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August 2009 Honor Graduates Recognized

8/14/09

The College of Education and Human Development honored 6 students Friday August 14 who have been recognized as Distinguished Honor Graduates.

Those honored are Chelsea Arnold, Raquel Contreras, Tabbetha Cruse, Amanda Dobbs, Mallory Durst and Kevin McCullough.

The College of Education and Human Development honors those students who not only performed well in the classroom, but also excelled outside of the classroom in organizations and in the community.

Front (left to right): Tabbetha Cruse, Mallory Durst, Kevin McCullough, Chelsea Arnold, Raquel Contreras

Not pictured: Amanda Dobbs


Chelsea Arnold
The combination of experiences from her internship and extracurricular activities has provided Chelsea Arnold with the confidence to handle any situation.

The human resource development major interned with an educational testing service and developed crucial skills applicable to her field.

"I was able to work with all different types of people, which is critical in human resources," she says. "I hope to use my experience of working with teams of diverse people to enhance my career."

During her college career, Chelsea was involved in the Student Government Association, Developing Professional Aggies, Memorial Student Center Lead, Impact and Christian Business Leaders.

"I treasure my Aggie education because the professors and staff have a desire for knowledge that affects the students and gives them a desire to learn," she says. "The professors believe in real world experience in conjunction with text book knowledge."

After graduation, Chelsea wants to work for a few years to gain experience in her field. She plans to pursue her master's in business or human resource management.

She will graduate cum laude with a 3.655 GPR.

Raquel Contreras
Raquel Contreras believes that her education at Texas A&M is the platform for her future success.

"I have had so many experiences and classes that will contribute to my future career," she says. "What I received at Texas A&M is so much more than an education. It was and continues to be an experience that will influence almost every part of my life."

Having been on both the Dean's List and the Dean's Honor Roll, Raquel knows all about dedication. She is also a member of Developing Aggie Professionals, and she was both a member and team manager of two intramural teams.

A human resource development major, Raquel interned with Traditions Home Health and Hospice.

After graduation, she will begin graduate school at Texas A&M in the fall.

"I appreciate the level of education that the professors, advisors and other people in the college strive to provide to all students," she says.

Raquel will graduate cum laude with a 3.515 GPR.

Tabbetha Cruse

Tabbetha Cruse credits her involvement in extracurricular activities as the reason why she will succeed in her field.

A kinesiology major with an emphasis in applied exercise physiology, Tabbetha was a member of the Physical Therapy Society, Aggie Orientation Leader Program, Hospitality and the Big Event.

"My extracurricular experiences taught me how to interact with and relate to people from all different backgrounds, which is important in any health-related field," she says. "I also learned a lot about time management and study skills, which will be necessary as I make my way through physical therapy school."

During her last semester at Texas A&M, Tabbetha interned at the Memorial Hermann Wellness Center in Houston, where she was able to experience all aspects of a physical therapy clinic.

After graduation, Tabbetha will attend Texas Women's University to earn her doctorate of physical therapy.

"I treasure the fact that in a school with 40,000 students, I never once felt like just a number," she says. "Texas A&M and the college take care of their students, and I have had amazing professors that have helped me along the way."

Tabbetha will graduate magna cum laude with a 3.822 GPR.

Amanda Dobbs
For Amanda Dobbs, her path in life is simple-always be an encouragement to others, especially in the classroom.

An early childhood education major from Denison, Texas, Amanda has taken everything she can from her early childhood education classes to further ignite her passion for teaching. She is especially eager to use children's books in her classroom to help her students learn.

"I hope that I can make a positive impact on the students I teach and the teachers I work with," she says.

A member of the Association of Childhood Education International, Amanda made the Dean's List for the 2009 spring semester and worked at a local restaurant during her entire college career.

Amanda credits the college's supportive environment with helping her to succeed.

"I never worried about being on the right or wrong track because my advisor was always there to direct me," she says. "I really appreciate the college's "get this done" attitude."

Amanda has already accepted a third-grade teaching position in Richardson, Texas, for the fall.

She will graduate cum laude with a 3.564 GPR.

Mallory Durst
Mallory Durst has confidence in her abilities as a health educator because of the classes she took as a community health major.

Not only has she excelled academically during her time at Texas A&M, but she has been actively involved in Aggie Alliance, Eta Sigma Gamma and Future Aggie Nurses - all health-oriented organizations.

"I have gained so much from my experiences at Texas A&M and feel completely prepared to take on any challenge following graduation," she says. "I feel that I am capable of going above and beyond expectations in any career path I take."

While at Texas A&M, Mallory worked as a student worker in a biological sciences lab and interned twice at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Mallory says she always will remember her fellow classmates and professors because they confirmed her choice to study health education.

"One thing I will treasure about my Aggie education is the tight-knit community feeling I received from the college," she says. "The faculty, staff and my fellow classmates were always supportive. I know I picked the right degree plan to follow."

After graduation, Mallory plans to pursue a master's of physician assistant studies.

She will graduate magna cum laude with a 3.7 GPR.

Kevin McCullough
Kevin McCullough plans to apply the work ethic and research skills he developed in his sport management classes to his future endeavors.

And thanks to Dr. Todd Hall, Kevin's plans for the future will involve sport marketing.

"Dr. Hall, my sport marketing professor, sparked my interest in marketing as a career," he says. "I enjoyed the process of creating a marketing plan and learning from his insight into the industry."

During his undergraduate career, Kevin was treasurer and technology officer for the Sport Marketing Association and worked at Prime Time Sports and the Spectrum Athletic Club. He also was on the Dean's List for two semesters.

After graduation, Kevin plans to attend Mays Business School to earn his master's in marketing.

He will graduate summa cum laude with a perfect 4.0 GPR.

 

 

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