Alumni: Brianne Corn

Gear shifts: Alumna follows her heart and chases down a life-long dream

By Audrey Webb

If it’s got a motor and wheels, Brianne Corn will race on it.

A study abroad program changed Brianne Corn’s life in ways she had never intended. In her final semester at Texas State, Corn enrolled in two courses in Italy: Italian art history and street photography. At that point, her plan was to graduate, then travel to Greece to photograph the 2004 Summer Olympics. But after a daring drive up a mountain in a rental car, Corn steered her life in a whole new direction.

On a day off from class, Corn started racing Italian drivers up a curvy mountain road — “misbehaving,” she admits with a grin — and when she finally pulled over, her heart still racing, she had what she can only refer to as an epiphany, “literally in the shadow of a castle,” she recalls.

“I asked myself a question: ‘If you won the lottery, and money was no object, what would you do?’ My answer was that I would become a rally car driver,” says Corn.

She completed her degree — a B.S. in digital and photographic imagery with an art/design minor — ditched her plans for Greece and set out full throttle to fulfill a dream that had begun when she was growing up in Victoria, Texas.

Alumni: Krystle Moore

Fearless learner: Asking questions opened doors to scholarships, mentors, career path for biology grad

Krystle Moore ’13

By Billi London-Gray

It’s hard to believe brilliant people who tell you, “Don’t be afraid to feel dumb.” But these words are the motto of Krystle Moore, who recently completed her bachelor’s degree in biology at Texas State University. Her brave, inquisitive attitude has led her to one great opportunity after another.

Alumni: Mike Kickirillo

Director of Spurs Broadcasting visits Texas State, advises future graduates

By Andrew Osegi

Spurs Basketball

Excitement was buzzing all around the classroom. Students in Larry Carlson’s Sports As News class gathered their note-taking materials as the instructor and his anticipated guest chatted near the entrance.

In an effort to examine the challenges of media coverage in sports, Mike Kickirillo, director of broadcasting for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and a Texas State alumnus, visited his alma mater Tuesday, Jan. 29, to answer questions from aspiring mass communication professionals.

Students: Stephanie Daul

Texas State junior awarded
prestigious scholarship

By Andrew Osegi

Stephanie Daul, a junior at Texas State University double-majoring in accounting and finance, was awarded the 2012 Jo Anne J. Trow National Undergraduate Scholarship this past summer. The highly prestigious scholarship is awarded to only 35 undergraduates across the United States.

Stephanie Daul, third from right, with friends during reception for Business Leadership Week

Daul received the $2,000 award through her membership in the Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) Honor Society, which she has belonged to since her freshman year. Daul qualified for her scholarship due to her 4.0 GPA, involvement on campus and recommendations from well-acquainted professors. Diann A. McCabe, director of academic development in the Honors College, says Daul “demonstrates the kind of academic depth and leadership potential that we
 hope to see in all Texas State students.”

Faculty: Steven Furney

Long-time faculty member honored for excellence in teaching

Dr. Steven Furney is the 19th faculty member at Texas State to be named a Piper Professor.

By Audrey Webb

Steven Furney, university distinguished professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, has an office tucked in a corner on the first floor of the Jowers Center. The walls of his workspace there are covered with frames displaying some of the highlights of his life. Pictures of family – he’s a father to three and grandfather to five – share space with his numerous awards and his multiple diplomas, one of which he says he got unintentionally.

Students: Ryan Winston Elliott

New ASG senator aims to embrace, represent student community

Ryan Winston Elliott (right) with friend Samantha Wiley

By Andrew Osegi ’14

Texas State University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) is one of the largest and most influential student organizations on campus. Consisting of an executive, legislative and judicial branch, ASG’s overall mission is to embody the voice of the Texas State student population and pass legislation to enhance the student experience on campus.

Every spring, ASG holds elections to usher in a new president, vice president and cabinet with the goal of refreshing student government initiatives and allowing  students to have an impact on their university. Ryan Winston Elliott is one of those elected students.

Texas State Faces: Officer Sue Stewart

Diversity makes life more fun,
says UPD Officer Sue Stewart

By Audrey Webb

Sue Stewart (R) received a 2011 Excellence in Diversity award from President Denise M. Trauth.

Texas State University takes diversity very seriously, ensuring all students their education and campus involvement will not be impeded by their race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, veterans’ status or sexual orientation. This commitment is ingrained in the Texas State culture — from such programs as the Allies of Texas State to courses that lead to a minor in diversity studies. In fact, in order to register a student organization, the group’s founders must sign a statement agreeing that “the university has a special responsibility to seek cultural diversity, to instill a global perspective in its students and to nurture sensitivity, tolerance and mutual respect.”

The commitment to making Texas State a place where diversity is embraced extends far beyond written words on a page. Sue Stewart, recipient of the 2011 Excellence in Diversity staff award and a 10-year veteran of the Texas State University Police Department, embodies diversity not only as part of her job, but also as part of her life philosophy.

“Diversity is just fun. It just is,” says Stewart. “I have found that as a police officer, if you can connect with people then you can talk about things more easily. For me, it’s important to understand why people do the things they do, mainly because it’s interesting.”

Texas State Faces: Carolyn McCall

After 38 years, McCall embodies Texas State ethos with pride

Carolyn McCall

By Andrew Osegi

Texas State University is known for being a huge school with a small feel. The warm, welcoming atmosphere of the campus is cultivated by its faculty and staff, people who have dedicated their careers to serving Texas State students — people like Carolyn McCall.

“She is one of the most wonderful supervisors I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” said DeLara Julian, an administrative assistant who worked with McCall in the Office of Educator Preparation. “Her professionalism, courtesy and consideration for everyone with whom she comes in contact are legendary in the College of Education.”

Bobcat Faces: April Hahn

For Hahn, making connections
has been best part of college

By Billi London-Gray

Life is a story, and we always hope the best chapters are yet to be written. For many soon-to-be graduates, a wonderful chapter is coming to a close, promising even better adventures just a page turn away.

April Hahn is penning the last few paragraphs of her college education this week. The Texas State University senior, who will graduate Saturday with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in journalism, says, “Conclusions are the hardest parts to write” — which aptly sums up the bittersweet experience of graduation.

Bobcat Faces: Danny Lopez

Poli sci major, classic car enthusiast
revs up for career shaping the law

By Audrey Webb

Danny Lopez likes to make things run smoothly. When he’s not on campus or at his full-time job at an Austin pawn shop, he can be found tinkering under the hood of one of his classic automobiles.

He got into his hobby at age 20 with the purchase of his first car — a 1978 El Camino he bought from his brother. “It didn’t run. It didn’t do anything. I started taking it apart until I figured out what was wrong. I was driving that car in a month,” Lopez says. He had no prior mechanical knowledge, learning as he went by reading engine repair manuals, unafraid of the challenge. “It’s just nuts and bolts, I figured,” Lopez says with a shrug.

Lopez approaches life and academic challenges with the same easygoing attitude, always ready to roll up his sleeves and get things done. Quick with a smile and a warm laugh, Lopez makes hard work look easy. Assuming he maintains his prior academic performance until the end of his final semester — and there’s no reason to suspect he won’t — he’ll graduate from Texas State University this week with a perfect 4.0 GPA.