Outstanding students ready to move forward in careers
Jamie Summerlin’s first experience working in higher education was in Alaska. She enjoyed the experience, but knew she would need a master’s degree to move up in a higher education career.
Now, after moving to Victoria and getting a job in the University of Houston-Victoria Institutional Research and Effectiveness office, she is preparing to achieve that goal.
Summerlin of Victoria was named the Outstanding Graduate Student for the UHV College of Education & Health Professions. She will receive a Master of Education in Adult and Higher Education on Saturday, Dec. 14. The Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the college is Maraya Martinez of Sealy, who will receive a Bachelor of Science in health studies.
Each semester, professors from UHV’s four colleges select outstanding students to be honored during commencement. The university will host three fall commencement ceremonies on Dec. 14 at the Victoria Fine Arts Center, 1002 Sam Houston Drive. The first ceremony begins at 9 a.m. to celebrate graduates from the College of Education & Health Professions. The second ceremony will begin at noon to celebrate the graduates from the College of Business, and the third will begin at 3 p.m. for graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and the College of Natural & Applied Science. A live stream of the ceremonies will be available at www.uhv.edu/commencement/commencement-ceremony.
“Jamie and Maraya are two excellent examples of how a higher education can create opportunities for the future,” said Rachel Martinez, dean of the college. “I am pleased to see them moving forward with their goals and plans, and I hope to hear many more stories of their success and achievements in the days to come.”
When Summerlin first started working in education, she wanted to be a teacher. But once she began working at the local college, those plans changed. Then, when her family moved back to Texas to be closer to other family members, she began working at UHV, and she has recently been promoted to director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.
“When I joined the department, my supervisors encouraged me to get a master’s degree,” she said. “UHV’s online program allowed me to work toward that goal while still working full time. The program’s affordability and getting to work with great faculty members made it an even easier choice to pursue.”
As she nears graduation, Summerlin looks forward to using her new knowledge and abilities to better serve UHV’s students. She also is considering pursuing a doctoral degree in the future.
“I have the privilege of being a resource and advocate for students,” she said. “UHV proudly serves a diverse community, including many first-generation students, like me, who often face unique challenges, and even though I am behind the scenes, I am honored to help UHV reach students that haven’t had these opportunities before and create pathways for their success.”
Maraya Martinez got her associate degree at Blinn college and originally planned to transfer to The University of Texas at Dallas. However, the university’s enrollment officials wanted to change her degree plan, so she chose to transfer to instead UHV. Her original plan was to go into the medical field, but she has now decided she wants to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
“I like being able to help people who are unable to care for themselves,” she said. “It’s a difficult, vulnerable place for a person to be in, and I want to let patients know that there is someone there to help them and make sure they are taken care of.”
Attending classes at UHV has been a pleasant experience, she said. The small class sizes offered her an opportunity to stay connected with her classmates and get to know the faculty members rather than being one of many students in a large lecture hall. Now, she is looking forward to hearing back from nursing schools so she can take her next step in pursuing her goals.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who supported me, especially to Dr. Wiblishauser, who helped me decide on my degree plan,” Martinez said. “I’m also so grateful to my parents for all their encouragement and support.”
As Summerlin looks back on her academic journey, she also is grateful for all the people who supported and encouraged her in this journey, from the supervisors who encouraged her to pursue her degree to her family.
“There have been so many people who were encouraging – it’s a long list,” she said. “I can’t thank my husband, my kids, my mom, as well as other family members and friends enough for their support. I’ve been blessed to have so many supportive people in my life.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.