1. Meeting President’s List Students
Two of the best hours of my month were spent taking pictures with hundreds of Bobcats who made the President’s List last semester by earning a 4.0 GPA. This event has become one of my favorite new traditions!
2. Honoring Faculty Members
Congratulations to all the TXST faculty members who reached important milestones and received awards at the annual Faculty Awards ceremony. Our faculty members could work anywhere, but we are blessed they are here.
3. Hosting the Agriculture Research Conference
Thank you to Professor Ryan Anderson for inviting me to welcome the American Association for Agricultural Education Western Region Research Conference. It was great to meet so many students and faculty members from across the country.
4. Meeting with Susan Dukes at Risepoint
It was a very informative meeting in Austin with Susan Dukes, president of university partnerships at Risepoint. Risepoint has helped us start our TXST Global online program last fall with around 150 students. We now have just shy of 2,000 students earning their 100% online degree.
5. Encouraging ROTC Students
I’m thankful for our TXST Army and Air Force ROTC students for inviting me to say a few words of encouragement to them before they ran their 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. Shout out to the police officers who also made the run and our TXST Nursing cohort who were there to assist.
6. Breaking Ground for Hilltop II
It was another exciting milestone moment for TXST as we broke ground on our next residence hall, Hilltop II. This $280 million project will create housing for 1,500 freshmen and a 550-seat dining hall right next to Alkek Library. I’m grateful for Vice President Cynthia Hernandez’ leadership!
7. Sharing the State of Texas State with Leaders
It was a delight to share the annual State of Texas State address at the State of Workforce and Higher Education summit. So many great things have happened over the last year, and I was grateful to talk about them. I wore purple for ACC and Russell Lowery-Hart wore maroon for TXST.
8. Speaking with the Development Foundation
I loved the chance to share all the great things happening at the university with the TXST Development Foundation Board of Directors. It’s fun to share and engage with alumni who are excited about their alma mater! I especially loved sharing about our plans for growth and green space.
9. Meeting the First 2030 Class Member
Now that we’ve welcomed the largest freshman class in TXST history (the 2nd largest in Texas), it’s time to start on next year. We are the largest university serving San Antonio so it’s fitting that the first member of the Class of 2030 is at Churchill High School. Welcome, Marissa!
10. Winning the I-35 Showdown Again
It was fun celebrating TXST Football’s second win in a row over UTSA in a thrilling game in San Antonio. Congrats to Coach GJ Kinne, his coaches, and his student-athletes. I loved hugging it out with Donny and Travis after the presser. The implications of this win for us are vast and beyond just football.
BONUS: A Nice Evening Spent with a Glass-Bottom Boat Tour with Beth
Beth and I hadn’t been on one of our TXST glass-bottom boat tours in a couple of years, so we spent the evening with a relaxing ride at Spring Lake. We loved listening to our students explain the fascinating history of one of the gems of San Marcos. There are tons of flora and fauna to take in.
