Greetings Fellow Pioneers!
I want to encourage all alums to participate in the second annual Big Give scheduled for Monday, Aug. 31. Gifts to this effort provide scholarship assistance, improvements to the living and learning environments for students as well as technology upgrades.
The goal is $107,000 and I'm asking all who can to give $107 in honor of Wayland's 107 years of existence. I'm doing so in honor of one of my favorite college professors, Dr. Gwin Morris, and my high school journalism teacher, Amelia Bishop, whose husband, Dr. Ivyloy Bishop, taught in the Bible department for many years. You certainly can give in honor or someone special to you.
If you can't give $107, why not give a "starting amount" and a dollar for every year you've been out of Wayland?
Click on the "Give Now" button to the left, visit the Big Give 2015 Facebook page or contact Teresa Young at Teresa.Young @wbu.edu or call 806-291-3427.
Hope you can encourage your Wayland Facebook and e-mail friends to do the same. More than $50,000 was raised last year. I know we can do way better this year if we'll all do what we can!
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Eleven Wayland alumni will be honored at Homecoming 2015 scheduled Oct. 2-3.
Nine will be recognized at Friday's chapel in Harral Auditorium,
which also salutes the graduates of the 50th Year Honor Class of 1965, and two at the Athletic Hall of Honor ceremony on Saturday in the Laney Student Activities Center.
"Together. . .Again" is the theme of this year's event with a weekend full of activities.
The Association of Former Students will honor Don (BA'65) and Christa (BA'63) Smith of Plainview with its highest honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award. Christa taught in the School of Languages and Literature for 43 years while Don taught in the Plainview school district for 24 years and coached for most of that time. They have an endowed scholarship in their name and are supportive of all Wayland activities.
The Distinguished Lifetime Service Award will go to Eddie Turner (BA'72), manager of the University Store for 41 years. He served as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church in his hometown of Hale Center for 38 years and has held leadership roles in national bookstore managers associations.
Linda Pickens-Price (BS'69) of Huffman will receive the Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award. Former administrator of the Harris County Psychiatric Center, she held executive positions within MHMR and the University of Health Science Center-Houston. Several years ago, she was named one of the "Most Powerful Women in Houston" by Houston City Magazine. A former Flying Queen, she is a member of the Wayland Athletic Hall of Honor.
The Distinguished Alumni Service Award will be presented to Steve Deaton (BSOE'84 from the Lubbock campus), Regional Manager for Community and Economic Development for Xcel Energy who has been involved in many organizations in Lubbock and the area.
The Distinguished Benefactor honorees are Dr. Joe and Terri Jesko of Arlington, who both received their Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968. He is a consultant and serves as a Wayland trustee and she is a retired teacher. They have an endowed scholarship and were instrumental in the All-Steinway Project completed last year.
The Distinguished Young Alumni, chosen by the Young Alumni Board, is Kiana Bullard Brown (BA'10) who started her own non-profit organization, Love Thy Neighborhood, which seeks to establish community-based relationships and ministry in Louisville, Ky.
Athletic Hall of Honor inductees will be Carol Bailey-Sessums of Lubbock (BS'94), a two-time All-American for the Flying Queens who has coached for many years, all-time leading Pioneer scorer and first-team All-American Kendall Webb (BBA'06, MBA'07) of Littlefield who is head girls' basketball coach there, and longtime faculty athletic representative Dr. Paul Sadler, Dean of the School of Religion and Philosophy who also has served as Wayland's representative to the Sooner Athletic Conference and the NAIA.
Friday's activities include a breakfast for all graduates and exes of the classes of 1960-69 with special emphasis on the 50-year class of 1965; chapel at which the Distinguished alumni will be honored; the Legacy Luncheon for graduates of 50 years or more; evening cookout; a volleyball game; theater production; art show; recognition of Homecoming Queen and a pep rally.
Saturday's slate includes the Hall of Honor inductions; International Choir Mini-Concert and Reception; volleyball game; alumni tailgate party; football against Arizona Christian recognition of the Homecoming Queen and a band performance at halftime; art show and theater production.
Those planning to attend who would like to contact other folks in or near their class about a mini-reunion should contact Alumni Director Danny Andrews at andrewsd@wbu.edu or 806-291-3603 for information.
