Fall 2013

Happy Holidays!

We are excited to use this blog post to take a look back at the fall semester. This amazing year started off by gaining 14 new students in the HESA program: Kristin Abbott, Cara Allen, Taylor Balch, Misha DeLong, Josh Donath, Melissa McLevain, Gabriela Olaguibel, Daniel Schoettmer, Ray Small, Anika Strand, Katie Styles, Cassie Thompson, Michelle Diaz, and Chris Kuhl. We are so happy to get to spend the next two years with you!

The second year cohort started the year off with a bang by hosting the Back to School BBQ at Lake Waco! It was a great time of getting to know new faces and preparing for the upcoming school year. There was a lot of great food and fun!

In the middle of the semester, our cohorts enjoyed a pumpkin carving afternoon! We sipped apple cider, ate pumpkin treats, and carved some beautiful pumpkins. Some fan favorites included the symbol for “Pi” and the logo from Monster’s University! It was great to take a break and enjoy one another’s company.

We brought the semester to a close with our second annual Cheapsgiving Celebration which involved both the first and second year cohorts as well as the HESA faculty members. Each person contributed a “cheap” version of their favorite traditional Thanksgiving dish. It was a great way to celebrate the holidays on a grad school budget! We are thankful to Dr. Leanne Newman for hosting everyone at her home and for the opportunity to celebrate the holidays together with friends!

The HESA program also had an excellent gathering with the Vice President for Student Life, Dr. Kevin Jackson, and his wife, Garret. We had a wonderful time eating a delicious meal in the company of our phenomenal faculty and the administrators who work diligently to serve us as graduate students. Santa even paid us a visit!

Our second year students just finished presenting their posters for their qualitative research class. We are so proud of them for their hard work, on topics from the dramaturgy of high-achieving students, to fraternity men’s conception of masculinity; from the academic lives of sorority women to the involvement for students of color at a predominantly white institution. Our first year students are already crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s on their first semester! It’s hard to believe how quickly the semester has passed by, but we are so fortunate to have spent it in fellowship with one another.

We can’t wait to see you in January! Sic ‘em!