SFA University
Dr. Matibur Zamadar, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Stephen F. Austin State University, received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his invention of a new type of antibiotic for drug resistant bacteria.
January 31, 2024 — Dr. Matibur Zamadar, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Stephen F. Austin State University, has received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his second invention of a drug to treat bacteria that is resistant to most existing antibiotics and kills millions of people around the world with an invasive infection.
Zamadar created a drug to reduce antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when medication loses its ability to kill bacteria. This drug is effective at a relatively low single dose or reduced repeat doses. His invention is effective to treat cancer as well as bacterial infection complications of cancer treatment, especially when cancer cells are surgically removed.
“Pathogenic bacteria often develop resistance against conventional antibacterial agents, which lose efficacy over time,” Zamadar said. “By developing adaptive bacterial resistance, many bacteria become resistant to specific antibacterial structures. As bacteria become more resistant to antibacterial medications, dosages are increased until highest doses become ineffective against the most resistant bacteria.”
Overuse of antibiotics often lead to the emergence of more resistant pathogens. Zamadar’s invention will counteract this.
“Studies project that by 2050 antibacterial resistance will kill 300 million people worldwide, and total world economic loss will be around $100 trillion if antibacterial resistance is not addressed,” he said. “Also, conventional antibiotics are costly and not easily synthesized or readily available to poorer developing or certain developed countries. Patients receiving extended treatment for cancer are at high risk of developing bacterial infections and bacterial resistance due to prolonged neutropenia, lymphocyte dysfunction, and use of invasive devices.”
Patients using chemotherapy drugs will benefit from this invention since they are usually unable to get rid of live bacteria from the tumor site. According to Zamadar, physicians often administer a high dose of antibiotics to cancer patients, which leads to resistant pathogen issues and can cause negative side effects for patients after tumor surgery.
Zamadar began the patent application process in 2020. This is the second U.S. patent granted to a professor in SFA’s College of Sciences and Mathematics within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Zamadar previously obtained one U.S. patent and two international patents from India and South Africa for his prior invention for a drug for cancer treatment in 2022.
“Obtaining this patent would not have been possible without support from SFA faculty members and students,” Zamadar said. “Dr. Michele Harris, associate dean and professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and undergraduate students Aqeeb Ali and Jacob Herschmann provided technical support throughout the patent process. Retired patent attorney Tom Pruitt provided his expertise to file the patent application.”
To learn more about SFA’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, visit sfasu.edu/chemistry.
About Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
Elementary and middle school students will show off their technical skills and problem-solving abilities at the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Texas area qualifier tournament from 9am to 2pm Jan. 20 in the Cole STEM Building’s Nelson Atrium.
January 19, 2024 - The STEM Research and Learning Center at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the FIRST LEGO League Challenge East Texas area qualifier tournament from 9am to 2pm Jan. 20 in the Cole STEM Building’s Nelson Atrium.
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, is an international youth organization that operates several competitions, including the upcoming FIRST LEGO League. This LEGO-based challenge introduces science, technology, engineering and mathematics to elementary and middle school students through fun hands-on learning. Participants gain real-world problem-solving experience through a guided, global robotics program, helping today's students and teachers build a better future together.
“FIRST LEGO League gives students the opportunity to learn and practice a variety of skills from coding and teamwork to research and communication,” said Corina Rivera, K-12 outreach coordinator for SFA’s STEM Research and Learning Center. “This year, we are excited to host teams from local school districts as well as teams traveling from Houston.”
Teams will navigate LEGO Mindstorm and Spike robots through themed missions, demonstrating their technical skills and problem-solving abilities. As part of the league’s season, students have tackled real-world challenges through research, teamwork and the presentation of their innovative solutions.
January 19, 2024 — Stephen F. Austin State University will recognize several prominent donors who have supported the institution during the 33rd annual SFA Gala, slated for Saturday, January 27, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom. Hosted by the SFASU Foundation, the annual black-tie event honors generous benefactors to the university; showcases the impact of their giving on the students, faculty, staff and programs; and reiterates the need for the university’s endowment.
The 2024 honorees, inducted into two of the university’s three tiers of giving, are Patsy Barton of Nacogdoches, Chris and Jim Berry of Farmers Branch, Judy and Larry Holt of College Station, the late Carolyn Downing and Harry Downing of Nacogdoches, and Ashley and Greg Arnold of Dallas.
“The dedicated support of our donors enhances the prestige of our institution and helps shape a future that reflects our university’s exceptional quality as we have just celebrated 100 years of excellence,” said Jill Still, vice president for university advancement and executive director of the SFASU Foundation.
Badders Law Firm is the title sponsor for the event. Since 1964, the personal injury attorneys have focused on providing representation to ensure clients obtain justice and relief after suffering serious injuries.
Fredonia Society Inductees
Patsy Barton
Although Patsy Barton and her late husband, Doyle G. Barton, did not attend SFA, they began establishing and endowing scholarships in 2012 to aid students preparing to enter public education. Their daughter, Dr. Paula Barton Griffin, and grandson, Sean Griffin, have multiple degrees from the university. After her husband’s passing in 2013, Patsy Barton continued the path of giving to the James I. Perkins College of Education. She relocated to Nacogdoches in 2017.
Patsy and Doyle Barton were born and raised in Russellville, Arkansas. After graduating from high school, they married and moved to Kansas and eventually to Texas. Patsy Barton was a homemaker and partner to her late husband while he supported the family in retail management and as a franchisee for Sonic Drive-In.
Neither Patsy nor Doyle Barton had the opportunity to pursue a college education. However, they provided financial support for their children and grandchildren to do so. Both Patsy Barton and her late husband shared a desire to provide financial support through scholarships for students to study and obtain university degrees. This passion has encouraged members of their family to obtain advanced degrees, including six bachelor’s, three master’s and one doctoral degree.
Chris and Jim Berry
Christine “Chris” Sanner Berry and Jimmy “Jim” Berry first met as students while attending SFA. The couple married a year after graduating in 1985.
Most recently, Chris and Jim Berry have endowed the Sanner-Berry Business Professorship in the Rusche College of Business as part of their long tradition of supporting education inside and outside the classroom. The new endowment is the largest professorship in the College of Business and will be designated to a faculty member who demonstrates the ability to engage students in meaningful learning experiences. With this professorship, the Berrys ensure future Lumberjacks will have the same opportunities to learn from accomplished faculty members as they did.
The Berrys, along with other managing partners at Deloitte, also have helped establish the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholarship Endowment, which supports scholarships annually for high-performing students pursuing an accounting degree. The endowment is currently the largest scholarship-specific endowment in the Schlief School of Accountancy.
Jim Berry retired from Deloitte in 2021 after a 30-year career where he led the U.S. real estate sector and distinguished himself as a partner and vice chairman. That same year, the Rusche College of Business dean’s suite was named the Jimmy D. Berry Dean’s Suite in honor of his retirement and to recognize his involvement in building the successful partnership between SFA and Deloitte.
Judy and Larry Holt
Judy and Larry Holt began working to honor the memory of his mother, Celeste Duncan Holt, by establishing a scholarship endowment in her name at SFA. Although the Holts did not attend SFA, Larry Holt’s mother attended SFA, and all of his family is from nearby Shelby County. The scholarship endowment provides annual financial support to students from Shelby County pursuing a degree in education, as Celeste Holt spent her career as a teacher after graduating from SFA in 1952.
Most recently, the Holts have created a new endowment to support the East Texas Research Center, the official university archive and state-designated repository for the historical records of surrounding counties.
Larry Holt earned a Juris Doctor from Baylor University and a Master of Laws from Southern Methodist University. He now practices law in estate planning, probate, trusts, wills, real estate, oil and gas, and public finance. He is dedicated to the support of libraries and archives. In 2009, he was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to serve as commissioner at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Judy Holt is currently a member of the board of directors of the Greater Texas Foundation. She was the foundation’s interim executive director and first chief executive officer in 2006. Prior to that, her service began in 1987 as the first employee with one of Greater Texas Foundation’s former subsidiary organizations. Judy Holt holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Texas A&M University.
Carolyn and Harry Downing
Carolyn and Harry Downing were high school sweethearts at Manila High School in Manila, Arkansas, and married after Carolyn graduated high school in 1965. Serving as a licensed practical nurse, she supported her husband as he earned three degrees in physics: a Bachelor of Science from Arkansas State University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Florida State University.
Harry Downing joined SFA’s Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy in 1975, and Carolyn Downing began a 27-year career as an office nurse for Dr. Aaron Polk in Nacogdoches a few years later. Harry Downing became a professor in 1987 and later served as department chair for more than 30 years, receiving the College of Sciences and Mathematics Teaching Excellence Award and the Robert N. Little Award for outstanding contributions to physics higher education in Texas. He was named SFA’s 2013-14 Regents Scholar.
Carolyn Downing passed away in January 2020. Although the Downings had no children during their 54-year marriage, they influenced many people through their interactions with patients and students. To honor Carolyn Downing, Harry Downing established three SFA scholarships in nursing, physics and engineering. On July 21, 2020, SFA’s board of regents approved the naming of the Harry and Carolyn Downing Physics Resource Commons and the Harry and Carolyn Downing Engineering Resource Commons.
Stephen F. Austin Society Inductees
Ashley and Greg Arnold
The Greg Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship at SFA is the result of many years of leadership, determination and passion for service to business and community by Ashley and Greg Arnold. Greg Arnold earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from SFA in 1987 and went on to spend his time developing a nationally recognized multidivisional company focused on the energy, aviation and real-estate industries.
Greg Arnold is chief executive officer of TAC – The Arnold Companies, a privately owned family office investment and holding company with a diversified portfolio of investments featuring private and public companies. The company was built on services in petroleum marketing and private aviation, growing to national coverage in both industries and employing approximately 1,000 associates. Ashley Arnold is an active philanthropist and supporter of many organizations in the Dallas and North Texas areas.
Greg and Ashley Arnold’s leadership and spirit of giving reflect the entrepreneurial mindset that is the focal point for supporting generations of SFA students to come.
On July 26, 2022, the SFA board of regents expressed its admiration, gratitude and high regard for the Arnolds by naming the Greg Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship.
About Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
January 10, 2024 - Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art’s call for entries in the 2024 Texas National Competition and Exhibition will remain open through a Feb. 2 deadline.
This article is copied from Shelby County Today without permission.
Texas National features an assortment of art from various media, according to Weelynd McMullan, exhibition coordinator for The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House where the exhibition will show from April 12 through June 30.
The School of Art’s annual juried competition and exhibition attracts entrants from across the United States, providing artists an opportunity to have their work juried by highly acclaimed curators, artists and critics, such as this year’s juror, Peter S. Briggs, noted art historian, researcher and curator.
This article is copied from Shelby County Today without permission.
A reception on the evening of April 12 will open the exhibition. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places and best in show at the juror’s discretion.
Briggs earned a doctorate in art history from the University of New Mexico and has curated more than 140 art exhibitions and published more than 95 articles, books and exhibition catalogs primarily on 20th and 21st century American art. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, and is writing a book about Terry Allen's graphic art. Briggs began his pursuit as a curator in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico Art Museum and the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology. He retired as chief curator at the University of Arizona Museum of Art and then moved to Lubbock as the Helen Devitt Jones Endowed Curator of Art at the Museum of Texas Tech University. While at Texas Tech he transformed the art collection through the creation of the Artist Printmaker/Photographer Research Collection and expanded the museum's holdings from some 3,000 artworks to over 25,000. In the university's graduate program of Heritage and Museum Sciences he developed and taught curatorial methodology, and as a two-time Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Vilnius Academy of Art, Lithuania, and the Academy of Art and Design in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, he created and taught curatorial practices for studio artists. Briggs has received more than 30 research and program grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities; has been an Organization of American States (OAS) research fellow at the Museo del Hombre Panameño and the Museo Nacional of Costa Rica; and received fellowships and grants from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, American Alliance of Museums, Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund for Folk Culture and Tinker Foundation, among others.
This article is copied from Shelby County Today without permission.
Call for entries information for Texas National 2024 can be accessed by clicking here.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.
Plants, such as the Salvia coccinea 'Summer Jewel White' pictured above, will be available at SFA Gardens’ annual Garden Gala Day Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 6 and 7 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.
January 8, 2024 — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host its annual Garden Gala Day Plant Sale from 9am to 2pm April 6 and 7 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.
The sale will feature an array of hard-to-find, “Texas-tough” plants, including exclusive SFA introductions, Texas natives, edibles, tropicals, perennials, shrubs and trees, with an emphasis on pollinator-friendly selections. The featured plants are produced by SFA Gardens staff members and volunteers. A full list of available plants will be posted at sfasu.edu/sfagardens two weeks before the sale.
This event raises benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden and Kingham Children’s Garden.
Parking will be available at SFA’s Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center, located at 2428 Raguet St. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon for their plants.
For more information, call (936) 468-4404 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
About Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
December 14, 2023 - Stephen F. Austin State University construction management graduating seniors in the James I. Perkins College of Education’s School of Human Sciences celebrated the end of the semester with hard hat ceremony Dec.1. The graduating seniors are pictured holding hard hats: front row, from left, are Sally Ann Swearingen, SFA professor of interior design and construction management coordinator; Charles Gelvin; Leoncio Escalante; Nolan Mote; Isaac Ramirez; and Dr. Nathaniel Walker, SFA associate professor of human sciences. Also in attendance were members of SFA’s construction management external advisory board: back row, from left, are Chris Oliveria, Bossworth Steel Erectors in New Braunfels; Dan Hlavac, director of Harvey Builders in Houston; John Glaze, president of Fast Track Specialties in Houston; and Jordan Elder, senior project manager at Drewery Construction in Nacogdoches. The ceremony and the gifted hard hats are provided by the 18 members of SFA’s construction management advisory board.
December 13, 2023 - After winning a $250 prize for being the largest group to attend the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association’s Senior Send-Off, a group of students from SFA’s DeWitt School of Nursing decided to pay it forward and donate their winnings to the Nacogdoches Treatment Center. The students and Alumni Association presented the donation to the center’s director, Kathy Strong, Monday, Dec. 11.
December 7, 2023 — Stephen F. Austin State University construction management students in the James I. Perkins College of Education’s School of Human Sciences will host an open house featuring the tiny home they built this fall from 10am to noon December 9 at the Village Nac community at 1188 County Road 823 in Nacogdoches.
Starting in September, 10 students enrolled in the “Building Construction Systems” course worked together to build the 16-by-18-foot home on-site at Village Nac, a faith-based shelter for those experiencing poor mental health and homelessness. Unlike the previous tiny homes, this larger home features a full bathroom, kitchen and den, as well as a bedroom.
Sally Ann Swearingen, SFA professor of interior design and construction management, described the construction as a “team effort.” Students in the “Building Construction Systems” course handled framing, and students in the “Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing” course completed the electrical and plumbing work.
“The community should know these students are using their ability and talent to give back to a worthwhile project instead of building things that don’t make a difference in people’s lives,” Swearingen said. “They are also getting to work with a master electrician and plumber to make sure it is done correctly.”
The project was funded by a second grant from SFA’s Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation, which funded the construction of four tiny homes last year at Village Nac.
Established in 2019, the Perkins College of Education construction management program offers a multidisciplinary degree by collaborating with SFA’s Nelson Rusche College of Business, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, and College of Sciences and Mathematics. Nearly 100 students are enrolled in the program.
As part of continued efforts to raise money for building more homes, the construction management students also will build a tiny home on a trailer that will be sold. Swearingen said the cost of building a larger tiny home is $22,000. She hopes to be able to build two or three more of these homes next year.
“We hope people come out and see what the students have been doing for the last few months,” Swearingen said. “They are gaining hands-on experience while giving back to the local community.”
For more information on SFA’s construction management program, visit gosfa.com/construction.
About Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
November 22, 2023 — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7pm December 14 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.
Dr. David Creech, director of SFA Gardens, will present “Is the Pineywoods Native Plant Center a Case Study of Divine Intervention… or Maybe Not? Capitalizing on the Best Plants, Plans and People to Create a Green Resource for the Gulf South.”
After a long career in SFA’s Department of Agriculture, Creech retired in 2007 and returned to serve as the gardens director in a part-time position. The 138-acre SFA Gardens is an umbrella for numerous theme gardens and collections of trees, shrubs, vines, herbaceous perennials and fruit. These serve as a valuable germplasm resource for the Gulf South.
Creech received his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in 1970, his master’s degree from Colorado State University in 1972, and his doctoral degree from TAMU in 1978.
Since arriving at SFA in 1978, Creech’s research interests have been varied and include urban tree evaluation, blueberry and golden kiwifruit evaluation, horticultural crop nutrition studies, new plant introductions for the ornamental horticulture industry, endangered native plant rescue, research and reintroduction, and finding sustainable solutions to environmental horticultural concerns.
He is the author of numerous scholarly and trade articles, and he has accumulated a long list of international consultancies since 1981 to Pakistan, Guatemala, Mexico, Nepal, Israel, Chile, New Zealand and China.
In 2022, Creech received the American Society for Horticultural Science’s Outstanding International Horticulturalist Career Award, which recognizes a member who has made a valuable contribution to international horticultural science, education, research and/or outreach for a period of 10 or more years.
Creech has served as president of the Native Plant Society of Texas, the Southern Region American Society of Horticulture Science, and the International Plant Production Society Southern Region.
The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month and includes a rare plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the lecture series fund are always appreciated.
Parking is available at the PNPC, 2900 Raguet St., or Raguet Elementary School, 2708 Raguet St.
For more information, email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
About Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
November 9, 2023 - You don’t have to be on campus to take advantage of a high-quality, affordable education at Stephen F. Austin State University. You also don’t have to be available to attend classes between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
“Most of our online students are nontraditional,” said Megan Weatherly, executive director of the Lumberjack Learning Commons at SFA. “From caregivers to full-time workers to students who are constantly on the move, online programs provide them the flexibility and access to reach their educational goals.”
Three SFA alumni — a working mom of four, an SFA student now advising other SFA students, and a high schooler moving frequently to follow her family’s ministry work — know this firsthand and share their experiences for National Distance Learning Week, Nov. 6-10.
Ashley Esquivel, Bachelor of Business Administration in general business, 2021
Family obligations required Esquivel to take a 14-year hiatus from college, but she returned to SFA virtually in 2018 to earn her BBA in general business in 2021. She learned about the fully online degree offered by SFA’s Nelson Rusche College of Business from a fortuitous trip to a mall in Corpus Christi, which was hosting a college fair.
“To my surprise, there was a recruiter from SFA there, and the teenager in me came out in front of my embarrassed kids as I approached the booth to say ‘Hi!’ and share my love for the school,” Esquivel said. “I learned that SFA had an online program where I could continue my education in the comfort of my own home and still finish what I started many years ago. In all honesty, I hated knowing that I did not complete my education and did not have the heart to finish anywhere else.”
As a full-time working mom of four in Robstown, Esquivel struck a new balance between home life, schoolwork and kids.
“My kids always knew if I had something important coming up because I would not leave my desk area, and they would leave Post-it notes of encouragement for me,” she said. “The most rewarding part of my online education was sharing it with my children, knowing that they made sacrifices as well to help me around the house and with each other. My success was theirs.”
Support from her children and SFA professors ensured Esquivel’s success as an online student.
“I had amazing professors who completely understood home life and the glitches and mishaps that go along with that,” she said. “If there was any service interruption or issues, they got me the help I needed.”
After earning her bachelor’s from SFA, Esquivel leveraged her online learning skills to earn a Master of Business Administration through the online program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Now she’s looking for the perfect opportunity to put her degrees to work and stick close to her family as a substitute teacher for business education courses in the local school district.
“There are so many young adults that could benefit from business education as far as the programs and how to use those tools in the world,” Esquivel said. “I would love to be an ambassador for SFA to promote the learning I gained from the school and educate others in their future.”
Esquivel encourages those like her to continue their education.
“If you are unsure of pursuing your degree because you have a family, take that chance and do it,” she said. “I met some great classmates along the way who were from all over the state of Texas and had families with careers of their own and still managed to graduate from SFA’s online program.”
In addition to new career possibilities to help her family, the sense of accomplishment made all the work worthwhile, Esquivel added.
“I am glad I finished what I started all those years ago and was able to walk the stage with my children in the audience and my family there with me by my side,” she said. “It was the most amazing feeling of accomplishment I had ever had, and I will forever be grateful for the staff, fellow peers and my family for supporting me the entire time.”
Deanna McCollum, Bachelor of Science in human sciences, 2022
Despite working on campus, McCollum chose the online BS in human sciences with an emphasis in human development and family studies — the first online undergraduate degree program SFA ever launched — to ensure her classes would not interfere with her job.
The degree program, which is offered in the James I. Perkins College of Education’s School of Human Sciences, provides an in-depth understanding of growth, change and development of children, adults and families that is essential for professional careers and service-oriented professions.
By fall 2019, McCollum had just completed about seven years as a dispatcher for SFA’s University Police Department and was beginning an administrative assistant position in the School of Human Sciences.
“I was actually a multidiscipline major at the time,” she said. “Still, after a semester of working in the School of Human Sciences, I realized that human development and family studies was something that I took a great liking to.”
McCollum’s degree path led her to the next step in her career — an academic advising position in the Perkins College of Education.
“This major is so varied in career options, and the list is truly endless,” she said. “The HDFS program has a practicum in the degree, and I was able to secure mine in the advising office, where I eventually secured my current position.”
In December, McCollum will graduate with a Master of Science in human sciences degree, which she’s also earning online from SFA.
“I love how I get to apply my degree every day with students, and the ability to continue with my master's degree is an added bonus that has also helped in advising,” she said.
Brianna West, Bachelor of Science in human sciences, 2022
West, a youth services librarian at the Riter C. Hulsey Public Library in Terrell, was drawn to the BS in human sciences with an emphasis in human development and family studies because she has always been interested in families, sociology, psychology and anthropology.
“The way that the mind works, how we are all interconnected and independent from one another has been a lifelong topic of interest to me,” West said. “I think this came from a combination of being extremely close to my family and going to counseling at a young age to help me in my personal journey with being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.”
West’s father is a minister, which required her family to move frequently, so she was homeschooled for middle and high school. SFA’s dual-credit program for high school students offered classes that she could take online wherever her family might be living. In addition, SFA provided the human sciences degree, a completely online undergraduate option that fit her interests.
“The online option was also very affordable for my parents’ ministry budget,” West said. “And it allowed me to begin working on my undergraduate degree right after completing high school at the age of 15.”
Despite her college career coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, West maintained a 3.9 GPA; served as secretary and interim president of Phi Upsilon Omicron, the family and consumer sciences honor society; and was inducted in Omicron Delta Kappa, a multi-generational honor society that excels in recognizing and connecting collaborative and inclusive leaders. She attended meetings remotely and traveled to campus for special occasions that required her in-person assistance.
“Even though I wasn’t in the classroom with my classmates and professors, I never felt alone,” West said. “The professors are amazing and dedicated to helping students excel, and the staff at SFA was extremely supportive in helping me achieve my goals. I always knew they were an email or a Zoom meeting away to help answer questions, lend advice or assist in helping me get to where I needed to go.”
West’s college career also coincided with SFA’s launching of eight-week courses, which helped her finish her degree faster.
“I finished my degree far faster than I otherwise would have been able to because of mini-mesters,” West said. “I had extra study time with fewer distractions, which I think was beneficial to my graduating with summa cum laude honors.”
In addition to her degree, West has earned her Certified Family Life Educator designation through the National Council of Family Relations.
“I am able to assess, assist and advocate for my community in ways that I never would have been able to without the education and experience I gained at SFA,” West said. “I would 100% recommend SFA’s online programs to anyone interested in earning their degree.”
From communications studies to nursing to sustainability, SFA’s more than 30 online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offer flexibility and an opportunity to continue a degree or try a new career path. For more information, visit sfasu.edu/online.
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