the various monuments and being in the crowd of 400,000 people who attended the “We Are One” concert on the National Mall the Sunday prior to the inauguration.
At the end of the two-week program, Guthrie and the other students were tasked with writing a memo to President Obama advising him on what to pay particular attention to and what to be careful of during his presidency.
“Essentially, I said to speak to the people,” Guthrie said. “He has this e-mail list and mailing list of people that is unprecedented. We have never before seen a campaign where the Internet was used to such great lengths and with such success.”
“But, I also advised him to be careful not to go too much over the heads of Congress,” she added, “because if he angers Congress, he is not going to get anything done, even if it is within his own party. That was the problem with the Carter administration, why he was not able to do anything. His Congress was not willing to work with him because he angered them early on.”
Guthrie was able to participate in the Washington Center program through funding provided by the recent gift of the Alvin and Patricia New Honors Program Enhancement Fund.
A Littlefield native, Guthrie will graduate in May, but will be sticking around ASU awhile longer while she completes her master’s degree in public administration. Then, she plans to go far, far away as a member of the Peace Corps.
“I am interested in working in Foreign Service and the Peace Corps is a good way to get your foot in the door,” Guthrie said. “You get the kind of expertise in a particular area that no one else has because you live there, particularly the language. If you live for 22 months in another country, especially a Third-World country where not a lot of the people speak English, you have to learn the language and learn it well.”
Tentatively, Guthrie said she hopes to be sent to either Romania or Morocco, then return to the U.S. for a second master’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University.
During her time at ASU, Guthrie has already whetted her appetite for foreign travel by going on three study abroad trips through the Center for International Studies, twice to Germany and once to Scotland.
A Carr Scholarship recipient, Guthrie is also president of the ASU Young Democrats, tutors her peers in the Supplemental Instruction program and works on the ongoing Community Development Initiatives. Basically, she has little free time.
“I am a political junkie,” Guthrie said. “But, I like to spend time with my friends when I can. I recently started learning how to ride a motorcycle, so that is also something I do. But, I don’t have a lot of time to spend off campus.”
But, if she gets her wishes, it will not be long before she is far from campus, touching tomorrow in a whole new world.
Interested in a career in government?
Sam Mendoza: Witnessing History
When Sam Mendoza attended a youth leadership forum as a high school student, he never imagined it would lead to an invitation to watch the Jan. 20 inauguration of Barak Obama as the 44th president of the United States.
Mendoza was still amazed two days after the inauguration by what he had seen in Washington, D.C.
“My inauguration experience was incredible,” said Mendoza upon his return. “The trip was well worth getting up at 2 a.m., walking two miles to the National Mall and staying up for hours in the freezing cold.”
Mendoza said that watching history happen before his eyes was sobering and exciting.
“The atmosphere was electric,” he said. “Seeing millions of people from around the world come together for this moment in history is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I'm glad that when I get older I can look back and be able to say, ‘I was there, a witness to history.’”
Participant activities during the inauguration trip included panel discussions with political experts on current events and topics. The conference ran Jan.17-21 and the students heard several noted speakers, including former vice president Al Gore, retired Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Colin Powell and filmmaker/author Eric Weihenmayer, a blind man who climbed Mt. Everest.
Mendoza, a senior fine arts major from Brownwood and president of the University Center Program Council, received a letter in July from the University Presidential Inaugural Conference stating that he had been accepted to attend the five-day event in Washington, D.C.
“I went to a National Youth Leadership Forum on technology,” Mendoza said. “Since I’m an alumnus, they offered me a chance to go to the inauguration.”
Mendoza said he wasn’t aware of a connection between the NYLF and the inaugural conference, so the invitation came as a surprise.
“One day when I got home, there was a letter for me, all presidential looking with stars and stripes and a little capitol dome on it,” Mendoza said. “It said the conference was coming up and they wanted me to be there.”
According to the inauguralscholar.org Web site, participation in the conference is reserved exclusively for alumni of the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF), the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC) and the International Scholar Laureate Program (ISLP).
The Web site states that scholars invited must have attended one of the programs, met the academic requirements and demonstrated leadership qualities necessary to make positive contributions to the quality and integrity of the inaugural conference.
Despite the political scene Mendoza found himself in, he said he isn’t focused on politics at this point of his life and watched the events more for the historical context.
After returning from the inauguration, Mendoza is shifting his focus back to his two main concerns, completing his fine arts degree in graphics design and presiding over the UCPC’s planning and implementation of campus activities.
When he pushes away from his graphic artwork on a computer screen, a strong sense of community pulls Mendoza toward his duties with the UCPC.
Mendoza has been involved with the program council since he began volunteering time for credit in a university studies class. From there, he became a UCPC committee member entertainment chairman for two years and, finally, its president.
“I would like to continue as UCPC president,” Mendoza said. “Every year, they start with new applications and interview processes, and we have to reapply. I love to do this and after being here for so long, I can see myself doing something like this for a career – like promoting events.”
Director of Student Involvement Rick Greig sees Mendoza as a driving force behind the UCPC’s performance.
“At first glance, Sam doesn't look like the leader of a major campus organization,” Greig said. “The results he’s achieved both as the previous entertainment chairperson and currently as the UCPC president speak pretty loudly to his ability to create an environment where a diverse group of leaders can be productive and have fun doing it. Sam helps all of us think more “out of the box.”
Student Programs and Activities Coordinator Clint Havins also attributes the organization’s effectiveness to Mendoza’s efforts.
“Much of the success of the program council is due to the leadership and dedication of Sam,” Havins said. “He has been directly involved with many major programs such as the monthly Club Café series and the two most recent spring concerts.”
“The average attendance of the Club Café has increased from 20-40 people to 160-200 people and the August 2008 Club Café featuring comedian Alex Thomas had approximately 420 in attendance,” he said. “It is refreshing to be associated with a student who has achieved success on so many levels.”
The UCPC, with Mendoza at its helm, is a far-reaching umbrella organization that oversees seven different committees: art, cultural, entertainment, films, publicity, spirit and traditions and the recreations group.
“Each committee meets every week to discuss and plan events for the campus throughout the year,” Mendoza said.
Besides the Club Cafés, which bring in comedians, poets and bands, UCPC members also play an integral part in the big fall kickoff, Rambunctious Weekend.
“We play a pretty big part of that and most of the funds for the Rambunctious Weekend come out of funds we have here,” Mendoza said. “We volunteer our time to be out there and promote a lot of UCPC events that are coming up.”
He said the committees pick out what they want for activities and, since the money comes from student fees, the students have a say in what events are scheduled.
“If they just come to the meetings and express what they would like to see on campus, there is a better chance of it actually happening than if they aren’t on the board or a committee,” Mendoza said.
Kinesiology major gives his future a workout
Paul Martinez has taken physical fitness and wellness to heart.
The ASU senior kinesiology major from Fort Stockton spent the summer as an intern at the prestigious Cooper Aerobics Fitness Center at Craig Ranch, which was founded in McKinney by Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., author of the 1968 book, “Aerobics.”
Cooper’s book popularized a point system for improving the cardiovascular system and was the origin of the 10,000-steps-per-day plan for attaining a healthy level of fitness through walking.
“Being selected for placement at such a facility is a huge opportunity for this young man,” said Dr. Doyle Carter, head of the ASU Kinesiology Department. “He personifies what we want people to think of when they visualize a kinesiology major and graduate.”
Martinez said that from the first day of his internship he was immersed in Cooper’s fitness doctrine and experienced all facets of working in a fitness center.
“We were on a different schedule and did something new every week,” Martinez said. “We went through a four-day personal training certification course and took a test to be certified as a trainer at the Cooper Center.”
Among the areas Martinez studied during his internship were new member orientations and personal fitness assessments. The assessments included blood pressure checks, height and weight, fat measurements, medical screenings and function of movement, which checks for physical limitations of clients.
“A huge thing for people is core strength – how strong their lower backs and abdominal muscles are. We also check to see how their knees, ankles and shoulders stand up to physical activity,” Martinez said. “We test everything so we can design a fitness program for these people to improve their quality of life.”
Martinez and another intern also helped the Cooper Aerobics Fitness Center’s fitness director develop a mentorship program for personal trainers working outside the center. The program will share Cooper’s philosophy on fitness and teach the trainers new methods for performing fitness tests.
A desire to focus on strength and conditioning training led Martinez to kinesiology, but he said he didn’t want to be a high school coach with classroom duties.
“I wanted to work with different types of people from the elderly to athletes,” Martinez said. “I wanted to do the physical training part, the workouts and to help improve people’s health.”
He said the internship showed him a new path he hadn’t considered. He plans to work at a fitness center after finishing his degree and then explore an advanced degree in radiology.
“After seeing the medical testing, I decided I want to go to the clinical side of kinesiology,” Martinez said. “I want to administer the stress tests and do CT scans.”
That does not mean he is going to give up the physical fitness side of kinesiology completely.
“I can still do personal training and work with individuals and give them one-on-one attention,” Martinez said.
Abiola Okeyode: Inspired to Serve
A native Texan with Nigerian parents, ASU graduate student Abiola Okeyode plans to use the physical therapy skills she is learning in her home state to help the people of her parents’ home country.
Born in Dallas, Okeyode left for Nigeria with her parents at an early age. There, she was raised in Lagos until she was nine years old and then went off to a boarding school about three hours from home.
While still very young, Okeyode was exposed to the benefits of physical therapy after her grandmother, Felicia, suffered a stroke and required help to do even basic tasks like bathing and dressing. Okeyode’s father is a physical therapist and his treatments not only aided Felicia, they inspired Abiola as well.
“I remember my dad would come home from work and teach her some activities such as range of motion exercises, gait training with a cane and how she could adapt to the activities of daily living,” Okeyode said. “I was amazed when I came back from (boarding) school and my grandmother was able to walk again with a cane. My siblings also informed me that she was doing her bathing and dressing by herself again. That motivated me to have a career that could make a difference in the lives of others, especially after some medical diagnosis has left them impaired in functional activities.”
To that end, Okeyode returned to Texas after high school, got her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Texas and enrolled in the ASU physical therapy program.
“I chose ASU because of the class size,” Okeyode said. “The faculty-to-student ratio is very good and I felt I would get the best learning experience with that. I also liked the fact that there is a great scholarship program for graduate students. Finally, I chose ASU because of the location in a smaller city that would help me concentrate on my studies and strive for the best.””
In addition to working through the intense physical therapy curriculum, Okeyode has volunteered at various community events, gotten married and gave birth to her first child, Damilola Christina Balogun, in September. Once the new mother receives her degree, her ultimate goal is to start a physical fitness program back in Nigeria.
“The fitness program in Nigeria is already in the process as my dad has acquired a property for the center,” Okeyode said. “The center will be focused more on people with risks for cardiovascular diseases and maintenance programs for people in post-stroke rehab.”
But that doesn’t mean that Okeyode will be long gone as soon as she graduates.
“I would first like to get some PT experience in as many fields as possible and secure funds for about five years here in the United States before really pursuing the fitness program,” Okeyode said. “I will still be practicing here in the U.S. even when the fitness program is running in Nigeria, so I can stay current on more advanced technology and new research ideas.”
In the meantime, Okeyode will take some time off with her husband, Yomi Balogun, and their new baby, then return to ASU to finish her PT master’s degree that she is slated to receive in May.
“I think I have made a really good choice coming to ASU,” she said, “because I have learned a lot from this experience and feel I have accomplished a great goal in my life.”
David Trevino: Grammy Winner
ASU sophomore David Treviño has been able to tell people that he won a Grammy Award for over three months, but now he can finally show them.
The San Angelo native played saxophone for the band Little Joe y La Familia that won the Best Tejano Album Grammy for “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, Treviño’s class schedule kept him from attending the ceremony, but he was promised that his hardware was coming in the mail. It finally showed up toward the end of May and he took the box straight over to open it with his parents.
“That is when it hit me that it was real,” Treviño said. “Actually seeing the statue and being able to hold it was an experience all its own. I handed it to my parents and they couldn’t believe it themselves.”
“They couldn’t stop saying how proud of me they were,” he added. “They were just ecstatic about it and called all my family to let them know. It was definitely a memorable experience.”
Treviño initially learned of his award in February while he was working his part-time job at E-Z Pawn.
“It was our busiest time of the day,” he said. “I was really happy, but it was kind of hard to celebrate at work. I had a chance to go to the Grammys, but I stayed in school. I couldn’t afford to miss that many days.”
Instead of having his own blowout Grammy party, Treviño decided to spend the evening with his parents and share that experience with them as well.
“My dad is probably my biggest musical influence, so I wanted to share it with him and my mom,” he said. “My dad is the reason I started playing music in the first place.”
Treviño got his big break after joining Los Hot Horns, a five-horn ensemble put together by former ASU student John Ontiveros. They played with several local bands before being picked up by Grammy-winning artist Chente Barrera. Little Joe heard them play a few times and when his horn section left him in January 2007, he signed up Los Hot Horns to help record his next album in San Antonio.
“That was really cool,” Treviño said. “I have pictures on my MySpace of us playing in the studio. It was a really great experience to get in the studio and just do what I love, just play and have them record it for the CD. It was great.”
Treviño also toured with Little Joe y La Familia last year, including gigs in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, Alaska, Las Vegas and Chicago. But, when the year ended, he decided his time on tour was over, at least for now.
“I talked to Little Joe on New Year’s night and told him I was thinking about going back to school,” Treviño said. “He said ‘school is the best thing and you need to go and finish because this will always be here.’ So, I plan on going back and playing, but not until I’m done with school.”
Treviño has also played gigs with well-known Tejano artists Sonny Ozuna, Augustine Ramirez and Carlos Miranda, who together make up “The Legends.” At ASU, he plays baritone saxophone for the Wind Ensemble and tenor sax in the Jazz Band.Sagan Everett: Twirler, Honor Student
If baton twirling had its own honor society, Sagan Everett likely would be a member.
The Colorado City sophomore kinesiology major already has both baton twirling and honors activities at Angelo State University to her credit.
Everett took a recent weekend off from her studies at ASU to win two divisions of the National Baton Twirling Association’s regional competition in Denton. She won the solo and two-baton events in the intermediate division, which require two-minute routines before a panel of judges. She was one of 100 twirlers in the competition.
Everett has been twirling batons since her aunt, Kakai Wulfjen, who was the twirling teacher in Colorado City, got her started in third grade. Wulfjen moved away from Colorado City before Everett finished high school, but ASU alumna and former ASU Ram Band featured twirler Vanessa Moffett stepped in to fill Wulfjen’s shoes.
Everett continued twirling throughout high school and has been a featured twirler with the ASU band for the past two years.
Everett practices about five hours a week during contest season, but most of her time is consumed by kinesiology studies and honors work.
She will enter the Physical Therapy Priority Acceptance Program at ASU where she will collaborate with faculty and begin doing research as she finishes her kinesiology degree.
Everett said she has her eye on becoming a practicing physical therapist in a hospital. Everett said got her ambition for physical therapy from her parents, Bill and Toni Everett of Colorado City.
“My parents are in health care,” she said. “My mom is a registered nurse and dad is a physician’s assistant. Mom encouraged me and physical therapy is what I want to do.”
Besides the Physical Therapy Priority Acceptance Program, Everett has been inducted into Alpha Chi, the honor society for students in all disciplines, and she worked in the ASU Writing Center last year.
The Writing Center is staffed by specially selected and trained student tutors who offer one-on-one writing and reading conferences with their peers.
Everett also has been named an emissary for the ASU Honors Program.
“An emissary is kind of a face for the Honors Program,” Everett said. “We interact with faculty and the community. If they have questions, we are representatives of the program.”
Before she returns to ASU this fall for her junior year, Everett will spend a month in Costa Rica with the International Education program. She will take four hours of Spanish every day and courses in ecotourism and biodiversity during the program, but it won’t be all work.
“We will be going on different excursions to beaches, rainforests and all kinds of fun stuff,” Everett said.
For the time she spends in Costa Rica, she will get 12 hours of credit at ASU.
Clay Calfee: From Baselines to Fence Lines
Senior Clay Calfee is one of the best collegiate baseball players in the country, but he feels as much at home on the range as he does on the diamond.
An animal science major, Calfee has it tough in the spring, having to limit his time at the ASU Ranch while he plays first base for the ASU Rams. But, despite the hectic baseball travel schedule, he still squeezes in his other favorite pastime.
“I spent a lot of time at the ranch for a couple of years,” Calfee said. “This year I only have one lab class out there, but just the other day I went out there and we were working some sheep.”
This spring is even harder on Calfee because he is a bona fide Major League Baseball prospect. “Baseball America” magazine named him a preseason All-American and the top prospect in NCAA Division II.
“I’ve been getting a bunch of stuff from pro teams,” Calfee said. “I have to fill out all this paperwork and I have more of that than I do schoolwork. I always tell myself I’m going to work on stuff for my classes when I’m on the road, but it’s hard to do that. I’ve been pretty swamped.”
Originally a catcher, Calfee was an all-district and All-Montgomery County selection for Conroe High School. But, now at 6’6” and 220 pounds, he has “outgrown” his catcher’s gear at ASU.
“I guess I got too lanky for the position,” Calfee said. “I came here and caught in the fall, but it didn’t really work out. So, I was pitching and playing first base. Now I’m just concentrating on playing first base.”
That is just fine with the ASU baseball team that almost didn’t get Calfee’s services. He was planning to attend a junior college in the Metroplex until a scout put him in touch with ASU baseball coach Kevin Brooks.
“I came out here on a visit,” Calfee said. “Something just didn’t feel right about the other school, but it felt good here, so this is where I came. It has been a much better deal for me.”
That better deal helped Calfee earn Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 2006 and a spot on the 2007 All-America second team after helping lead the Rams to their first appearance at the NCAA DII College World Series.
In his limited spare time, Calfee enjoys hunting and fishing, but has still found occasion to make the Dean’s List and to serve on ASU’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee. He is scheduled to graduate in December and, on the off-chance that baseball doesn’t work out for him, he can always head back to the ranch.
Jennifer Rios: Washington Confidential
As one of only five students nationally with a spring internship in the prestigious Scripps Howard Foundation’s Semester in Washington Program, ASU senior journalism major Jennifer Rios is getting real world experience in the District of Columbia, the news-making capital of the world.
Take, for example, President George W. Bush’s last state-of-the-union address. Rios was there, doing a profile on Marine 1st Lt. Andrew Kinard, who sat in first lady Laura Bush’s box during the speech.
Kinard lost both legs to an Iraqi bomb blast in October of 2006. Since then, he has undergone 48 medical procedures with, as Rios quoted him, “a few more left.”
“This was one of my favorite stories so far, probably because it involved a profile,” Rios said. “I love learning about people and getting them to open up.”
During her four-month stay in Washington, D.C., Rios is learning about more than people, whether it’s mastering the Washington Metro system, covering a congressional hearing or attending a National Press Club luncheon with some of the nation’s top journalists.
Rios has covered an anti-abortion rally and march on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. She has written stories on gender violence, on speeches at the National Press Club, on Social Security and vulnerable beneficiaries and on an upcoming National Archives exhibition on the works of the late political cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman (1869-1949)
“The main difference in reporting here, compared to San Angelo, is the pace of life,” Rios said. “I may only complete a few stories a week, but everything happens so much quicker here. Interviews must be snatched up before that person leaves your sight because you may not see or hear from him or her again.
“And, while there are individuals who are friendly and helpful,” she said, “there are also those who have no interest in you if your business card doesn’t say you’re from the (Washington) Post or the (New York) Times.”
Even though the internship has bumped her planned May graduation back to the fall, it was an opportunity Rios could not pass up just like she seldom passes up a chance to broaden her experience. Few students are as driven or as good at multi-tasking as Rios, who in addition to keeping her studies up often worked multiple jobs at ASU while finding the time to bake the occasional cheesecake for her professors or co-workers.
When she arrived on campus in 2004 as a freshman, she immediately sought a job in the News and Publications Office, answering telephones, clipping newspapers and handling the odd jobs that fall the lot of student employees.
She started as an English major but then switched to journalism, attracted by its practicality, whether writing for a newspaper or a Web site.
Almost immediately, she volunteered for the Ram Page and in the ensuing years covered everything from student organizations to the university’s presidential search. She would go on to become copy editor, managing editor and editor her senior year. With a little journalism experience under her belt, she earned an internship at the San Angelo Standard-Times, a Scripps Howard paper, and continues to do stories on assignment for the publication.
While she wrote features and covered breaking news for the Standard-Times, Rios developed a fondness for one type of story.
“I really liked writing obits,” Rios said. “Some might find that odd, but I enjoyed writing the stories of their lives and even had some families call me to thank me for the job I had done.”
Though she was drawn to journalism through the writing, her classroom and work experience has broadened her perspective on the field.
“The No. 1 lesson I have learned,” Rios said, “is that writing is really a small part of the job. Meeting people, making contacts, presenting yourself well, being observant and not taking things at face value are all just as important to success.”
Rios attributes her success to her ASU professors, who “really care about their students,” and her parents, each contributing in different ways to her success.
From her father Jose Luis Rios, she got her interest in journalism, following in his footsteps at the Ram Page where he was sports editor and at the Standard-Times where he was a reporter. He went on to work 13 years with the Washington Post and is today director of photography for the Miami Herald.
“He was excited to learn I was going to Washington,” Rios said, “because he knows what a great city it is for journalists.”
From her mother Julie Rodriquez, she received a reality check that helped develop her strong work ethic.
“My mother taught me that I was always replaceable,” Rios said, “and that I needed to work hard and do a good job. I always had a job, at least one, since I was 13. I learned that when there wasn’t enough time in the day to do all I wanted to do, I had to do several things at once.”
“The multi-tasking thing is a big part of me,” she said. “I get antsy when I have down time.”
With so much to write about and see in Washington, Rios will be anything but antsy this spring.
Adam Torres: A Musical Experience
In lieu of a well-deserved vacation, ASU music major Adam Torres spent part of his summer undergoing intensive training as a colleague at the prestigious Conductor’s Institute at Bard College in New York.
Regarded by many as the premier training ground for young conductors, the institute is a four-week course for music students from around the world. Participants undergo technique and musicianship training through lectures, score studies and rehearsals with symphony and chamber orchestras.
“The Conductor's Institute was a great experience for me,” Torres said. “Working with conductors from all over the U.S. and with international students has given me a greater understanding of the orchestral scene on a global scale. There are very few places where young conductors spend so much time together improving their craft. We all learned so much from each other.”
One of the youngest colleagues at the institute, Torres, 22, worked with several internationally renowned conductors, including Maestro Harold Faberman, co-founder of the Conductor's Guild, and with a number of contemporary composers like Tobias Picker and Joan Tower. His musical studies included master works by Beethoven, Mahler, Brahms, Mozart, Bernstein, Ravel, Tchaikovsky and Verdi.
As a result of contacts made at the institute, Torres is preparing to appear as a guest conductor with Ars Musica in Toronto, Canada. He has also been asked to appear with the Oswego Community Youth Orchestra in New York.
“The institute was a great place to study with esteemed conductors with the opportunity to meet talented colleagues and contacts,” Torres said. “The music world is a small one and I'm sure I will run into many of my colleagues in the near future.”
Torres is also an active composer, with works slated to be performed by Ars Musica and the Portland Youth Orchestra. The ASU Ram Band has also programmed several of his arrangements.
Also an active musician, Torres has performed at many public schools, with the San Angelo Symphony and at several local and area churches. He recently accepted the position of organ scholar at First United Methodist Church. A master of the piano, cello and horn (commonly called French horn), he is also involved with almost all of the music ensembles at ASU.
Scheduled to graduate in 2009, Torres plans to pursue a master of music degree in orchestral conducting.
Jennifer Hendryx: Fun with Physics
While many ASU students were taking a well-deserved break from academics this summer, Alpine native Jennifer Hendryx was working on advanced physics projects at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
A junior physics major, Hendryx was chosen for the exclusive internship program at Los Alamos from a nation-wide field of applicants.
“I knew I wanted to do summer research or an internship, so I searched online for something to pique my interest,” Hendryx said. “I applied to Los Alamos National Laboratory, but what turned out to be key was directly e-mailing the people in charge of the internship informing them of my interest. They had me send my resume straight to them and hired me before the application process was even complete.”
Her research at the lab included plasma physics experiments attempting to find an efficient means to generate fusion energy.
Now that her internship is over, it’s back to the Angelo State classrooms and physics labs. But, that doesn’t mean the fun is over. Hendryx is the incoming secretary of the ASU Society of Physics Students (SPS), which has planned a whole slate of fall activities. She is also a member of the SPS Peer Pressure Team, which travels to area school districts performing dramatic physics demonstrations at student assemblies.
“Honestly, I like playing with the fun toys and eating frozen marshmallows during the Peer Pressure demos,” Hendryx said. “I think my favorite experience, though, was going back to Alpine for demos last year. Roman Rodriguez (also an Alpine grad) and I got the chance to go home and show students that physics and science, in general, are not impossible or untouchable subjects. We are regular people with an interest in the workings of the world around us and it wasn't that long ago that we were in our audiences’ shoes.”
Hendryx credits the ASU Physics Department for expanding her options and putting her on the track to success.
“The professors are so personable and accessible,” Hendryx said. “They are not out to flunk anyone and they want students to learn and grow as scientists. We physics students also rely on one another to get through, so we are a pretty tight-knit group.”
Hendryx is set to graduate from ASU in May 2009 with plans to then move on to graduate school.
Adree Lakey: She Had a Hammer
This summer Adree Lakey used a hammer to craft a gold medallion for herself.
On her third throw at the 2007 NCAA Division II National Track and Field National, soft-spoken sophomore Adree Lakey threw the hammer farther than anyone in ASU history and, most importantly, farther than anyone in the 17-person field in Charlotte, N.C., to earn the NCAA national championship gold medallion.
Lakey made a lot of noise that afternoon as she became the eighth female individual national champion in Rambelle history with her toss of 184′4″, shattering the previous school mark, set nearly a decade ago, by almost 20 feet. In addition, she claimed All-American honors in both the shot put and javelin, earning 23 points at the national meet, sparking the Rambelles to a fourth place finish, the best in the 25-year history of the program.
"As soon as I let it go, I knew it was a good throw," Lakey said. "I had been throwing the hammer better at the end of the year in practice and I knew if I could get one off at nationals, I could place pretty high. But I never thought I would win."
A shot put and discus state champion while at Roby High School, Lakey had never thrown the hammer before attending college. In fact, she had never seen the implement before her arrival at ASU.
"I picked it up for the first time the fall of my freshman season," Lakey said. "I just started out doing drills and kept working on it until I got more comfortable. As a freshman, it wasn’t one of my strongest events."
In two years with the Rambelles, Lakey has now collected All-American certificates in each of her four throwing disciplines, also claiming the honor with a sixth-place finish in the discus as a freshman. With two seasons remaining at ASU, Lakey has a chance to become a multiple national champion, a feat never accomplished by a Rambelle.
"I feel that I can pick up where I left off in each of my events at the end of last year," Lakey said. "I hope to defend my title in the hammer and I think I have a good chance to do well at nationals in my other events as a junior. My goal is to be an All-American in all four events this year."
Anthony Sanchez: South American Adventure
While most ASU students were attending 2007 spring classes in familiar campus surroundings, senior Anthony Sanchez was half a world away gaining valuable experience at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru.
As an intern with the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS), Sanchez assisted with trade development and promotion activities, including international partner searches and trade missions, shows and events. He also conducted market research and addressed inquiries from U.S. companies on doing business in Peru and from Peruvian companies seeking American products and services.
"Meeting such an impressive and diverse group of people enhanced my understanding of the professional world," Sanchez said. "It was from this same group that I developed both working and personal relationships that made my stay at the embassy highly worthwhile."
An international business/accounting major, Sanchez learned of the internship opportunity at a seminar organized by Dr. Sharynn Tomlin, ASU director of international education. But, it was a pending family trip to Peru to visit relatives that really opened the door of opportunity for him.
"I e-mailed Dr. Tomlin explaining my visit to Lima and my idea for an interview," Sanchez said. "Without hesitation she contacted the FCS office and within 20 minutes I was connected to them through e-mail. Everything began falling into place and just two days after talking to the FCS office in Lima, I had set up an interview."
After acing his interviews, Sanchez was awarded the internship and spent four months working at the embassy alongside college interns from South Carolina, Michigan, Toronto and the University of Chicago School of Law. His key accomplishments included writing three International Market Research Reports that were published in BuyUSA and the 2007 "Peruvian Oil and Gas Report" for The American Oil and Gas Reporter magazine. He also helped remove a trade barrier between a U.S. company and a Peruvian company by utilizing government contacts and embassy personnel.
At ASU, Sanchez is a member of the international business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and is an instructor for the ASU Salsa Club. He is slated to graduate in December 2007 and plans to spend a month backpacking through Europe before looking for a job.
"The Foreign Service is a sector that has definitely captured my attention after my internship in Lima," Sanchez said. "The overall experience was unforgettable."
Cadet Maj. Dan Nguyen: Aiming High
It didn’t take Angelo State ROTC Cadet Maj. Dan Nguyen long to figure out that sometimes the grass is greener on your own side of the fence.
A junior international business major from San Angelo, Nguyen left the ROTC program and ASU altogether after the fall 2005 semester. Without a concrete plan for his life, but with some family issues, he took off to visit relatives in California. It wasn’t long, though, before he was back in West Texas.
“The break really helped me,” Nguyen said. “I went to California for a semester and took courses there. ASU is more homey and has a better student-to-faculty ratio. Also, there is really some diversity here and I’m surprised at the number of international students. So, I like it a lot better here.”
It only took that one semester at City College of San Francisco to convince Nguyen to return to ASU in the fall of 2006. But, it took a bit more time and some real soul searching before he rejoined the ROTC program in the fall of 2007.
“I wanted to get situated with my family life first,’” Nguyen said. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life, so I wanted to experience regular campus life to see how things went. I realized that the Air Force is for me, rather than waiting for a regular job. I want to see what is out there in the world.”
“Seeing all my friends graduate and be commissioned as lieutenants, that really told me something,” he added. “It was like, ‘Wow, they are doing something and I can do it, too.’”
With a brother already serving in the Air Force in places like Misawa AB, Japan, and Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Nguyen had a pretty good idea that he wanted to join the service. Now, he realizes what a great stepping stone ROTC can be.
“Once I get commissioned, I’ll get to travel and experience a lot of things that I wouldn’t just having a job and living in one city,” Nguyen said. “I want to travel and ROTC will help open that window of opportunity for me. Plus, I’m working on my degree already, so I want to finish off what I have started.”
This past summer, Nguyen took another big step toward his Air Force career when he attended Field Training at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Ala. It was there that he learned more about leadership, teamwork and attention to detail through programs that included conflict management and deployment scenarios.
“I was a flight commander in charge of 28 cadets during the second week of training and it really took me out of my comfort zone,” Nguyen said. “But, I learned to become a leader and it was quite an experience.”
Currently the cadet scheduling officer for ASU’s ROTC Detachment 847, Nguyen is also a member of the Arnold Air Society. Once he graduates and gets his Air Force commission, he hopes for a career in either intelligence, air battle management or electronic communications.
