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Graduation Breakfast Photo Page

Heather Ploss, Amy James, Dr. Robert Wharton and Iris Bhushan pose for a photo opportunity.

Brittan Hussing pours a cup of coffee.

Ava Skrabanek opens a gift from Dr. Robert Wharton

Susanna Taylor, Adam Taylor, Niru Bhushan and Iris Bhushan.

 

 

Congratulations Given During Fall Graduation Breakfast

More than 21 students gathered together to share their memories and cheers over coffee and breakfast foods during a pre-commencement breakfast Friday morning.

Friends, family members and faculty all braved a foggy morning to congratulate the students before walking to Reed Arena for the 9am commencement ceremony.

The students will be joining more than a thousand others graduating from the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Geosciences, Mays Business School, and the Graduates in Council of Deans (interdisciplinary graduate students).

There were a lot of excited, scared and happy emotions on everyone's faces throughout the morning. One such happy person was Greg Ploss, Heather Ploss' father.

Ploss was very excited about his daughter graduating and proud of her accomplishments.

"I think it's fantastic," he said. "She has come a long way and did very good and found something she likes."

Ploss said that she did not do well her first year when she was in another department, but improved when she changed her major to entomology. He said that Heather will be working on an internship with the Epcot Center in Florida.

"It's very early in the morning," Ava Skrabanek said. "This is so awesome." Skrabanek's future plans involve traveling to Antartica, as well as Greece, San Antonio and New York. Her mother, Anne Souby, was proud of Skrabanek's accomplishments.

Professor and Associate Department Head for Academic Programs Dr. Pete Teel greeted the crowd with a few words.

"This is a pretty special day for all of you," he said. "This will be the end of one day, but a beginning of a something else and something great. I wish you the best of luck."

Keith Blount's plans include going to Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, where he will be working on his research on pathogen modeling and vector borne diseases for the Air Force.

"I think its going to be great that I will get to use what I learned and put it to work for the Air Force," Blount said.

Retired professor Jim Olson was proud of a student he taught, Cat Zindler-Dickerson, who will be carrying the gonfalon for Graduate Studies during the ceremony.

"It certainly is an honor for her and the department," he said.

Jill Aguilar said the part about college she will miss the most are all the great memories of people she has met.

"I am really going to miss everybody," she said.

Students expected to walk the stage this semester are:

Undergraduates
Jillanda Arlene Aguilar	Entomology - Forensic Science Track
Dana Lynn Ballard	Entomology
Iris Deepti Bhushan	Entomology, Psychology minor
John Robert Fell	Entomology
Anam Hussain	Agriculture Leadership and Education, Entomology minor
Amy Rae James	Entomology
Jay Christopher Klinke	Entomology
Steven Paul Martinez	Horticulture and Entomology
Clinton Beau Pearson	Horticulture and Entomology
Michelle Suzanne Perkins	Biology, Entomology minor
Heather Colleen Ploss	Entomology
Jose Luis Sandoval	Entomology
Ava Marlies Skrabanek	Entomology, Horticulture minor
Liana-Wei-Ket Tam	Animal Science and Entomology
Jeremy Mitchell Vela	Entomology
Jenna Marie Wiatrek	Entomology
Master of Science
Jessica Marie Honaker	Entomology
Rose Wambui Irungu	Entomology
PhD Degrees
Gildardo Aquino Perez	Entomology
Keith W Blount	Entomology
Catherine Zindler Dickerson	Entomology
J Refugio Lomeli Flores	Entomology