San Angelo Native Named Top Graduate at Angelo State; Five Others Earn Distinguished Honors

Alejandro Rodarte-Martinez was nominated by the Department of Biology. A San Angelo Lake View High School graduate, he is a biology major with chemistry minor. His academic achievements earned him induction into the Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta) national biological honor society, where he served as president. He was also actively engaged in other campus affairs, serving as a representative for the American Chemical Society chapter and as an organic chemistry and cell biology tutor in ASU's Academic Support Center. He participated in the ASU-Shannon Coordinated Care Internship and also interned at UTHealth Houston's McGovern Medical School through ASU's Joint Admission Medical Program.

Additionally, Rodarte-Martinez earned a Welch Chemistry Research Scholarship and an ASU Faculty-Mentored Undergraduate Research Grant to support his research in organic chemistry, which he presented at the ASU Undergraduate Research Symposium. He will enter medical studies at McGovern Medical School in Houston, where he hopes to specialize in internal medicine.

Sydney Anderson was nominated by the Department of Health Science Professions. The Alpine native is a health science professions major with minors in biology and psychology. She earned induction to the Alpha Chi and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies, served as president of the Health Science Society and participated in the Lead Like a Ram program. Additionally, she volunteers as a WHIT tutor and participated in the ASU-Shannon Coordinated Care Internship. She plans to begin graduate studies and pursue a career in medicine.

Isabela Casillas was nominated by the Department of Political Science and Philosophy. A San Angelo Central High School graduate, she is majoring in political science with minors in philosophy and Spanish. She earned induction into the Alpha Mu Gamma national foreign language honor society and participated on ASU's Eugene Scassa Mock Organization of American States competition team, earning Diplomacy and Resolution Writing Awards for the latter. Additionally, she served as secretary of both the Spanish Club and the STEM Nexus Club, participated in the Lead Like a Ram program, and volunteered as a WHIT tutor and a Tom Green County elections clerk. She plans to pursue legal studies after graduation.

Audrey Spearman was nominated by the Department of Teacher Education. The Christoval native is an interdisciplinary studies major with early childhood through grade 6 teacher certification and all-level special education certification. She earned induction into the Alpha Chi and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies and Kappa Delta Pi international education honor society. She served as president of Kappa Delta Pi, participated in the Lead Like a Ram program, and was a member of the ASU Co-Ed Cheer Team for two years, serving as captain for the 2023-24 academic year. She plans to pursue a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in student development and leadership in higher education.

Matthew Barton was nominated by the Departments of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics and Geosciences. The Leander native is a triple-major in physics, mathematics and computer science, and he will graduate with High University Honors through the ASU Honors Program. He earned induction into the Alpha Chi, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Pi Sigma (physics) and Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics) national honor societies. He served as president of the ASU Society for Physics Students and was a member of the Honors Student Association and the local chapter of the Mathematical Association of America. He received two Faculty-Mentored Undergraduate Research Grants and presented his research at the Texas Section of the American Physical Society Conference and the ASU Undergraduate Research Symposium. Additionally, he was selected for a highly-competitive Detonation Science Fellowship at the Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake, California. He will enter the Ph.D. program in electrical engineering at Texas Tech University this fall.

Mia Kilman was nominated by the Department of Management and Marketing. She is a marketing major from San Saba and earned induction into the Alpha Chi and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies. She served as president of the RAMbassadors volunteer leadership program, participated in the Lead Like a Ram program, and presented research at the ASU Undergraduate Research Symposium. Additionally, she placed third in the Norris-Vincent College of Business BizPitch student entrepreneurship competition and completed an internship at Principal Industries. She will pursue her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Angelo State while working as a business analyst at Principal Industries.

Additional Departmental Nominees:

William Gunner Brown, nominated by the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, is an integrated public accountancy major from Saginaw. He plans to sit for the Certified Public Accountancy exam and pursue a career in tax accounting.

Gavin Cardwell, nominated by the David L. Hirschfeld Department of Engineering, is a mechanical engineering major from San Angelo. He plans to pursue internships or entry-level engineering positions after graduation.

Christina McDowell, nominated by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is a chemistry major from San Angelo who will enter the University of Houston College of Pharmacy this fall.

Patience Price, nominated by the Department of Psychology, is a psychology major from Novice. She will enter Angelo State's Master of Science (M.S.) in counseling psychology degree program this fall.

Avery Schafer, nominated by the Natalie Zan Ryan Department of English and Modern Languages, is an English and Spanish double-major and member of the ASU Honors Program. The San Antonio resident will enter the ASU Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree program this fall.