Earlier this month, the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business and its Scovell Business Leadership Program (SBLP) held a welcoming event for the 23-new-member cohort who joined 44 returning members. The addition fuels the program’s already strong momentum, rooted in its mission of developing well-rounded, purpose-driven leaders. SBLP provides students with opportunities that reach far beyond the classroom – from hands-on consulting projects and mentorship pairings to workshops led by industry professionals and visits with top executives from across the country.
Program director Feruzan Irani Williams, Ph.D., says another exciting year of learning, growth, and fun is underway for SBLP students.
“With continued support from the Scovell family, over the past year students collaborated with a variety of companies on real-world challenges, heard from speakers representing industries such as real estate, healthcare, and finance, and traveled to Australia to expand their perspective where they engaged with global firms and experienced business on a broader scale,” Williams said. “Looking ahead, the program is shaping the next generation of ethical, agile, and globally aware business leaders, and the future looks bright.”
Dean of the Rawls College of Business Margaret L. Williams, Ph.D., says the college and the Scovell family remain committed to the program’s ongoing success and are proud of the quality of students it continues to draw.
“Acceptance into this program gets harder each year, and this year was more competitive than years past,” Williams said. “I can’t say enough how important the students of this program are to the Scovell family – they do all they can for the success of each one of you.”
New Voices, Returning Influences
New member Masaiyah Culmer, a sophomore finance and accounting major from Nassau, Bahamas, says she learned about the program from a student at another Rawls College organization meeting.
“The thing that excited me most about this program was its vision to enable students to learn by doing – to work in teams, collaborate with real business owners, and offer solutions and growth to their businesses,” Culmer said. “Thanks to leaders like Dr. [Feruzan] Williams and Dupree Scovell, I have already learned so much about business practices and building meaningful connections while staying true to my values.”
Returning member Sebastian Gutierrez, a senior finance major from Amarillo, Texas, says the program is a privilege and he would advise all new members to give it their all and strive for excellence.
“I think people often forget about the importance of [that saying] ‘you are who you hang out with,’ and being around the caliber of Scovell students and hearing Dupree Scovell talk about the values of his family and their business makes you want to strive for perfection and be hungry, but humble, in the search for success,” Gutierrez said. “As a first-generation student that was born to immigrant parents who searched for a better life, I credit this program directly for having changed my life – through the people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve formed – and I strive to continue to give back as this program has given and helped me, opening enormous doors that I would have never imagined could open for me.”
In the Room – Achievement, Talent, and Success Among Us
Dupree Scovell, the youngest of three sons of the Scovell family, alum of the Rawls College and managing partner and chief investment officer at Woodbine Development Corporation, gave special remarks to the 2025-2026 members about what carried him during his time at Texas Tech and since through most of his career.
“I realized I wasn’t going to be the most talented and that I needed to stand out, so I made sure nobody outworked me – I was the first one to show and the last one there,” Scovell said. “My encouragement to you would be to think about this as a fleeting experience and how you’ll make the most of it.”
He went on to emphasize how important the students of the program, and the program itself, are to him and his family, explaining he reads every single resume, multiple times, and tries to memorize them. From those resumes, he highlighted the immense talent in the room:
- Five valedictorians or salutatorians
- Dozens of all-state athletic awards in football, basketball, baseball, swimming, golf, track, and tennis – some students earned awards in three of these sports
- More than a dozen team captains – some students captains of two or three sports simultaneously
- A school record breaker in swimming, track, and soccer, who also competed internationally
- Three class presidents
- Two student body presidents, one executive student body leader overseas
- Future Farmers of America presidents, vice presidents, and treasurers
- Two Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Award recipients
- National Honor Society officers
- More than 1,000 volunteer hours – some throughout children’s hospitals, Ronald McDonald houses, and camps
- A licensed radio operator
- One student is the most decorated UIL competitor in their high school’s history with more than 60 medals
- A UIL accounting champion and two-time winner of Texas Tech’s Fearless Champion Contest
- A ranch hand
- One spent time as budget analyst at the U.S. Embassy
- Several entrepreneurs owning art businesses, a startup that hit $30K in revenue its second month
- Several officers at Texas Tech in Rawls Ambassadors, Student Government Association, Real Estate Organization
- A member of the Goin’ Band from Raiderland
- Several international perspectives from the Bahamas, Mexico, Bangladesh, and Ireland
- A multiple-time finalist in Destination Imagination
“It’s really an amazing group and you’re going to be told that a lot, but I encourage you to not fall under that and assume you deserve to be wherever you are because of all your past accomplishments,” he said. “Instead, acknowledge that you’re probably not the best ever and approach each conversation with, What can I do to earn my rate?”
Scovell’s Five Things for a Successful College Career
With that in mind, Scovell outlined the core values of Woodbine Development Corporation – the five things he believes can make a college career successful:
- Relationships – This is fundamental: Value the relationships here – the ones in this room, with your professors, with alumni you’ll meet, and with other students. Let your guard down and let go of differences between you; instead focus on what you’re bonded by here, which is a common goal to be the best.
- Effort – There is no substitute for effort, and it is one of the things you can control (the other being attitude). Do your best. Learn how to grind.
- Accountability – There’s something unique about walking alongside somebody with whom you have a common goal and pushing each other to do your best and be brave.
- Conviction – All the accomplishments, awards, and line items on your resume are going to pass – they’ll be gone and they won’t mean much. What really matters is the deeper purpose you serve and the impact you make on people.
- Humility – Your accomplishments are truly great and things you can be proud of; however, they’re not your identity and they don’t define you because if they go away, what do you have?
Over the course of this school year, members will work in teams on consulting projects with industry partners. Each team is guided by one to two faculty mentors who help students throughout the sourcing and planning process. In addition, students are paired with industry mentors. This hands-on group learning experience and individual mentorship provides students with practical leadership training and valuable soft skills such as sales pitches, project management, communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving. At the end of the academic year, they will provide presentations of their projects.
About Scovell Business Leadership Program
The SBLP, originally established in the fall of 2013 as the Rawls Business Leadership Program, creates a dynamic learning experience designed to provide students with real-world knowledge and experiences to excel in leadership roles. Renamed in honor of the Scovell family's contributions to Rawls College in the fall of 2019, the program focuses on developing "complete students" who possess a strong academic foundation and real-world experience necessary to be innovative and ethical leaders. Open to all business majors, SBLP students have the opportunity to lead service-learning projects, travel internationally, and receive professional guidance from a personal mentor.