The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball SUMMER 2024
The line up of 2024 LSC-Tomball Graduates at TISD Stadium.
The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball
The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball DR. LEE ANN NUTT District 7 Rebecca Broussard, Trustee District 8 Mike Sullivan, Secretary District 9 Jim Cain, Ed.D., Assistant Secretary Mario Castillo, Chancellor District 4 Art Murillo, Vice Chair District 5 David A. Vogt, Trustee District 6 Myriam Saldívar, Trustee District 1 Michael Stoma, Chair District 2 Ernestine M. Pierce, Trustee District 3 Iesheia Wilson, Trustee Oh, how I love this issue of The Call each summer, where we celebrate another successful academic year and share with you some of the most joyous moments of our annual Commencement ceremony. An ever-present priority for those who work in higher education is what we refer to as ‘persistence.’ It is incredibly important to us that we do all we can to assist students in sticking to their educational plan and moving forward in their personal journey to achieve what it is they set out to do. Graduates are those who have persisted and come out on the other side. It is the ultimate reward for an educator and I continue to find it humbling and joyous as I witness the celebration of such accomplishments. You’ll find herein a few other celebrations, as well, of individual student accomplishments, of longtime faculty excellence, of community members who see the power of what we do at Lone Star College and choose to join us in our mission through scholarship donations. But we have little time to look behind us. We have big plans for this forthcoming academic year and we will spend the summer preparing. One initiative that I’m particularly proud of is one I’ve mentioned in these pages before. Our ‘Students’ Voice will be the Loudest’ project resulted in solid concrete action last year that I feel demonstrated our commitment to listening to those whom we serve. We will continue to channel that commitment into the four priority areas of that project, which were determined by evaluating student responses to several intentional surveys and forums. In the coming year, we will continue to focus on cultivating: a sense of community and belonging, faculty accessibility and engagement, access to campus support and resources, and the improvement of facilities and infrastructure. The work continues; we move forward.
The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball
The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball
T he Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF) awarded Alexis Lopez, a Lone Star College-Tomball student, the prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The national scholarship will cover a significant share of a student’s educational expenses to complete their bachelor’s degree. “Receiving a Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship can be transformative,” said Mario K. Castillo, J.D., LSC chancellor. “This opportunity will open the door to a whole new world of possibilities. My congratulations to Alexis and to all the Lone Star College Jack Kent Cooke semifinalists for what they have accomplished.” In addition to receiving the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, Lopez is an Honors College Chancellor’s Fellow, Barry Goldwater Award recipient and LSC work study student. Lopez will receive up to $55,000 per year for up to three years to cover a substantial share of educational expenses including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees. “We are so proud of Alexis for this amazing accomplishment,” said Katharine Caruso, Ph.D., LSC associate vice chancellor, Honors and International Education. “Alexis is enrolled in the Lone Star Honors College which meets the needs of highachieving students who are looking to improve their college transcripts and transferability with challenging coursework.” Lopez will receive all-inclusive educational advising from JKCF staff to guide her through the process of transitioning to a four-year school. To date, 32 LSC students have been awarded the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship since 2012.
The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball T he Great Plains Honors Council conferred the Dennis Boe Award to LSC-Tomball Honors student Guiliana Sodaro for her paper titled "Who Tells Your Story: The Implications of Historical Inaccuracy in Hamilton." The Dennis Boe Award showcases and rewards outstanding scholarly work by the honors college students of its member institutions. Sodaro’s winning paper examines how historical accuracies or inaccuracies in the genre of historical fiction impact society’s perception of history and individual characters. “I chose Hamilton kind of on accident,” said Sodaro a Political Science major. “I was going to write about the ties between theatre and liberalism, but the topic was way too broad. Ultimately, I realized I had a lot of thoughts on the way Hamilton presented ‘historical facts,’ so I switched gears with only two weeks left on the project!” Sodaro presented her paper at Honors Day, where she was selected to present again at the Great Plains Honors Conference. Ava Veselis, LSCTomball Professor and Honors College Director, encouraged Sodaro to submit her work for the Dennis Boe Award. “Professor Veselis held my hand through the process,” said Sodaro. “She showed me how to submit my paper, and over winter break, she edited my paper multiple time so it would be ready.” When Sodaro didn’t receive an award email early on, she assumed she hadn’t won. “I thought I lost, and I had come to terms with losing,” said Sodaro. “I hung a sticky note on an Honors office door, that said ‘RIP to my Boe award’ with a heartbroken emoji.” said Sodaro. “So, when I found out I won, I was shocked! Winning was validation of the hard work I put into the paper and my academic ability.” After LSC-Tomball, Sodaro will attend a four-year university. Rice is her top choice. She will continue to study political science, and eventually earn a Master of Public Affairs and a Juris Doctor Dual Degree. Her goal is to work in legislation.
INCREASING CAPACITY TO LEAD
IN THE SUNNY LSC-TOMBALL CAREER AND TRANSFER CONNECTIONS CENTER, the inaugural cohort of the LSC-Tomball Timberwolf leaders sat shoulder to shoulder in the front row of the crowded farewell ceremony in their honor. The atmosphere was energetic, reflective, and tinged with a hint of sadness. Sponsored by the LSC-Tomball Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) Title III Grant Initiative, these six students have spent the past year creating and leading projects across the LSC-Tomball campus. Their efforts aligned with their career goals and have positively impacted the college and the community. “Working at LSC Tomball has been a transformative experience for me,” said Danna Munguia LSC-Tomball Graduate, recently accepted to Rice University. “A year ago, I didn’t know I could be a leader. However, in the Timberwolf Leader (TL) role, I had the freedom to explore my capabilities and passion for my desired career path of business marketing. I developed skills in organization, collaboration, and self-advocacy. Being part of this extraordinary program has enhanced my personal growth and prepared me for my future professional endeavors in the business industry.” Following an interview process, the students were invited to participate in the TL work-study program. The leaders were placed in college departments with specific needs, such as the Career and Transfer Connection Center, the Research and Innovation Center, Multimedia Services, the Timberwolf Wellness Center, and Strategic Initiatives. In these areas, the students created and spearheaded projects that paralleled their career goals, including habitat restoration, the creation of a drug prevention program, producing promotional videos, and developing marketing campaigns. At the farewell ceremony, there was laughter and tears as each TL’s manager shared with the audience the positive impact the TLs had on the college, on them, and expressed how each leader would be missed. “These past couple of semesters the Timberwolf Leaders have done quite well,” said Terri Garcia, Title III Grant Manager, and founder of the TL program. “I am grateful for their willingness to rise to expectations, allowing themselves and each other to hold space for existence, for growth, and development. This program and the founding TLP members have helped build something that has impacted and embraced so many at LSC-Tomball.” The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball
The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball L SC-Tomball graduate, Kathryn Price, is a three-time recipient of prestigious Jack Kent Cooke (JKC) awards. The JKC scholarships provide financial assistance and academic support to outstanding students. Price was awarded the undergraduate and graduate awards as well as internship stipend. Price worked hard to earn her first JKC Transfer scholarship. “There was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears put into earning my first JKC scholarship,” said Price. “I had to maintain my grades. I spent more time in the Tutoring Center working on math than I spent in the classroom.” Price’s hard work paid off, and she was accepted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK), an official honor society for two-year colleges. Laura Dupree, LSC-Tomball Professor and PTK Chapter Advisor, spent lots of time coaching Price through scholarship submissions, and activities to round out her application. “Professor Dupree encouraged me to push past my comfort zone. To do things I never imagined I would be capable of,” said Price. “I took on numerous projects, public speaking roles, which I was terrified of, and eventually became the chapter president in 2020-2021.” Price received the JKC Undergraduate Transfer scholarship in August 2021 while she was at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) working on her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management. In December 2023, Price graduated from SHSU magna cum laude. Price didn't stop there. “The first time I applied for the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship, I was rejected," said Price. “I spent months working on my application and conversing with a JKC Foundation graduate scholar advisor. But I still wasn't certain I had conveyed my goals in a way that would be understandable and supported.” Price’s hard work paid off again. She received the award announcements for the Jack Kent Cooke Internship Stipend in April 2023 and the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate scholarship in March 2024. “I was ecstatic when I received the emails; my family and I immediately celebrated with a molten chocolate cake from Chili's,” said Price. Price received the internship stipend in the Summer of 2023. She interned at LSC-Tomball with Dupree to create a sandbox for the campus PTK on Desire2Learn (D2L), a cloud-based learning management system, used by schools and businesses for online and blended classroom learning. “My internship was extremely satisfying,” said Price. “I was able to give back to LSC-Tomball and PTK, the organizations that helped me achieve so much. I'm positive the sandbox will help members become more familiar with the resources of PTK. I hope it will be an encouragement for more students to push outside their comfort zone and accomplish more than they believed they could.” Price will return to SHSU and enroll in the College of Education’s Curriculum and Instruction Program. She plans to become a community college professor so she can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges educators face. Her goal is to start an education servicebased business that will accurately address teachers' needs. Price is proud of her achievements and is grateful for the opportunities the scholarships have provided. However, for Price, the best feeling of all is making her mom proud. “Growing up, I watched my single mom struggle to care for two children, ailing parents, and attend college all on her own. I always called her Wonder Woman, because I couldn't imagine having so much on my plate,” said Price. “Sadly, my mom had to drop out of college. I know she always regretted that choice. It means so much to me to be able to show her that she raised a daughter capable of receiving these a c a d e m i c awards, and being able to complete university with not one, but soon to be three degrees, debtfree, has made her so proud. That means the world to me."
When Clifton Fox, a History P r o f e s s o r, and William Simcik, a Biology Professor, began their teaching careers in 1989, LSC-Tomball was a little different. The entire LSC-Tomball campus consisted of one building, while a field covered in bluebonnets occupied the area where the library and Performing Arts Building now stand. The Commons featured Ficus trees growing through holes in the foundation, giving the indoors an atmosphere of natural energy and a garden ambiance. There were only a few computers on campus, no network, and no internet. Faculty checked their physical office mailboxes daily to keep up with communication. On Fox’s first day of teaching at LSCTomball, he recalls whistling his way into work. Ever since he learned that being a college professor was a job, he knew that’s what he wanted to be. Although he taught as a graduate assistant and had a year-long temporary teaching position beforehand, “LSC-Tomball was my first real job, and it was a wonderful thing,” said Fox. After Simcik completed his PhD at MD Anderson (MDA) UTHealth Houston Graduate School he thought he would spend his life as a research biologist looking for a cancer cure. But a short time later, LSC-Tomball called UT in need of an adjunct (part-time) Biology Professor, and Simcik was selected to teach the class. At the end of the semester, Simcik was offered a full-time position. He never went back to MDA. “I loved being in the classroom,” said Simcik. Fast forward 35 years and Fox and Simcik say they’ve gotten a lot out of their time at LSC-Tomball. Simcik says the single most rewarding event from his LSC career is meeting Dr. Rebecca Tate, his wife and companion of 28 years. In 2016, he and Tate worked together with Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) students to bring Dr. Jim Allison, the 2018 Medicine Nobel Prize winner, to LSC-Tomball to speak about his breakthrough cancer treatment, immunotherapy. For 14 years, Simcik served in LSCTomball administration, in positions including Dean, Interim-Vice-President of Instruction, and the Natural Sciences Chair. While Simcik has earned two Faculty Excellence awards and a PTK Advisor award, he finds the success of his students to be the greatest reward. For Fox, the most rewarding part of his career has simply been the opportunity to teach. He served as the
“I didn’t do that well with history in high school, so I was skeptical about taking history in college. But Professor Fox made learning history interesting. He developed relationships with his students by asking engaging questions, making class fun, and assisting us when we needed help understanding a concept. He’s such a great teacher, I told my boyfriend he had to take his class next semester.” Abigail Moira, LSC-Tomball Student “Cliff has a true passion for teaching. He approaches history as a story. You can hear him lecture from down the hallway with his booming engaging voice. He has also read pretty much every book that you can imagine, and he is known for regaling students and colleagues with an incredible range of information. If any of us in the history department want a review of a new monograph, we go straight to Cliff.” Alice Ferron-Gabriele, LSC-Tomball History Professor “I was very nervous about taking my first college science course. But Dr. Simcik made class interesting. His style of teaching was conversational, allowing students to lead the lecture where we needed extra time. He is openminded and manages to remove student stress from his classroom as much as possible. A great professor causes their students to fall in love with the content and with learning. That’s what Dr. Simcik does.” Travis Holden, LSC-Tomball Student “Bill has devoted himself to this campus as a teacher, leader, and community member. Although we teach in different departments, I’ve gotten to know Bill through the various committees we’ve worked on such as the Academic Appeals Committee and the Rights and Responsibilities Committee. Bill does not shy away from chairing committees. He is systematic, fair-minded, and cheerful. His dedication to the campus and the community is shown by his service on LSCTomball’s Behavioral Intervention Team and Tomball Regional Hospital’s Bioethics Committee. There have also been personal dividends to working with Bill. After Bill heard that I told my wife she could have a cat if I wasn’t allergic to it, Bill’s expertise in biology and his interest in cats came together. Much to my wife’s delight, Bill learned of a breed of cats that is hypoallergenic. What I admire most about Bill is that his commitment to LSC has not waned in 35 years.” Doug Boyd, LSC-Tomball English Professor Social Sciences Department Chair, but the experience further confirmed that teaching was his true passion. Fox's interest has always been reading. He enjoys delving into history and the complexity it offers and relishes the challenge of explaining it to students. Without reading, he says he would have no inspiration to share with his class. He firmly believes that LSCTomball is his place, expressing, "This is it, LSC-Tomball is where I fit." The LSC-Tomball community has had the privilege of benefiting from the dedicated service of Fox and Simcik for 35 years. Throughout their tenure, they have observed the campus double in size, witnessed significant increases in enrollment, and navigated the evolving landscape of higher education with admirable poise. As they mark this 35-year of service milestone, LSCTomball expresses its deep gratitude for their unwavering commitment and invaluable contributions.
committee, and was a Student Success Institute mentor. In 2019, Benifield received the Tomball Faculty Excellence Award. In addition to her work at LSC, Benifield is the President of the Houston Voting Initiative, a nonprofit political organization whose mission is to register, educate, mobilize, and turnout voters in marginalized communities of color across Houston. She was President of the Texas Community College Teachers Association and remains the CEO of its Foundation for Professional Excellence in the Community College. Benifield served as the Houston League of Women Voters President and still helps new citizens get registered to vote on the Naturalization Ceremonies Team. She is the recipient of the Governor’s Yellow Rose of Texas award and received a proclamation proclaiming May 17, 2023, as Dr. Annie Johnson Benifield Day in Houston, TX. To make Benifield’s title award even more significant, Chancellor Mario K. Castillo announced, henceforth, that each named Professor Emeritus will have a fully endowed student scholarship established in their name, ensuring their legacy lives on. “Education is the most powerful weapon one can use to change the world,” said Benifield. “I am deeply humbled and extremely honored by this extraordinary recognition. The endowed scholarship is decisively emblematic of the transforming impact education has and its resonating and amplifying impact on society which will be a legacy for future generations.” Upon the Chancellor’s recommendation, the LSC Board can confer the Emeritus title upon retiring faculty, administrators, or staff to recognize significant contributions to the College through long and distinguished service in administration, teaching, support, or other service. “I am deeply appreciative of my experience as an educator at LSCTomball where thousands of students benefited from my classroom tenure through teaching and mentoring,” said Benifield. “But I never imagined it would translate into Professor Emerita status.” Benifield came to LSC in 1998 and remained a Political Science professor until her retirement. She became Department Chair for the Social Sciences in August 2012 and served in the role until she retired. Benifield participated in numerous hiring committees, curriculum teams, and the Center for Civic Engagement T he Lone Star College Board of Trustees awarded the title of Professor Emerita to Dr. Annie Johnson Benifield, former LSC-Tomball Political Science Professor, on May 2. Benifield is the first LSC-Tomball employee to receive the distinguished title. Benifield retired in August 2021 after teaching at LSC-Tomball for 23 years. “Dr. Benifield has served LSC like no other,” said Dr. Patrick Gilbert, LSC-Tomball Government Professor. “Dr. Benifield held high expectations for her students and gave them the best possible education. Throughout her career, she readily embraced the ever-changing world of education and remained a lifelong learner.”
Imagine You've Got Mail in musical theatre form! She Loves Me a Bock and Harnick show left the audience with warm fuzzies this spring and was the first musical on the Performing Arts Stage since 2017. The family-friendly, feel-good musical featured two Tommy Tune award winners, student talents who have performed with the Houston Symphony and Theatre Under the Stars, and those from the LSC-Tomball Artist Development Program roster. Area theatrical choreographer Jenny Moyado created the dance elements, which add to the magic of the delightful production. LSC-Tomball hosted its annual reception to celebrate the generosity of the 2023- 2024 academic year scholarship donors. The event gave scholarship recipients the chance to express their gratitude. Among them, Danna Munguia, a first-generation college student and Chancellor’s Essay scholarship recipient, shared her journey. She spoke about losing her father to cancer and the loneliness and disorientation she experienced after relocating from Mexico to the United States. Munguia explained that through participation in LSCTomball organizations such as the Honors College, the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and the LSC-Tomball Student Government, combined with the financial aid she received from her scholarship, her outlook on life had been transformed. In her winning essay, Munguia wrote, “Lone Star College has changed my life and has granted me the power to dream beyond my limitations.” The CALL of the Timberwolf | Summer 2024 LoneStar.edu/Tomball Donors Recognized