The Gradual Spring 2022 Vol. 106

ONCE IN A MILLENNIUM PRESS START

THE GRADUAL Spring 2022, Vol. 106

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Table of Contents 3. Letter to Graduates 4. Aidan Gennuso: Computer Science Major 5. Qualon Gray: English Major 6-7. List of Graduates 8. Ceasar Mays: Bachelor of Arts with concentration in Flute Performance Kollyn Payne: Sociology Major 9. Steven Leach: History Major Lesley Giles: EC-6 Core Subjects Major 10. Martiza Alvarez: Criminal Justice Major 11. Sonia Diaz: EC-6 Bilingual Major Kristen Clarke: English Major

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: Veida Dima Editor Crystal Hernandez Managing Editor Tatiyana Giddings Design and Editing: Jaden Chapman, Rhett Ryan, Taylor Somers, Linda Puga, Carmen Ochoa, Brandon Orgill, Brandon Rolfe, Jake Parker, Collier Ricks, Chance Carroll, Archie Williams, Nicholas Hains, Dylan Pettway Writers: Jaden Chapman, Nicholas Goldsby, Carmen Ochoa, Collier Ricks, Jabial White, Linda Puga, Bebhinn Tankard, Chiara Watson

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Letter from the President To the Class of 2022, 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.

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

Whatever the next step in your journey may be, whether it involves graduate studies or entering the workforce, rest assured that you are ready. The emphasis on critical thinking and analytical reasoning at Texas Wesleyan will help you in your future endeavors, and we hope that your experiences here will be a constant source of inspiration as you make your mark on the world.

We are so proud of everything you have accomplished. Your success makes Texas Wesleyan the vibrant “Smaller. Smarter.” university that it is. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to seeing you back on campus soon.

Sincerely, Fred Frederick G. Slabach President Texas Wesleyan University

Congratulations, Graduates!

From the School of Education

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Gennuso faces challenges head on

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Photos courtesy Aidan Gennuso

idan Gennuso was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana but was raised in North Richland Hills, Texas, and is a graduating senior about to earn his degree in Computer Science. Outside of school, Aiden loves to play tennis and play video games. “I chose these hobbies as they both help me escape from the stress of school and work. Also, playing tennis keeps me healthy,” said Gennuso.

Growing up for Gennuso was very fun but it was very stressful before college. While his mother gave him the freedom to play whatever sport he wanted, he was required to be a straight “A” student and would be grounded if he failed. “My middle school and high school years went well as being a straight “A” student and being an athlete showed me so much,” he said.

Gennuso attended Richland High School, located in North Richland Hills, Texas. Besides Texas Wesleyan, Aidan was interested in two other schools. One school being the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and the other, Midwestern State University. “I looked at both of their tennis rosters along with Texas Wesleyan and I would have liked to play on either team I saw, but in the end, I chose Texas Wesleyan,” he commented.

Before graduating high school, Aidan found out about Texas Wesleyan from his high school tennis coach, Chris Johnson, who was friends with Coach Angel Martinez of the Texas

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Wesleyan men’s and women’s tennis team. “I wanted to play college tennis, so my high school coach helped me get there with Texas Wesleyan,” he explained.

Aidan has quite a few notable accomplishments at Wesleyan. He’s been on the Dean’s List every semester. His greatest achievement is earning a place in UTA’s B.S. to Ph.D. program, so after this semester he will be going to UTA to earn his PhD. Before Aidan got here, he had to face one of the hardest decisions around the fall semester of 2021. “I was worrying about what my future would hold for me and was wondering if I was ready to go out and become a good programmer,” he said. “Luckily this B.S. to Ph.D. program was offered to me that same semester so I decided to go that route.”

With his journey at Texas Wesleyan about to end, Gennuso has more than a bit of advice for future students looking to attend Texas Wesleyan.

“Enjoy the time that you have in college and don’t be in a rush to get out into the world because college is the last time you’ll be able to be a “kid” of sorts. Enjoy your summers instead of taking extra classes to get done early,” he explained.

“Try to spend time with your friends instead of spending your time studying. I did this myself and I have to say that college was one of the best experiences of my life because of it.”

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Gray pursues teaching Q

ualon Gray originally entered college as a business major, but was inspired to switch after he took his first business class.

“I had the idea that I wanted to own my own restaurant someday, but I decided it wasn’t for me,” he said.

When he realized he wanted to be a teacher, he decided to pursue a degree in English, adding a history minor later. “I really enjoy working with the high school age group,” he added.

In Fall 2020, Gray dropped out of college for a year, and he wanted to recognize his parents for helping him find the motivation to continue working towards graduation.

“My parents have supported me the whole way,” Gray said. “They’ve always had confidence in me to finish. They could have been disappointed in me when I dropped out, but they weren’t.”

Also encouraging his college career, Gray’s friends inspired him to return to school and cross the finish line.

“I had a couple friends who either had really low GPAs or they had to drop out for one reason or another, but they went back and finished, so that’s been inspiring to me,” he said.

During his time at Wesleyan, Gray

Photos courtesy Qualon Gray

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Congrats Class of 2022 From Dr.Colley, Dr. Akinro and Dr. Dean

worked as a residential advisor, orientation leader, took part in Ram Squad and joined a creative writing organization. Now, he juggles three jobs as well as his degree, including his role as a middle-school substitute teacher which is helping to prepare him for his future career.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!!!

Graduates, Career Services is here for you!

Resumes review, mock interviewing, job search help and many more Make an appointment with us via Handshake or email at careerservices@txwes.edu or call 817-531-6512

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UNDERGRADUATES Mariaclara Agudelo Evadne Aguina Heide Albarran Taylor Allen Hope Allison-Denney Reynaldo Almanza Maritza Alvarez Marisol Angel Kara Morgan Antonio Richard Arthur Brayden Bahnsen Quinn Barber Lexi Barlow Savanna Barron Lee Benting Hannah Bokal Devan Bowens Jami Brady Cynthia Camacho Angela Castillo Kennedy Cedillo Stephen Cervantez Morgan Cessop Arely Chavez Kendal Clark Kirsten Clarke Lacora Clayton-Allen Vera Cohee

Carla Coronado Gabriel Crowley Ashley Curry Tyron Davidowitz Christopher Deal Trinity Delgado Sonia Diaz Mallory Digiovanni Kelly Doan Matthew Espinosa Mohammed Faariz Lory Ferrer Ryan Flores Amanda Ford Douglas Fournier Jazmin Fraire Carolina Gallegos Catrina Garcia Emily Garza Thibault Gasser Matthew Gaston Aidan Gennuso Ashley Gibson Tatiyana Giddings Joshua Gilbert Lesley Giles Alfredo Gomez Andres Gonzalez

Valeria Gonzalez Rustyn Goolsby Parker Graves Qualon Gray Emily Greathouse Rachel Gurtner Yudixa Gutierrez Miguel Gutierrez Pacheco Nicholas Hains Felipe Hernandez Rosa Hernandez Toshiki Higano Jordan Higgins Emily Hildebrand Yaw Hlu Kyrsten Howard Jacy Hubartt Emily Hunt Kimberly Hurtado Enis Ida Carson Ingram Emily Isaacson Christopher Izaguirre Cheyenne Jacquot Sebastian Karwoski Courtney Kelly Steven Leach Meghan Lewis

Maria Leyva-Corona Elizabeth Lloyd Lidia Isabel Loffredo Malaver Moureen Madu Brianna Maiden Martin Marquez Mitzy Marquez Fernando Marrufo Jordan Martinez Lindsay Martinez Maximiliano Martinez Vazquez Laura Matt Melissa Maya Dyamond Mays Kelly Mboli Gracie McDonald Andrew McFarland Danielle McKinney Zane Miller Porscha Miseles-Huff Samiya Mohamed-Fawzy Garrett Moltzan Yolanda Montelongo Charity Moore Shana Moore Ana Carolina Morales Marin Hugo Morales Saldana Diego Nava

Vanesa Nava Julissa Norment Lane Norris Aurora Novati Gloria Obregon Noah Ocon Cayden Oneal Perla Orduna Brandon Orgill Katrina Overton Ka’jon Parris Jaydeep Patel Kollyn Payne Sean Pearce Angelica Plascencia Tyler Pullig Prayash Rajthala Alexandra Ramirez Reyna Ramirez Collier Ricks Juan Rodriguez Elian Romero Yajaira Rosales Diana Ruiz Maria Ruiz Ramirez Cecilia Salazar Torres Veronica Saldivar Peyton Sallee

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GRADUATES Adriana Sanchez Marcos Sanchez Perez Joseph Sandfort Alisha Sharp Caitlin Souvannavong Steven Stacy Brooke Sullivan Kylie Summers Hannah Taylor John Traxler Jadiel Valle Shanice Veasley Yasmin Villarreal Nneka Wade Mary Ward Melvin Warren Vivian White Zacherie Williams Tycom Wright Stephen Yancey Cary Yandell Mikayla Ybarra Yuriam Zavala Yi Zhan

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Jesus Arizmendi Stacy Bortey Mengqian Bu Ryan Cameron Allison Cornelius Junjie Dai Nadia Dorise-Clay Leslie Courtney Douglas Cynthia Eddings Jordan Fetter Steven Frederick Heather Fuller Melissa Gonzalez Dominick Gulizo Alyxus Key Chelsea Leblanc Jenny Leboulch Esmeralda Luna Stacy Naradovy

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Campus BUZZ CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2022!

DOCTORATES Nyla Colford Ann Gorrie Benjamin Jorgensen Mary Komuntale Stephenie Miller Jamie Valz Michelle Villanueva

the gradual Spring 2022 Payne overcomes the pandemic Mays to continue K playing flute

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aeser Mays will be graduating this spring with a bachelor of arts with a concentration in flute performance. He has big plans to make a difference in the life of young performers with limited opportunities. Mays was born in Dallas and grew up in the DFW area before attending Navaro College for two years.

He then transferred to Texas Wesleyan to continue working on his music and mastering the flute. His flute teacher here at Wesleyan has been a great inspiration and support for him. She was a big reason why Mays came to study at Texas Wesleyan.

“She’s very supportive and she lets me have my own autonomy when it comes to just playing music and doing what I like to do,” said Mays. Experiencing a lack of diversity and finding his place as a young African American classical musician has been challenging.

“Being a classical musician, there’s just not a lot of diversity and I’m trying to change that by coming here for music and then going to grad school for music too,” Mays said. After graduation, Mays

Photo courtesy Ceasar Mays

plans to pursue his masters. “My big picture is to be a flute repair technician and have my own studio,” he said. Mays would like to be able to sell, fix, and offer flute lessons to people in low income neighborhoods giving them the opportunity to pursue music within their means.

“I know for me growing up it was really difficult to have a flute because they’re pretty expensive,” said Mays.

ollyn Payne is from Hurst, Texas. She grew up with her older brother and younger sister in a happy, loving home.

Payne has always enjoyed school and the structure that it’s provided her. “The opportunity just to better yourself and to educate yourself. I just always appreciated it,” said Payne. She has enjoyed the small classes here at Wesleyan and loves being able to engage with her peers and actively participate in the classroom.

Payne also volunteers her time at the TxWes Food Pantry. Payne is graduating with a major in sociology. She chose to study at Texas Wesleyan because it was close to home.

Payne said, “I was able to commute and not have to pay that big housing deposit.”

Texas Wesleyan also offered her the best scholarship. Navigating coming into adulthood and experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic have been Payne’s greatest challenges in college. Having to take out student loans and invest in her education and future was a wake-up call for her.

“It forced me to grow up a lot quicker and I think that was probably my biggest struggle,” said Payne.

Payne’s family helped her get through the struggles that came with the pandemic.

“Losing jobs and then finding new jobs and trying to adapt to this whole situation,

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Photo courtesy Kollyn Payne

on top of trying to get a degree. It’s been challenging,” Payne said. One of Payne’s most memorable moments while attending Texas Wesleyan was when she picked up a donation for the food pantry with a message attached. The line that stood out to her and made an impact read, “feed each other and love one another.” After graduating, Payne hopes to attend graduate school for library science to one day become a librarian.

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

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Sumners scholar rewrites his story

eteran student Steven Leach hadn’t stepped foot in a classroom in 10 years when he decided to go back to school. With the GI Bill under his belt for his work in the Infantry, Leach began his studies at Wesleyan.

“Once [college] has been ingrained into you, it’s hard to get it out of you. There’s some good and some bad, but it’s mostly good because it gives you the drive to accomplish your goals and the resilience and willpower to do it,” Leach said.

And he did, despite taking a break after his first semester here.

Leach double majored in History and Psychology and participated in the Sumners Scholar program for the last two years. He stumbled into the history of Hatton W. Sumners discovering more information behind the man behind the scholar program. Leach went on to examine Confederate statues in Dallas and Denton, making a connection between a Dallas statue and Hatton W. Sumners.

During his research, Leach had one goal in mind: understanding. He brought back his findings to present to the trustees of the Sumners Foundation.

His presentation was received well by the trustees, and it also provided Leach with a deeper insight into the importance of uncovering the past.

“There’s a confusion, I think, about history and the way it should be remembered. Because we look at a lot of things today and we see the bad that people did and I agree that those things need to be recognized and be dealt with like Confederate monuments,” Leach said.

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Combining a love for rewriting history with a passion to understand people and how they think, Leach is considering a career in the political field, helping people run for office. Post-graduation, he wants to get a job at his local Justice of the Peace office. Grad school is on his mind as a possibility in the future, as well as the potential to own his own business someday.

Leach credits Associate Professor of History Dr. Alistair Maeer for teaching the first history class he took, and the new perspective on history that came with it.

“A lot of people think that history is facts and dates.

And really, it’s everything, everything that’s ever happened exists in the past. It’s studying everything, it’s understanding, it’s telling stories. It’s understanding the stories of the past,” Leach said.

Describing his time at Wesleyan as transformational, inspiring and grateful, Leach is accomplishing something he never thought he would. And now, the sky’s the limit.

Photos courtesy Steven Leach (Pictured at left)

“Once [college] has been ingrained into you, it’s hard to get it out of you. There’s some good and some bad, but it’s mostly good because it gives you the drive to accomplish your goals and the resilience and willpower to do it” ~Steven Leach

Giles exceeds her expectations

esley Giles started working right out of high school, as she never really knew college was an option for her. She built a successful career in management, but eventually realized she wanted to do something different in life.

“In management and business, you can make a lot of money, but I realized what I want in life is time. I want to be able to enjoy myself, and give back, and do things in the world that you can’t do in the [corporate] world. So that’s why I decided to get into teaching,” she said. Giles will be graduating with a bachelor’s in early childhood education through 6th grade.

“I did a lot of soul searching. I thought, I’d rather look back in ten years and be glad I started [my degree], rather than wish I had. Without a degree, you can only get so far.”

During her time at college, Giles had to balance work and family life. “I have three teenagers, so I would say the biggest challenge has just been keeping it moving!

But that’s where the program and professors have been so great and motivating,” she said.

“My degree experience has been amazing,” Giles continued. “I’ve loved the smaller classes, and the professors in the education program are just awesome.”

Giles intends to continue studying at Texas Wesleyan for her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.

“Before attending Wesleyan, I never saw this as possible. I will be forever grateful.”

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Photos courtesy Lesley Giles

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the gradual Spring 2022 Alvarez ready to assist in our justice system

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aritza Alvarez is a 20-year-old criminal justice major with hopes of pursuing a law degree at Texas A&M’s School of Law after she graduates on May 21.

Alvarez has had the dream of becoming a licensed attorney ever since she can remember. At the age of 7 she opted to watch things like Law and Order instead of T.V. shows on Disney Channel. She states that her “empathetic yet resilient personality and interest in criminal justice” is what made her choose this major.

With these two factors in mind, she became aware that pursuing a degree in criminal justice would allow her to achieve her dreams. She does not have a dream company she wishes to work with.

However, the idea of being licensed to practice law in the state of Texas is something she hopes to accomplish.

She said, “being employed by or voluntarily assisting the people of my state is how I long to spend my career.” Not only has it always been

an aspiration of hers to obtain a degree, but Alvarez is also going to be a first-generation graduate.

She credits her younger family members for being her inspiration.

She said, “If I can show my nieces, nephews and future children that regardless of the stereotypical ideas that the world might define us by, you can accomplish anything you set your heart on.”

She also is grateful for professors such as Dr. Adkinson, Dr. Gullion and Dr. Lynton. They not only taught engaging lessons and brought along positive environments. But they were also a wonderful support system. Maritza considers herself lucky to have the opportunity to meet such great professors.

Although she had such a support system, she did struggle a bit when the Corona Virus began. She said, “from the nationwide quarantine to the mandates for integration of face-to-face events, it truly took a toll on my student life.” Covid caused her positive outlook on life to diminish.

However, completing assignments and participating in acts of kindness helped build Alvarez’s confidence. Virtual learning was hard for her to get accustomed to, but fortunately she overcame these adversities. Which allowed her to grow into the person she is today.

Through Alvarez’s time at Wesleyan, she has come to learn that smaller is smarter. She said, “I am grateful for the abundance of student resources and allies presented to me through this university’s Ramily.”

Alvarez was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas and has lived here her whole life. She was not only a full-time student, but she also worked two jobs as well. In her free time when she was not working or doing homework, she spent the time working on self-care and getting some well needed rest. She also enjoyed spending quality time with her friends and family.

She is excited to become a criminal justice professional to start contributing to the betterment of our state’s criminal justice system.

Photo courtesy Maritza Alvarez

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2022

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Future dentist graduates from TxWes

irsten Clarke is an aspiring dentist that is graduating from Texas Wesleyan University with a major in English.

College was not the path that Clarke foresaw herself taking but with a push from her parents she decided to pursue a college education before following through with her goal to become a dentist.

Clarke was born in Fresno, California but moved to Dallas at a young age with her family. Since moving from California, Clarke has come to consider Texas her home.

Although reluctant to go to college, Clarke was drawn to Wesleyan because she needed to find one close to home, allowing her to look out for her brother while her mom was at work. The freedom to be able to live off campus as a freshman and be close to home was very important to Clarke and Texas Wesleyan provided that for her.

Clarke described her experience in college as, “amazing.” The small classrooms and one-on-one attention from professors have helped her. She found that she thrived well in small interactive learning environments.

“I love the smaller, smarter,” said Clarke.

She knew that attending a bigger university with large lecture halls would not have benefited her and was pleased with how her college years turned out.

Clarke seemed to deal well with adjusting to college life and found that the only challenges she faced seemed to be internal.

She struggled with believing in herself and pushing herself outside of her comfort

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Photo courtesy Kirsten Clarke

zone. However, she was inspired by author Glennon Doyle. The quote, “we can do hard things,” from Doyle helped Clarke overcome her fears.

Clarke is also empowered by LGBT+ rights activist Marsha Johnson and draws inspiration from her quote “pay no mind.

Clarke said, “If people think you’re awkward or quiet, just let them think that.”

After graduation she plans to attend a dental academy and receive her dentist license. However, she is happy to have her English degree that she can use and fall back on at any time.

TxWes grad looking to inspire

onia Diaz went into early childhood education because she has a passion for teaching and a desire to make students hungry to learn.

For her, the most important thing she learned while attending Wesleyan is how to have compassionate discussions on inclusion and diversity with her students, which is something she prioritizes throughout her work.

For Diaz, COVID-19 pandemic was challenging. Opportunities to get into the education field and apply what she learned in college were harder to find with the closure of schools.

“Besides COVID, I think it’s difficult to apply what we know to actual students, as their academic levels range. It’s difficult to be developmentally appropriate in our work.”

Diaz especially wanted to highlight Associate Professor of Education Dr. Jacqueline Gaffner for supporting her through this and

CONGRATS! YOU DID IT. TXWES class of 2022

Let's celebrate YOU at Grad Toast!

Thursday, May 19 5:30-7 PM

Photo courtesy Sonia Diaz

other challenges.

“Before COVID, during COVID, and even now that we’re back in person, she’s always been someone I can turn to for advice.

Someone who is always thinking of me and providing me with opportunities, and who I can always rely on,” she said.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Texas Wesleyan; my experience was definitely unique, but I’ll always appreciate everything that I got out of Wesleyan.”

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Congratulations Graduates!

From the School of Arts & Sciences

May your dreams blossom and grow.

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