Everything Nac

Nearly 70 East Texas students from grade 6 through 10 got a head start on their entrepreneurial dreams in July at the Stephen F. Austin State University Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship’s CTE Summer Camp.

ACE, part of SFA’s Rusche College of Business, hosted the teens from 12 schools across six districts at two summer sessions. The center partnered with Startup High as well as local businesses and industries to show how entrepreneurship in career and technical education, or CTE, jobs can open doors and opportunities.

“The camp aimed to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in middle and high school students by blending practical career skills with innovative business concepts,” said Matthew Smilor, ACE director. “Our goal was to prepare students for future career opportunities through hands-on learning experiences and real-world interactions.”

The camp’s sessions included field trips to gain guidance from entrepreneurs at local businesses, including Elliott Electric Supply and McWilliams Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. Attendees also visited SFA’s Todd Agricultural Research Center and the A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport to meet with faculty and staff from SFA’s aviation sciences program. In addition, attendees participated in professional development activities focusing on networking, creating business pitches and meeting rejection with resilience.

“Students engaged in innovative learning experiences that enhanced their confidence and creativity while networking opportunities with industry professionals further enriched their understanding,” Smilor said.

Out of the more than 130 schools and districts that applied, ACE was one of 61 organizations to receive the Texas Education Agency grant for a career and technical education camp during summer 2024. SFA was also the only school from The University of Texas System to be awarded the grant.

“I believe that TEA selected us due to our effective regional approach for the summer camp,” Smilor said. “Instead of focusing on an individual school or independent school district, SFA committed to serving a broader regional community and addressing the educational needs of a diverse student population.”

Melissa McGinley, the parent of a camp attendee, said she appreciated the camp’s approach.

“The camp was an extraordinary experience for my child,” McGinley said. “Its innovative approach and the opportunity to engage with local business leaders made it a standout program.”

Her daughter, Natalie, who’s entering seventh grade at Central Heights Middle School, also gave the camp high marks.

“The camp was fun, and meeting local business leaders gave me a new perspective on what it takes to start a business,” she said. “My biggest takeaway was not to let others convince you that your idea is bad when your gut is telling you it is good.”

Smilor said ACE plans to expand the camp next summer.

“This year’s camp reached capacity within one week of being announced,” he said. “There is a significant need in our region for educational offerings like this, which highlight how entrepreneurial skills can benefit students in their future pursuits across various fields, industries and trades. Our goal next summer is to be able to offer four sessions and impact over 120 students.”

If you’re a local business interested in helping with the 2025 camp, email ACE at ace@sfasu.edu.

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications

Stephen F. Austin State University’s annual School of Art Faculty Exhibition will show Aug. 20 through Oct. 18 in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches. An opening reception is planned for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29.

Each year, the faculty exhibition features a wide variety of artworks in ceramics, sculpture, photography, painting, prints, metals and mixed media, according to Christopher Talbot, director of SFA’s School of Art. This year, the School of Art is featuring a new body of work created by Lindsey Creel Cherry, assistant professor of art.

Her exhibition “Sometimes the Bear Eats You” features mixed media.

“Gardens are defined by boundaries,” Creel Cherry said. “We filter our preference and presentation within those boundaries and systematically curate our interaction with the natural world. ‘Sometimes the Bear Eats You’ explores that filter by using the garden as a tool for sociological observation and reflection. The mixed media works in the exhibit examine the edges between objective and subjective, actual and imagined – an ever-evolving constructed reality.”

Creel Cherry earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fashion from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a Master of Fine Arts from SFA. In addition to her work in the fine arts, she spent a decade patternmaking and drafting in the apparel industry. In 2015, she was a featured designer on Season 14 of Lifetime TV’s “Project Runway,” and in 2016 she was a guest speaker at TEDX Youth in Austin.

“We are lucky to have such talented artist-educators that regularly contribute to our instructional offerings in the School of Art,” Talbot said. “They each bring a unique perspective to art and teaching, making us a better School of Art.”

Admission to the exhibition and reception, which is sponsored in part by retired art Professor William Arscott and Friends of the Visual Arts, is free. For more information, call (936) 468-5500. Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St.

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By Robbie Goodrich, director of arts information

Three students from Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business were selected for The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company Scholars program this year.

Iris Cordova, finance junior from Nacogdoches; Julian Ieva, accounting junior from Houston; and Conner Stover, finance junior from Apple Springs, were the first three SFA students chosen for this opportunity, which was made possible by the university’s affiliation with the UT System last year.

“SFA selected Iris, Julian and Conner to represent the university in this program because they have already shown high character, perseverance and a strong willingness to learn,” said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, chair of the SFA Department of Economics and Finance and coordinator for the UTIMCO Scholars program nomination process at SFA.

UTIMCO, the first external investment corporation formed by a public university system, oversees investments for the UT and Texas A&M University systems. In addition, the company forms a cohort every year of up to five students from each institution in these systems for its scholars program.

To be eligible for the cohort, students must be Pell Grant recipients or first-generation college students who are about to enter their sophomore or junior year of college. They also must be interested in asset management careers.

“It feels amazing to be part of the program because you learn so much in such a short period,” Cordova said. “I learned what to do and not to do in an interview. It actually helped me feel more confident about interviewing.”

Ieva said being part of the cohort was a great opportunity because he “was able to learn about the many different areas of the asset management industry while obtaining valuable information on interviewing and résumé writing.”

Stover said the program helped him learn about investment strategies, risk management and portfolio construction, as well as honed his professionalism and analytical skills.

“It has been an incredible experience,” he said. “It has provided SFA’s group with valuable networking opportunities and professional advice from some of the leading financial institutions — an opportunity most students can only dream of.”

Since March, Cordova, Ieva and Stover have participated in professional development activities that not only introduced them to the investment management industry but also helped them build their peer networks and obtain early career advice from experts in the field. They met with professionals from such firms as BlackRock, PIMCO, Bridgewater, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Alliance Bernstein, Brevan Howard and JP Morgan.

In addition, the program included a trip to The University of Texas at Austin to work with cohort participants from other UT institutions.

“One piece of advice that hit home for me during my visit to Austin was the analogy that learning finance is like learning a new language,” Stover said. “The experience emphasized the importance of hard work and studying before the concepts would begin to make sense and then could be applied to real scenarios.”

Cordova highly recommends the program to other students.

“They are really trying to help you make connections and get you some experience,” she said.

Ieva added, “This will continue to help me and all other scholars in our future career paths.”

Stover confirmed that the program helped him pinpoint his true career interests.

“I learned that asset management and investment research are the things that interest me most,” Stover said. “I can’t wait to make a future career out of them.”

The students completed the program in July, and UTIMCO began sharing their résumés with its recruiting partners who are filling internship positions for summer 2025. UTIMCO team members will work with program participants during the 2024-25 academic year to help them secure internships.

“The students’ commitment to this rigorous program over the spring and summer has been impressive,” Kouliavtsev said. “Being selected for one of the internships will be a well-earned honor.”

For more information on the Rusche College of Business, visit sfasu.edu/cob.

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications