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

CANYON, Texas — Dozens of West Texas A&M University students will honor their cultures in a pre-commencement ceremony May 6. 

The Donning of the Stoles ceremony — a tradition among African American, Native American, Hispanic and international students — will begin at 6 p.m. May 6 in the Alumni Banquet Hall on WT’s Canyon Campus. 

During the ceremony, parents, family members or friends place a stole on their graduate and express what the student means to them, said Angela Allen, chief diversity and inclusion officer. 

“The ceremony is a very heartfelt and warm celebration as the graduate prepares for moving on to the next stage in their life,” Allen said. 

Stoles — often serape or kente cloth — are selected by the students to reflect their heritage and culture. 

Students taking part in the ceremony will include: 

Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences 

Kenni Duong, biology major from Vietnam; Marytrinh Thu Nguyen, biology major from Vietnam; Jacqueline Estrada, biology major from Canyon; Sebastian Briseno, plant/soil/environmental sciences major from Spearman; Monika Aguirre, animal science major from El Paso; Alejandra Camarillo, agriculture major from Iraan; Paulina Carrasco, biology major from Bovina; Samantha Chavira-Gutierrez, animal science major from Canyon; and Magi Lopez, animal science major from Andrews. 

Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business 

Madeline Kleinschmidt, international business major from Venezuela and Germany; Kandice Cole, MBA in business administration from Fort Worth; Udeme Etuknwa-Achiuwa, MBA in business administration from Wake Forest, North Carolina; Jerjuan B. Graham, MBA in business administration from Grandfield, Oklahoma; Evans Okosodo, MBA in marketing from Lagos, Nigeria; Ashley Oakes, marketing major from Amarillo; Adreyan Tu, computer information systems major from Vietnam; Xenia Franco, marketing major from Amarillo; Koral Moreno, business management major from San Antonio; Justin Perez, business law and ethics major from Houston; Emily Conde-Garcia, accounting major from Amarillo; Marissa Cardenas, international business major from Amarillo; and Aditya Vitthal Jagdale, computer information systems major from India. 

Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences 

Victory Suobite, psychology major from Nigeria; Jada Carr Sims, criminal justice major from Amarillo; Jasmine Michael, applied arts and sciences major from Amarillo; Dorali Blancas Barragan Calderon, curriculum and instruction graduate student from Amarillo; Beth Cameron, education major from Amarillo; Erin Castaneda, education major from Bovina; Rosalinda Morales, social work major from Houston; Jennifer Martinez, psychology major from Amarillo; Elizabeth Sigala, sociology major from Plainview; Marc Diaz, education major from Borger; Janette Diaz, social work graduate student from Amarillo; Ashley Aleman, education major from Desoto; Ramon S. Cueva, political science major from Amherst; Jazymen Wilson, education major from  Amarillo; Axel Kurt Rosas Herrera, psychology major from Amarillo; and Marlene Tovar Ramos, social work major from Amarillo. 

College of Engineering 

Tyler Elisha Morgan, engineering technology major from Fort Worth; Yareni Hernandez Villa, computer science major from Tulia; Lauren Taylor, mechanical engineering major from Grand Prairie; Veronica Villarreal, engineering technology major from Plainview; Itzel Anett, mathematics major from Bovina; and Daniel Martinez, engineering technology from Amarillo. 

Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities 

Adrian Ballesteros, graphic design major from the Philippines; Tatheana Finney, digital communication and media major from Amarillo; Marcie Steward, applied arts and sciences major from Amarillo; Jennifer Tuttor, communication major from Canyon; Isela Alanis, education major from Tulia; Daniela Cervantes, digital communication and media major from Amarillo; Stephanie Corralez, interdisciplinary studies major from Friona; Natalia Lizbeth Ezquivel, general studies major from Laredo; Dalia Pardo Garcia, applied arts and sciences major from Plainview; Monica Hernandez, general studies major from Perryton; Ilya Hohenstein, music major from Bolivia; and Dalila Velazco, Spanish major from Shamrock. 

College of Nursing and Health Sciences 

Mere Funaki Asenaca-Nagase, sports and exercise sciences major from Fiji; Jennifer Briones, health sciences major from Tulia; Jeremiah J. Carrasco, health sciences major from Plainview; Maliyah Mendoza, communication disorders major from Glenn Heights; Adriana Murillo, health sciences major from Snyder; Maritza Retana, health sciences major from Canyon; Oscar Marquez, sports and exercise science major from Amarillo; and Yanalthe Martinez, nursing major from Amarillo. 

A diverse student body, faculty and staff is a key principle of the University’s long-range 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 $110 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.