Left: Justice Gregory Johnson, Bell County Justice of the Peace, Precinct Four, Place One, appeared as keynote speaker.
Almost 100 former A&M-Central Texas students and their guests attended an inaugural brunch celebrating the A&M-Central Texas Alumni Association which recognized three Central Texas leaders with awards this past Saturday, Sept. 21. Justice Gregory Johnson, Bell County Justice of the Peace, Precinct Four, Place One, was keynote speaker. Alumni Association Board President, Matthew Jimenez was the emcee.
Honorees include Anthony Martinez, Ph.D., receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award, joined by Mr. Abdul Subhani, receiving the Distinguished Legacy Alumni Award, and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Pete Taylor, receiving the Honorary Alumni Award.
Recipients were nominated and selected based on their accomplishments including professional achievement and career of military service, service to society, and service to the university. Kristle Castillo, Assistant Director of University Relations, thanked the alumni association board members for championing the event and recognizing worthy alumni.
“It is a significant affirmation of the alumni association board’s on-going work to re-engage former students to see almost 100 of our almost 11,000 alumni return to campus to enjoy each other’s company and honor the first award winners for all they continue to do for our community.
Celebrating the university’s 15-year anniversary, was also important to the alumni association, who added that there is convincing evidence that the university is making a significant economic impact to the Central Texas community, the state, and the nation.
“We know for a fact that completing an undergraduate or graduate degree increases the earning power of our students, in both now and over their lifetime,” Castillo added.
“Our alumni are all around us. They are businessmen and women, nurses, biologists, teachers, counselors, cybersecurity professionals, educational leaders in our school districts, and social workers.”
Chip Howell, Central Texas Liaison for Texas Senator Pete Flores, District 24, and a Legacy Alumni, having graduated from UCT, expressed his pride at the continued growth of the university in the last 15 years, adding that the senator has noted the university’s recent enrollment growth as well as its additional construction of new buildings, and congratulates the university and its faculty, staff, students, and administration on their 15 year anniversary.
The celebration, sponsored by American Veterans Mission of Killeen, offered an opportunity to network, support the alumni association, and congratulate the award winners.