Raiders Who Rock Stories

Li Zhou
Nominator:Nora Griffin-Shirley

Li Zhou, a doctoral student in the Special Education Program in the College of Education, was a recipient of a Chancellor’s Fellowship last year which enabled him to come from China to study at TTU. I am nominating Li because he exhibits the values of character, determination, diversity, hard work, perseverance, and persistence. Li is legally blind from macular degeneration. While he was in China he attended a normal university without letting anyone know he visually impaired as people could not attend college if they were visually impaired. He could not read the blackboard which was difficult for a math major. He taught himself by reading textbooks. Upon graduating, he took a job at Beijing School for the Blind teaching math to children with blindness.

When Li came to TTU he did not realize what was available in a U.S. university for students with visual impairments to assist with their coursework and that “it was okay to be blind.” Last spring Li learned how to use a long cane for the first time to learn how to travel independently as he cannot see at night. This was very difficult for Li as he had hid his blindness for many years.

Currently, Li is a graduate assistant who quietly does his work by using a voice synthesizer. He strives for perfection. In July Li presented at an international conference on research related to assistive technology for issues globally. Li sets an example for others. He has a strong work ethic and asks to be treated like anyone else.

In May he returned to China to marry Yee, who is also visually impaired. Currently she is learning English. Li is showing Yee how to live in the U.S. as a person with a visual impairment. He is a devoted and caring husband. I have been honored to be Li’s advisor and teacher. He is very deserving of being a Raider Who Rocks.

Amy Parker
Nominator: Nora Griffin-Shirley

Amy is currently enrolled in our special education doctoral program at the Virginia Murray Sowell Center within the College of Education at Texas Tech University. Hr program of study is focusing on educational programming for children with vision loss and deaf/blindness.

I am nominating Amy because she has demonstrated her ability has a student and because she has demonstrated leadership in the field of deaf/blindness. Amy has a 4.0 grade point average. Her work in field of deaf/blindness has included working with a national technical assistant grant as well as working for the Helen Keller National Center. Amy has a strong passion for the field of vision loss and deaf/blindness. Amy has a son who has autism. She has been very active in the establishment of a business, Double Spectrum, which provides technical assistance to public schools in the Lubbock area concerning teaching children with dual diagnosis (blindness and autism, deaf/blind and autism). In addition, she is committed to helping other parents with children who have autism by being a strong advocate.

When I read the values listed on the Foundation for a Better Life website I am struck by how many Amy demonstrates. Certainly, she has great ambition since she has won a national fellowship to prepare her to become a leader in the field of deaf/blindness and education of people with blindness. She believes in her own abilities to share knowledge with others about people with autism and deaf/blindness. She is committed to making a difference for people who are deaf/blind worldwide. She did the right thing by moving her family here to complete a doctoral program. Amy is adept at balancing family, school, and work. She is always mindful and grateful of the sacrifice her husband is making by being a stay at home dad so she can complete her degree. When someone is ill, Amy is there to assist in anyway she can by bringing food for lunch of just listening. Amy is persistent in her studies and strives for excellence in her coursework. Already, she is a published researcher. I look forward to seeing the impact Amy will make on public policy for people with disabilities in the future. Truly, Amy is a Raider Who Rocks

Women's Service Organization
Nominator: Kellen McAnulty

Since its’ beginning in 1959, Women’s Service Organization has been dedicated to helping others and had an ambition to promote friendship in all occasions. WSO is an organization filled with a unique diversity of women who come together on the common ground of service. All of the members promote caring and compassion throughout the Texas Tech and Lubbock communities through their continuous efforts to pass along their commitment to do the right thing and also teach others to do the same by their example.

Women’s Service Organization has worked throughout the community for 49 years through such programs as Habitat for Humanity, Adopt-A-Highway, Lion’s Club, Hearts and Hooves, Child Protective Services, and so many more. Their devotion and hard work to all the organizations they volunteer for only benefits the image that the community has of the younger generation. Hope inspires optimism and the appreciation all of the members WSO have for making the right choices and sharing their strength with others shows true integrity. As they enter their 50th year of character, love, respect, unity, and vision, the women of WSO will continue to learn from the opportunities they have to take their responsibility of leading the community to reach out and help their neighbors. Members of Women’s Service Organization are truly Raiders Who Rock.

The Chemistry Scholars
Nominator: Bob Blake

The Chemistry Scholars are Chemistry and Biochemistry majors who lead discussion sections for Introductory Chemistry and General Chemistry. They get paid less than they would for most off-campus jobs, but tireless give their time to explain chemistry to their fellow students. In addition to leading discussion sections, the Chemistry Scholars have offered additional exam reviews and tutored high school students without pay. The work of the Chemistry Scholars has resulted in higher exam scores for their students.

Alyssa Harrison
Nominator: Janelle Duran

Alyssa is very friendly and always tried to help someone out. When she is at work she will go above and beyond helping students who come in with questions. She never has a bad attitude and comes in very upbeat. She has tons of friends and is always willing to make new ones. She is also in dance and has performed a few times. Alyssa is a Raider Who Rocks!

Courtney Meyers
Nominator: Carolyn John

When she teachers, she is caring, committed, courageous, confident, courteous, dedicated, encouraging, helpful, patient, and she listens to her students. She will make changes to her plans to accommodate the students’ needs while staying on schedule. I have learned so much from her because she willing to teach us what we don’t know, and willing to make changes to accommodate our lack of skill.

Megan Robare
Nominator: Cate Bibb

Megan serves as the President of the Panhellenic Council at Texas Tech University after having previously served as the 2008 Vice President. Megan is well spoken, humble, and able to offer perspectives that relate to the improvement of the Greek Community and Texas Tech University. Combined with her efficiency and objectivity, her ability to relate to others is a quality that distinguishes her leadership style. She is a tireless worker, but throughout all of this, Megan is always cheerful and dependable.

Megan demonstrated The Foundation for a Better Life’s values every day. When her peers made certain choices that did no align with The Foundation’s values, Megan showed her Character by talking Honestly with her peers and expressing the need to make values based choices. Megan’s personal Integrity gave her the Courage and Strength to confront her peers. Megan also Taught by Example in this situation by not participating in the questionable activities and making the Right Choices. Megan’s personal sense of Responsibility guides her in her daily decision making and I s evident in the way she approached her peers.

Megan is a stellar representative for the Greek Community, and exemplifies the National Panhellenic Conference’s motto, “Grow, Live, Lead, Succeed,” as she consistently seeks to grow in her development as a leader, give back to the Lubbock, Texas Tech, and Greek communities, lead her peers with integrity, and succeed in her personal life as well as her role in Panhellenic. I am proud of Megan’s selfless service and appreciate greatly her willingness to go above and beyond as will as her team oriented attitude. I admire her desire to learn, excel, and “Strive for Honor.”

Texas Tech Greek Community
Nominators: Cate Bibb & Jason Biggs

For the first time, Texas Tech’s Greek Community teamed up to build a Habitat for Humanity home for a local single father, Enrique Orosco and his son, Hayden, who were in need of a home of their own. Panhellenic, IFC, IGC, and NHPC, the four Greek governing councils at Tech, adopted Habitat for Humanity as their spring 2009 Greek-wide community service project and poured an immense amount of time, love, and devotion into this demanding but worthwhile project. The 30-plus sororities and fraternities at Tech were responsible for raising $15 per member in efforts to raise a minimum of $45,000 to build a home for a local Lubbock family. In the end, the students’ efforts raised around $70,000 to go toward this build and future Habitat builds. The Greek community at Tech has accomplished an amazing feat, as not only did the students themselves raise the funds, but they were also the ones who organized the build and gave their time and effort to build the home.

To ensure the minimum amount of money was raised, the councils implemented a “Black Out” UT campaign for the Texas Tech vs. UT game in the fall. T-shirts were sold the week prior to the game resulting in over 2,000 shirts sold and over $9,000 raised to benefit the build. Greek members also held bake sales and sought out the collaboration of their alumni, families, and community partners for additional contributions.

In preparation for the build, leaders in the Greek community invested time in hands-on weekend training sessions with the Lubbock Habitat for Humanity staff and community. Habitat commit meetings were also a regular occurrence to help with the logistics, publicity, and safety for this eventful weekend. The build took place over three consecutive days, with building occurring 24 hours around the clock at the site on Greek Circle. Over the course of the three days there were 13, four hours shifts in which each fraternity and sorority had 15 members volunteer. Once the house was completed, it was moved to its pre-determined destination in a Habitat neighborhood.

Often, Greek letter organizations are criticized for not living the values they espouse; however, throughout this project, I have witnessed an incredible number of values based actions. I have felt the Caring that these students feel for this family, the Commitment they have to achieve their goal, the Compassion they have for those less fortunate, and the Generosity that each members of the Community has given to make this project possible. As this has been a two year effort, the Determination to succeed is clearly evident as the first attempt in 2007 actually could be counted as a failure. Many times, students can be self-absorbed, but the Greek Community at Texas Tech is passionate about Giving Back to the Tech and Lubbock communities, and this project is a visible example. It has not been an easy road, but the Hard Work that the core committee put forth is what made the Greek Build project succeed. The students’ desire to Help Others and Make a Difference were the driving motivations behind choosing such a daunting task. Much Sacrifice went into this project, including monetary donations, time, and especially physical labor. The students with the midnight-4am and 4am-8am shifts deserve much recognition and praise as this was a significant Sacrifice of their time. Greek Build 2009 would not have been possible without the Teamwork of the students on the committee, the Texas Tech Habitat for Humanity Chapter, the Lubbock Habitat for Humanity, and the entire fraternity and sorority community at Texas Tech. The Unity they displayed is motivational and their Vision became a realized success!

George Comiskey
Nominator: Shannon Burdett

George Comiskey is unlike any other professor at Texas Tech. His ambition and passion for young people, both college students and elementary and junior high kids, is contagious. He is the faculty representative for a service organization on campus – the Association of Students About Service. George has always had an open-door policy when it comes to his office. Whenever he is there, you are welcome.

He has spent more time pouring into students’ lives than humanly possible. He believes that you can only keep what you have by giving it away, and he does just that. Whether you want to go over an exam, talk about life, goof off, or you just need somewhere to sit and be yourself and fee comfortable – George Comiskey has provided that place. He has left footprints on my soul in a way that I will never be the same…and I know I’m not alone in that.

Pi Beta Phi
Nominator: Kelsey Whiteside

As Vice President of Philanthropy, it is my pleasure to nominate my sisters of Pi Beta Phi for the Raiders Who Rock program. We were recently named first in grades of all Greek organizations, continually work and serve to promote literacy for the Pi Phi Foundation and First Book, and work to best serve our community. Pi Phi volunteers with UMC at Angel Library, Guadalupe-Parkway after school program, and various events such as the Lions Club Pancake Festival and Relay for Life. My sorority has shown me friendship, determination, trust, laughter, and devotion. We are proud to be part of Pi Beta Phi! And we are proud to be Red Raiders!

TTU Gymnastics Club
Nominator: Jonathan Elliott

Texas Tech Gymnastics Club is a student organization that rocks, tumbles, and flips! Throughout the last couple of years the club has been through tremendous amounts of adversity, yet always finds a way to persevere through a unified band of strength. This club produces class and grace and consistently is a model organization in the Sports Club Federation.

This effort wouldn’t be possible without the selfless leadership of Sarah Gummelt. She has the total admiration and respect of her club – a feat that is hard to accomplish within a group of peers. Her heart and dedication to the club is remarkable and I genuinely wish I had more leaders like her within our program.

Ian Graves
Nominator: Jonathan Elliott

If I could use a definition for the word “humble,” Ian would be the perfect description. I’ve had a lot of leaders come through the Sports Club Federation, and by far Ian has shown the most character and humility through his leadership of the Baseball Club. The most interesting thing about Ian is the level of respect he has earned as president from his teammates. Ian wears a variety of hats from catcher, president and coach, to mentor, friend and role model. Guiding a group of young men is challenging, yet Ian has fulfilled this capacity with honesty, integrity, and care. Great job, Ian – you rock!

Kyle Crowl
Nominator: Kristy French

He is in the Farmhouse fraternity and also very involved in the Student Government Association, he is currently the committee chair for the Budget and Finance committee.

Kyle’s decision to get involved on campus was driven by his desire to take things to the next level. He wanted to take what was done in the past (through SGA) and make it better for the future. His favorite things about Tech are that it is not cliquey and that he can walk across campus and see five to ten people that he has relationships with.

Autumn Bollinger
Nominator: Amanda Eldredge

Ms. Bollinger is a highly valued member of Impact Tech, a Texas Tech University peer health education organization dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging responsible, informed decision-making skills among students. Ms. Bollinger has been an active member of Impact Tech for four years.

Every year Impact Tech members amaze me with their strong commitment to helping their peers, but when I began my job I knew Ms. Bollinger was going to be a member that stood out among the rest. These Impact Tech members spend numerous hours a day in classes, working, studying, getting involved with other organizations, and are still very eager to come for another one and half hour training every Wednesday night. Ms. Bollinger is always a highly motivated initiator, consistently tackling new projects with enthusiasm and focus at our meetings. While many students express initial excitement in a new project, but quickly lose interest, Ms. Bollinger follows through with commitment and attention to detail. One of the main duties of Impact Tech members is to create programs and presentations to educate their peers on health and wellness issues. Ms. Bollinger always out shines all the other members with her creative additions and twist that she puts on the program. Ms. Bollinger’s level of intellectual curiosity and industry are also exceptional. When opportunities to expand her knowledge and skills are made available, Ms. Bollinger takes them. I have every confidence that the motivation and commitment to follow-through I have observed will serve her well during your academic career.

In summary, Ms. Bollinger has made important contributions to the quality of our program and campus community. I recommend her without reservation for the Raiders Who Rock Award.

Rebecca Rugg
Nominator: Susan J. Martin

Rebecca, or more commonly known as Becca, is such a great friend, overall person, and more importantly a great leader! She works as one of the students who are in charge of the Student Information Desk in the Student Union Building and always has a smile on her face, and is eager to help out other faculty, staff and fellow students! On top of all of this, she still manages to stay involved with her sorority Chi Omega on a regular basis. Most importantly though she is always there for her friends and is probably one of the best listeners I know! Tech should be proud to have her as a current student, and will definitely benefit by recruiting more girls like Becca!

Glen Biglaiser
Nominator: Mia R. Hall

Dr. Glen Biglaiser, a professor in the Political Science Department of Texas Tech is a Raider Who Rocks for many reasons. I took an upper level political science course from Dr. Biglaiser my senior year at Tech and he is one of the reasons that I decided to pursue my Ph.D. His class was very engaging and reinforced my love of political phenomena, but also, as a professor he interacted with us as students and made us go beyond memorizing sections of text. When I approached him about writing a recommendation letter for my application for graduate school he was not only accommodating, but also very encouraging and reassured me that I was well equipped for the task and that he would be happy to help in any way.

I am now in my third year of grad school here at Tech, have taken three more classes with Dr. Biglaiser and have acted as his teaching assistant. He has been my fiercest supporter and the greatest advocate for me as a student. His encouragement, support, and guidance have kept me on track when I felt overwhelmed or underprepared. Dr. Biglaiser has provided me with the opportunity to co-author a paper with him that is now under review at a prestigious political science journal and has been an excellent sounding board for dissertation ideas and career choices. Overall, there is no way that I would have done as well in the program if not for the support and confidence that Dr. Biglaiser has shown me and I believe that many of his students feel the same.

Serkan Balyimez
Nominator: Mark Webb

Serkan leads the Intercultural Dialog Association, a student group dedicated to promoting understanding among different religious and cultural groups. He also organizes and participates in many events meant to bring people together through the Raindrop Turkish House, which is Lubbock's Turkish Cultural Center. He exemplifies lots of Raiders Who Rock values, including generosity, friendship, teaching by example, teamwork, and many more!

Marc Morales
Nominator: Paige Smith

Marc is a very hard working, dedicated co-worker but his real passion comes out when he is working for his organization. His dedication towards improving the Hispanic Society and the Hispanic community at Tech is very inspiring. This is why Marc is a Raider Who Rocks.

This is Marc’s 2nd year in the Hispanic Student Society. He is also a part of Phi Alpha Delta, Unidos por un Mismo Idioma, and participates in a bible study. His favorite things about Texas Tech are the sports and the sense of community and pride.

Jon Michael Rogers
Nominator: Jonathan Elliott

Jon Michael is definitely a Raider Who Rocks. I know him through his employment at Rec Sports as Sport Clubs Supervisor. He has done an exceptional job by exhibiting mature interpersonal communication skills and the ability to adapt and deal with diverse situations. He absolutely leads by example and is a perfect example of how an employee should be. Because of his work ethic and hard work, I created a senior supervisory position for Jon Michael because he is such an essential part of our program. He was very deserving of this promotion and is equally deserving to be a Raider Who Rocks through his sacrifice and involvement within the Sports Clubs Federation. He has the total respect of his peers and this program wouldn’t be as successful without the help of Jon Michael Rodgers.

Ryan Wildberger
Nominator: Lindsay Gibson

Ryan Wildberger is a senior Center Manager at the TTU Recreation Center. He has worked at the SRC for a couple of years, and he got the opportunity to become a CM last summer. Over the past year, Ryan has become a leader to the 10 CMs and 60 student assistants that he works with. Ryan uses each shift as an opportunity to teach other students how to do their best and be a leader. He has taken on extra responsibilities, such as acting as the Co-Chair for the Trainer’s Committee, which demonstrated his dedication and commitment to our department. Two of Ryan’s strengths are his character and integrity. He maintains his character and integrity through any situation that arises and always strives to do the best thing for the department. He puts the team before himself, and that is evident during each shift he works. Ryan has become one of the people that many students look to for advice and know they can count on. He is an integral part of our family here at the SRC, and we appreciate all that he does.

Achante Sellars
Nominator: Maria Fernandez

It is truly an honor to recommend Achante Sellars as a Raider Who Rocks. Achante is a wonderful young lady who always strives to do her best. When I first met Ms. Sellars I knew that she would be an asset to Upward Bound Programs when I learned that her everyday motto is "Live everyday as your last, forgive and forget, love as much as you can, and smile every chance you get".

Achante has worked as a tutor for Upward Bound for over a year. Her commitment to student and program success lead her to advance to lead tutor coordinator within just a few months. Achante spends her Saturday mornings at the Texas Tech campus providing the skills and motivation to succeed to first generation, limited income students. Achante’s contributions to Texas Tech University, Lubbock, and West Texas are too numerous to count. Achante is an intelligent, responsible, patient and energetic young woman, who favorably impresses everyone that she meets. The great respect, admiration, and popularity she has gained over the years speak well of her. When you meet Achante, it is very hard not to get caught up in whatever excitement she has for the projects she is involved with at that moment. What I admire most about Achante is the fact that she always shares her knowledge with other students that she meets. Not only does she inspire them to do better, she is helping them every step of the way.

Achante has spent her time while working with Upward Bound making it possible for the area’s youth, regardless of racial, education or economic background, to improve their lives and find success through education. She works tirelessly to find young people who can benefit from the extra opportunities that Texas Tech University provides, and then she guides them to excellence with a firm yet gentle hand. Achante listens to students’ concerns, helps them make right choices, and encourages them endlessly. Because Achante believes so strong in the students, they believe more strongly in themselves. Achante’s positive attitude is contagious, regardless of what situation she encounters, rest assured that she will persevere.

Achante’s commitment to education earned her a 4.0 G.P.A. during the fall ’07 semester and she currently has a 3.81 G.P.A. Achante is a true leader in and out of the classroom. Her commitment to community service does not go unnoticed. She is actively volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls club Ted Phea Branch of Lubbock, Alpha Lambda Delta, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Dr. Bernard-Harris Pre-Medical Society.

When I initially hired Achante I had no doubt that she would do an outstanding job. What I did not realize until after she started working is that she has the ability to “walk on water”. Achante has earned the respect of every co-worker, student and parent that she works with. There is no doubt that Achante is an outstanding Raider Who Rocks. Her commitment to education is admirable.

I strongly support Achante Sellers in all of her educational and life’s endeavors. She has the potential and capability for great success. If I can be of any further assistance, please contact me at any time. I wish for Achante only the very best.

Matt Legler
Nominator: Kimberly Stewart

Matthew does anything he can to help out those around him. He is a genuine friend to all and really goes out of his way to make people feel comfortable and loved. If someone is hurting, having a bad day, or just needs someone to talk to he will not only sit with them, but pray with them as well, even if it is over the phone or through a text message. He is the Complex Council Co-coordinator of finances for Gordon, and active participant and exemplary Honors College student, and an active member of the Texas Tech community. He is a member of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, will be a counselor for Foundation in the fall of 2009, has applied for a position on the Red Raider Orientation staff for the summer of 2009, and has applied to be a Community Advisor for the 2009-2010 school year. Through everything he is doing well in school, keeping a 4.0 GPA, and manages to be a great friend, mentor, and someone to look up to. I as well as all who know him respect Matthew in the highest degree and think he deserves this award as much as anybody else.

Claire Puzio
Nominator: Ann Walker

She rocks because she is a hard working dedicated young lady with so many passions about GSA and life in general. She is currently the president of GSA here on campus and she has been doing n excellent job leading a minority group of peers, providing them with a safe place for the GLBT community to feel accepted in a very conservative town. Not only does she provide such comfort to those in the GLBT community but the straight allies as well.

Remington Harwell
Nominator: Jediah Cummins

“Remington is here! We can start Complex Council!” this is what we say every Tuesday evening around 9:30pm as the officers of the Gordon Hall Complex Council are waiting for the meeting to begin. Remington Harwell is a freshman in Gordon Hall at Texas Tech University and one of the most active members of our complex council. In the month of March, Remington has been an active participant in many of the events sponsored by Texas Tech’s Gordon Hall as well as a dedicated student. Remington’s constant support of the programs in the residence hall and willingness to spend time discussing future plans, improvements, and programming efforts for the building make me proud to submit this Raiders Who Rock nomination for Remington Harwell.

Entering Texas Tech University in the fall with a double major in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry, Remington had his work cut out for him. On top of his tough academic program Remington is also a member of Texas Tech’s Honors College, which pushes him even harder to strive academically. Despite enrollment in one of the most difficult major programs on our campus, Remington has always placed his academics first. Moreover, unlike some first year students, he never deviates from his commitment to being a strong student. Remington received a 4.0 GPA his first semester and is on track to do equally as well this semester.

As a student, Remington has picked a few activities in which to get involved and been very deliberate to spend quality time interacting with the individuals involved in these groups. One group he has been involved with is the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. In this group, he participates in weekly Bible studies, prayer meetings, and other events. Remington’s involvement in extra-curricular activities shows his maturity in relation to his peers. While many fellow freshmen often over commit to groups and become burnt out, Remington has very intentionally become involved with groups which he wants to get good experiences with.

As the advisor for complex council, I must say that I am glad one of those groups is the Gordon Complex Council, due to the insight and dedication he brings to it. In addition to being an excellent student Remington has been involved with our Complex Council in the mother of March in many ways. Bids for various Residence Life awards were submitted to the Texas Tech Residence Halls Association at the end of March. Remington assisted in the bid creation process by brainstorming the contributions of other Complex Council members and providing insightful quotes about nominees.

Additionally Remington also helped to plan for the Gordon Hall Earth Hour events as we participated in this nationwide commitment to sustainability. Overall Remington is a positive member who has been there since the beginning helping to discuss and shape the future of Gordon Hall and Texas Tech Housing. To me Remington shows the perfect balance of commitment to academics, social events, and student leadership Remington Harwell has been an excellent student, student leader, and has certain proven himself to be Gordon Hall’s first-year student of the Month of March and we hope that you will consider the great contributions he has made when you consider him for the Raiders Who Rock award!

Unidos por un Mismo Idioma
Nominator: Martha Mouret-Sanders

UMI, Unidos por un Mismo Idioma, is a student organization that follows the values of the Raiders Who Rock. UMI has as purpose to help the TTU community in whatever they can. UMI provides free Spanish tutoring every week; they have different cultural activities, such as the Day of the Dead, in order to give the opportunity to the community to experience the Hispanic language and culture. UMI has members from different countries that have the same interest "Speak Spanish." UMI serves as a place for more than 90 students where they can learn and experience the Spanish language and culture. For example, UMI created the Day of the Dead dinner in which the TTU community go, learn experience the Hispanic big tradition while enjoying a free dinner and listening an important and experienced speaker. This dinner started in 2005 with the idea of 100 people; this past 2008, UMI had more than 500 hundred people in which you can see TTU students, faculty, staff and members of the Lubbock community. UMI is very proud of events like this because UMI can bring everybody together to celebrate its purpose, "promote the Spanish language and culture."

Brandon Long
Nominator: Meredith Gooch

I would like to nominate Brandon for Raiders Who Rock because he has been a wonderful addition to our office. He is a member of the band, works as a student assistant in our office (Student Judicial Programs) and is also an Engineering major. He has his plate full at all times, but always manages to amaze our office by going above and beyond his duties as a Student Assistant in our office.

Sarah McCall
Nominator: Meredith Gooch

I would like to nominate Sarah as a Raider Who Rocks! Sarah has been working in the Student Judicial Programs office since the middle of fall 2008. She is also involved in TAB (Tech Activities Board). She was just recently appointed to an elevated position with TAB and continues to represent Student Judicial Programs well.

Kristin Rodriguez
Nominator: Meredith Gooch

I would like to nominate Kristin as a Raider Who Rocks! Kristin works as a Student Assistant in the Student Judicial Programs office and continues to represent our office well. She is involved with a sorority on campus and she has a full time job away from Texas Tech, as well. Kristin is an extremely hard worker and we are so happy she is a part of our team here at Student Judicial Programs.

Kristina Casperite
Nominator: Trisa Crutcher

Kristina Casperite is the pure essence of what The Foundation for a Better Life is all about. She is not only dedicated to her studies here at Texas Tech University, but she sacrifices her time and energy to help others daily. She is a Resident Assistant for Housing and Residence Life in which she cares for about 30 freshman girls in every aspect of life. They go to her for advice, for leadership, for love and for support while they are away from home. She is very responsible and extremely committed to these girls and to her work. She has such integrity and a strong moral core that it is simply easy to respect her. In her spare time, she not only watches children at First Baptist Church and teaches Sunday School, but she is a part of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. She mentors young students and really makes a difference in their lives. They may come from poor backgrounds and sad family situations, but she encourages them to be a better person and to work hard. No matter how busy she is with school and pure giving, Kristina always has time to lend an ear and a heart. She is amazing person and I am truly blessed to know her and call her my friend. This Raider truly Rocks!!

Sara Lowery
Nominator: Kerry Hooks

Sara promotes commitment and living your dreams. She works for University Student Housing and is the Graduate Assistant in Chitwood/Weymouth.

She demonstrates a commitment to her students and teaches them to live their dreams and have fun. For example, she mentors some of the African American students. She has gotten one particular student involved with Black Student Association and he has initiated a cultural festival in the hall. Her commitment even keeps her in her office at night to help support the students academically. Sara is a Raider Who Rocks!!

Dawn Young
Nominator: Sara Lowery

Determination, hard work, and persistence describe Dawn Young to a T! Her caring and unselfish love that she gives to friends and students alike should serve as an example of a true raider that rocks. With her humble beginnings as a Howdy Techsan, Dawn continues to find a way to give support to students Dawn shares the story of her academic journey with other students because she’s determined to keep students from making the same mistakes she did. She is a Raider who Rocks!

Alisa Victor
Nominator: Benjamin Cummings

Alisa provides a great example to those around her. She stands true to what she believes, even when it’s not popular. She’s motivated to improve the lives of those around her. She strives to learn all she can and wants to continue her education in graduate school. She is a woman of integrity.

Lily Fox
Nominator: Sara Lowery

Lily Fox has gone above and beyond her call of duty. She has continued to be a role model of a student. Often times you can find her picking up others’ trash outside of the Chitwood/Weymouth residence hall. When asked why she does what she does, she simply says that she wants the campus to look clean. Thank you for all you do, Lily Fox. The values you exemplify are helping others, service, doing the right thing, right choices, and teaching by example.

Jeff Kennon (Baptist Student Ministries)
Nominator: Sara Lowery

Jeff has devoted his time and energy to the students of Texas Tech University. He and the Baptist Student Ministry have done many services for students, such as provide treats, late waffles, scantrons, and even garbage collection. He and his organization have provided several values to the Texas Tech University students, as well. These include hope, loyalty, sharing, and service.

Hispanic Student Society
Nominator: Allen Uribes

The Hispanic Student Society has done nothing but make the Texas tech community and Lubbock community a better place to be.

HSS has provided many services to the Lubbock community including Race for the Cure, CAC Teddy Bear Drive, and Micasita’s retirement home just to name a few. The organization has also provided many incoming freshman students the opportunity to explore their culture, gain friendships, and create networks.

HSS also likes to have fun after it takes care of business. The organization hosts the original Salsa Night once a month at Main Street Bar and it is a night of Latin music fun. HSS even offers free dance lessons an hour prior to the actual event for those who many be a bit shy or have never tried Latin dance. The revenues obtained from the event go toward the scholarships that HSS will present to an honored and well-deserving member at its annual banquet in April.

The Hispanic Student Society promotes Hispanic culture, diversity at Texas Tech University, and service to the Lubbock community.