Everything Nac

Registration is underway for a variety of music camps and private summer FlexLessons offered by the Music Preparatory Division of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music. Founded in 1980 by Shirley Watterston and Dr. Robert Blocker, SFA’s Music Prep “continues to bring music to the community,” according to Pat Barnett, division director.

Guitar Camp, directed by Chance Moore, is from 2 to 3 p.m. June 5 through 9 at the Music Prep House, 3028 Raguet St. The camp is for ages 11 and older. Tuition is $50 or $75 with guitar rental.

A two-week Get to Know the Harp Camp, directed by Emily Mitchell for ages 8 and older, is from 2 to 3 p.m. June 5 through 8 and June 12 through 15. The harp camp will be in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus. Tuition is $160.

Piano Safari Camp, directed by Polina Golubkovna, is for children in first through third grades, and no piano experience is necessary. The beginners’ camp is from 10 to 11 a.m. June 19 through 23 in Room 223 of the Boynton Building on the SFA campus. Tuition is $75 and includes a piano book. Registration deadline is Monday, June 5.

Private lessons are available for piano, voice, guitar, harp, Suzuki violin, horn, flute, trumpet, euphonium and other instruments. Students may register for four, six or eight lessons for 30 minutes, 45 minutes or one hour. Teachers and students schedule the private lessons and take into account vacations.

Visit the Music Prep website at www.music.sfasu.edu/prep for more information or to download a registration form, or contact Barnett at (936) 468-1291. Music Prep will offer online registration beginning Wednesday, May 17, for those who wish to pay with a debit or credit card.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business awarded 44 scholarships totaling $50,000 to students in the Student Success Passport Program. The college awarded four $2,500 scholarships to top scholars and 40 $1,000 runner-up scholarships.

“This program is life changing for students. It helps provide them the skills needed to succeed when they graduate and also helps alleviate some of the financial worry higher education can cause,” said Megan Sellers, coordinator for career success and corporate engagement and an academic advisor in the college.

The program, which began in fall 2015, aims to help students hone their professional skills through workshops, conferences and online assignments while competing for scholarships.

“The program was a huge success this year. Participation increased, and we had great attendance at all our events,” Sellers said. “I am extremely proud of these students who received scholarships. I watched them work hard to learn, grow and develop professionally this year.”

As a top scholar, Connor Vilven, an SFA freshman international business major from Austin, received a scholarship and remembered first becoming interested in the Student Success Passport Program during orientation.

“The Passport Program is awesome,” Vilven said. “During the past two semesters, I definitely learned professional and personal development skills, and I’ve improved my ability to present myself professionally.”

The program works on a point system. Program activities are designed to help develop students in personal and professional branding, experiential learning, leadership development, and engage in college activities and events. Assignments include developing a personal mission statement, attending an etiquette presentation, completing an internship and more.

SFA sophomore Braxton Berthot, a general business major from Douglass, received a top scholar scholarship for the second consecutive year and said, “I love this program and the College of Business.”

Top scholar Kareene Telesford, a junior accounting major from Caribbean island Grenada, also received a scholarship. “The Passport Program opened up a lot of opportunities for me to learn professional concepts,” she said.

The College of Business’ College to Career Conference was a favorite Student Success Passport Program event among scholarship recipients. During the conference, speakers representing companies from across the state, such as Kohls, Wells Fargo, Wintrust Commercial Finance, Commercial Bank of Texas, Pilgrim’s Pride, Austin Bank and more spoke with students during various sessions and executive panel discussions.

Top scholar Corey Johnson, a Dallas senior marketing major, agreed this was his favorite event sponsored by the Student Success Passport Program.

“I loved hearing what professionals said we should expect when we graduate and the different things to watch for in the corporate environment, as well as how to be professional, respect people and earn respect,” Johnson said. “It is a huge honor for me to receive this scholarship. I worked very hard. The Passport Program motivates you to be successful when you graduate.”

Faculty Service Awards —

Stephen F. Austin State University faculty members were recently honored for 10 years of service to the university. Honorees included, from left, Eric J. Jones, Kinesiology and Health Science; George E. Avery, Anthropology, Geography and Sociology; Susan Pruitt Ballard, Nursing; Mikhail S. Kouliavtsev, Economics and Finance; Carol J. Athey, Nursing; Leonard Jay Thornton, Kinesiology and Health Science; Elizabeth B. Gound, Secondary Education and Educational Leadership; Patricia Ann Berthot, Kinesiology and Health Science; Jeffrey C. Brewer, Art; Mary Stephens Olle, Human Sciences; Brian Murphy, College of Liberal and Applied Arts; Leslie G. Cecil, Anthropology, Geography and Sociology; Neal W. Cox, Art; Esther R. Bunn, Accounting; and Scott Shattuck and Addison Himes, College of Fine Arts. Also honored, but not pictured, were Alan Ivan Baily and Cindy Lee Davis, Government; Dana Cooper, History; Elizabeth Tasker Davis and Ericka A. Hoagland, English and Creative Writing; Layne Leann Debardelaben, Human Services; Cody Wayne Derouen, Management, Marketing and International Business; Robin Keng Sullivan, Mathematics and Statistics; and Ryan Phelps, Economics and Finance.

Faculty members recently honored for 20 years of service to Stephen F. Austin State University included, from left, Tina Atkinson Oswald, Library; DawnElla Marie Rust, Kinesiology and Health Science; Molly C. Smith, Multidisciplinary Programs; Roy Joseph Harris, Mathematics and Statistics; Matthew McBroom, Forestry; Patrick M. Jenlink, Secondary Education and Educational Leadership; Perry D. Moon, Languages, Cultures and Communication; and Carolyn Davidson Abel, Elementary Education. Honorees not pictured include Charles Frederick Abel, Government; Gregory Keith Miller, Mathematics and Statistics; and Kirsten M. Nelson, Music.

Awards for 30 years of service to Stephen F. Austin State University were recently presented to faculty members including, from left, Richard J. Herzog, Government; Richard Arnold Berry, Music; Ali A. Piran, Physics, Engineering and Astronomy; Cathy R. Henderson, Management, Marketing and International Business; Deborah E. Bush, English and Creative Writing; Freddie Lee Avant, Social Work; and Garland Simmons, Economics and Finance.

Faculty members retiring from Stephen F. Austin State University were recently honored for their service to SFA. Honorees included, from left, Tim King, Music; Michael M. Pickard, Computer Science; J. Keaton Grubbs and Tim Clipson, Business Communication and Legal Studies; Dale Perritt, Agriculture; John Moore, Chemistry; Nagalapura S. Viswanath, Communication Sciences and Disorders; and Ann Ellis, Library. Retirees honored but not pictured were Wynter M. Chauvin and Alan Sowards, Elementary Education; Pedro Escamilla, Languages, Cultures and Communications; Richard Langley, Chemistry; Becky Price-Mayo, Social Work; Molly C. Smith, Multidisciplinary Programs; and Hosein Hosseinpour, Mathematics and Statistics.

Stephen F. Austin State University students enrolled in human development and family studies courses in the School of Human Sciences recently hosted “Passport to DiverCity,” a collaborative multicultural event between the university and Greater East Texas Community Action Program Head Start.

Event participants celebrated cultural and racial diversity through myriad activities, including face painting, games, reading and more.

Dr. Flora Farago, assistant professor of human development and family studies at SFA, teamed with Head Start members to be the driving force behind this endeavor.

“We had two primary goals. One, we wanted to celebrate the identities and cultures represented at Head Start. Two, we wanted to expose participants to other cultures represented in the greater Nacogdoches community,” Farago said.

Since January, SFA students enrolled in HMS 236: Child Development have been planning this event. Initially, students developed and administered a survey to Head Start parents and family members to gauge their expectations for the event.

“The research component allowed students to think critically about how to ask sensitive questions about ethnic-racial socialization in early childhood contexts and how to create a family-friendly event responsive to the needs of the families served,” Farago said.

Students then researched and planned more than 100 cultural activities. Head Start members selected a handful of the activities for the event, and the remainder of the activities will exist as a resource for Head Start teachers.

During the event, SFA students led activities such as painting a “Colors of Us” handprint mural, cultural reading and more. Students also served authentic Nigerian food, which a family from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria prepared.

“Students were able to put into practice what we learned in the classroom. They worked with actual families and children from diverse cultural backgrounds and put on a real event,” Farago said. “This event and similar projects take what they learn beyond the textbook and the classroom walls.”

SFA students in Farago’s course also are required to conduct 15 hours of observation at Head Start during the semester, as well as participate in a service-learning project. Dian Wise, education coordinator for Head Start, said the collaboration is mutually beneficial.

“Our collaboration with SFA helps raise awareness among the community for Head Start and SFA,” Wise said. “These children are our future. Our goal is to help children be successful. We want them to prosper and do well.”

Dr. Lauren Burrow, assistant professor in the Department of Elementary Education, was among the volunteers at the event.

This event was partially funded through a service-learning mini grant Farago received from SFA’s Office of Student Affairs.