More than 1,900 students crossed the stage during the Fall 2021 Commencement Ceremonies. They are innovators, veterans, intellectuals, helpers, leaders and visionaries.
No matter who they are now, or what they become, they are Bearkats for life.
Sam Houston State University graduates have made remarkable strides in their lives to reach commencement day. Here are a few examples of Bearkats graduates, who have demonstrated a “can-do” spirit through challenges and service, and remind us of the many ways Sam Houston State is preparing students for meaningful lives of achievement.
As a first-generation student from Lagos, Nigeria, adjusting to college life wasn’t easy for Kismot Kamal. Although finance and transportation difficulties made it hard while working several jobs, that didn’t stop her from fulling her dream of earning a degree in healthcare administration from Sam Houston State University.
Emily McMillen will be using her degree in Human Resource Management with an HR consulting firm, Achilles Group, after graduation. In her new role, she is hoping to improve the lives of employees by working with businesses on bettering employee accommodations.
Mikah Boyd’s passion for journalism led her to Sam Houston State University’s mass communications department as a transfer student. Once she arrived at SHSU, she soon found her sense of belonging, a strong support system, and things began to improve.
A bilingual health care studies major at Sam Houston State University, Vasty Nazario plans to continue helping bridge the language barrier gap, specifically when it comes to medical information and care. Upon graduation this month, Nazario will begin her career as a qualified mental health professional with Marvelous Counseling & Therapy, PLLC in Houston, where she began as a receptionist three years ago.
Carson Gordon, a third generation Sam Houston State University student, will be continuing her education after graduation by pursuing an MBA at SHSU. Her Bearkat family legacy begins with her grandfather who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree at SHSU. The trend continued as Gordon’s father and mother met here. After her father graduated, he served in the Army for 26 years, carrying Bearkat pride to Afghanistan with an SHSU flag.
Carlos Zimmerman has seen plenty of victories celebrated as a play-by-play announcer for 90.5 KSHU radio in Huntsville. This fall, Zimmerman celebrates a victory of his own by crossing the stage at commencement with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Sam Houston State University.
For Tiffany Taylor-Jordan, being a Bearkat graduate has become a family tradition, even if the journey was not a traditional route. Taylor-Jordan, who is graduating this fall with a bachelor’s degree in education, decided to finish her degree 20 years after she started.
Learning the ropes of college can be tricky for any student, but when Jeannine Ramirez’s life was suddenly interrupted by fears of presumed deportation, it took her stress to a new level. Despite the challenges of uncertainty, she continued on her educational path in pursuing her dream of a career in accounting.
A criminal justice major at SHSU, Jessica Smotherman has closed a chapter of life that took her over 10 years to write. Despite the struggles, she has earned a bachelor’s degree and dedicated it to her mother.
Mother to a second-grader, graduate student and full-time staff member are all titles that describe Sam Houston State University’s Anne Weathersby. Weathersby will graduate with a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, and she plans to continue working as assistant to the chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.