When Rochelle Powell was younger, she thought she wanted to be a teacher. Now, as the University of Houston-Victoria graduate student finishes her degree in human resources management, she hopes to find a role in training and development.

Rochelle Powell

“I learned so much at UHV, and the professors inspired my passion and motivated me to always be reaching for more,” Powell said. “I want to take that with me when I move into training and development so I can in turn inspire others and teach them important skills in a business setting.”

Powell, a resident of Katy, was named the Spring 2025 Outstanding Graduate Student for the UHV College of Business. She will graduate on May 17 with a Master of Business Administration in human resources management. Austin Thompson of Victoria was named the Outstanding Undergraduate Student and will receive a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.

Each semester, professors from UHV’s four colleges select outstanding students to be honored during commencement. The university will host three spring commencement ceremonies on May 17 at Faith Family Church, 2002 E. Mockingbird Lane. 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. The third ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. for the 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 https://www.uhv.edu/commencement/.

Xavier Garza-Gomez

“Rochelle and Austin are two sterling examples of how UHV’s academic programs and teaching strategies promote student success,” said Xavier Garza-Gomez, interim dean for the UHV College of Business. “I am proud to see them receive this honor, and I know they will succeed at whatever they put their hand to in the future.”

When Powell was looking for a university to earn her master’s degree, she wanted something different from her previous experience. The university she attended to earn her bachelor's degree was so large that she never felt like she was connected with anyone.

“I wanted to find a smaller university that would allow me to have more of a one-on-one experience working with my professors,” she said. “UHV was the perfect choice. It’s a good feeling to see how everyone seems to care about each other. I’m not just a number here. UHV has a real family feeling.”

At the same time that she was earning her degree, Powell was working full time in the health care field in insurance overpayments. At times, it was a struggle to juggle both her current job and her classes, she said, but she persevered and kept her grades up. Now she is looking forward to a shift into a role that will allow her to teach and train other professionals.

“I’ve been working so hard to reach this goal,” she said. “Now, not only will I receive my master’s degree, but I’m also receiving an award recognizing my achievements. I was so surprised, and it’s given me a sense of accomplishment and gratitude toward everyone who supported me.”

In addition to working hard in her classes, Powell made sure to be involved on campus. This year, she is serving as the vice president for the Business Student Association. As a leader in that organization, she attended some official UHV events, including Jaguar Day, which encourages prospective students to apply to attend UHV.

“Jaguar Day was an eye-opening experience for me,” she said. “It showed me how many people from all walks of life are looking at attending UHV and getting their degrees.”

As she plans her next step, Powell is grateful to the people who have supported her, especially Massomeh Hajilee, a UHV professor of economics, who is the faculty advisor for the BSA and has encouraged Powell to continue her education.

“Dr. Hajilee and others like her have been such an inspiration for me,” Powell said. “They showed me how successful I can be if I just set goals and persevere so I know I did all I could. It’s all about striving for greatness.”

When Thompson was choosing which school to attend to earn his degree, he had a family legacy to help him make that choice.

Austin Thompson

“My dad went to school at UHV, and everything turned out well for him,” Thompson said. “UHV was an affordable option for me, and I liked the idea of earning my degree without a lot of debt.”

Thompson chose to pursue a degree in accounting after watching how his father’s career has developed over the years.

“In the past, my dad did a lot of accounting in health care, and he’s climbed the ladder. Now he’s a chief financial officer,” Thompson said. “Seeing him in that role showed me that accounting can be more than just sitting at a desk all day. He does site visits and goes to different places all the time.”

Thompson was surprised and excited to receive the Outstanding Student award. He worked hard to keep his grades up while earning his degree, and he attributes much of his success not just to his hard work, but also to the excellent teaching from UHV’s faculty members and the small class sizes.

In addition to his studies, Thompson has participated in the Accounting Club on campus. One of the activities the club offers is the opportunity to speak with certified public accountants and learn about the work they do. He also has been meeting with the UHV Career Development Center to explore his options after he graduates.

Although he is earning a degree in accounting, Thompson has also applied to the Texas Game Warden Training Academy. He hopes to be accepted and become a Texas Game Warden to help protect and conserve the wildlife and environment, he said.

“I grew up doing a lot of hunting and fishing, and I want my nephews and others like them to have the same experiences I did,” he said. “Over the years, it’s been sad to see how game and fishing limits get tighter over time because people are not respecting the wildlife. I want to help protect and conserve it.”

Whatever his next step will be, Thompson is grateful for the excellent instruction he received at UHV, especially from the accounting faculty, including associate professors Ziyun “Calvin” Yang and Qiao Xu and professor Rachana Kalelkar.

“I loved being able to take multiple classes with the same professors, and their teaching methods were very effective,” he said. “It was great to be able to build on the knowledge we were learning each semester with people who were familiar with the subject. The whole experience has been amazing.”