Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University flags will fly at half-staff April 22 in honor of students who died during the 2021-22 academic year.

A student memorial service also will be held at 2 p.m. April 22 in the Joseph A. Hill Memorial Chapel on WT’s Canyon campus.

The service and half-staff flags will commemorate the lives of Bailey Chisum of Borger; Juliet Ellison of Williams, Arizona; Madison VanArsdale of Canyon; Maris Sanchez of Amarillo; and Tejay Adams of Canyon.

“It is of upmost importance to reflect every year on the lives of the WT students that have been lost and honor their memory with a scholarship. No words can express the pain that these families have felt, and we extend our deepest sympathy. Our prayers and thoughts are with the families,” said Joshua Worten, chief justice of the WT Student Government Association.

Scholarships of $800 for the 2022-23 academic year will be given in memory of those five Buffs to current students in the same field of study:

• Courtney Reed, senior nursing major from Littlefield, in Chisum’s memory;
• Isaac Noble, junior biology major from Keyes, Oklahoma, in Ellison’s memory;
• Emma Weinheimer, senior accounting major from Groom, in VanArsdale’s memory;
• Mirelda Garcia, senior education major from Amarillo, in Sanchez’s memory; and
• Ruby Casarez, senior applied arts and sciences major from Hereford, in Adams’ memory.

To be eligible for the scholarships, students must be at least sophomores with a 2.5 GPA or higher and be active in extracurricular or community service activities.

Recognition of the lives lost is one way WT demonstrates its values, as outlined in the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $108 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.