Alumni Association honors nursing graduates and faculty

TEXARKANA, Texas – All Texas A&M University-Texarkana nursing program alumni and faculty are recognized this year instead of the years’s past custom of honoring a few individuals.

In a year where nurses answered the call in the midst of the pandemic, this choice seemed only fitting.

“We felt there was no better time to honor our nursing alumni for the work that they do every day,” said A&M-Texarkana Alumni Association President Nicole Raley.

“They work in a field dedicated to helping others that can be challenging under the best of circumstances. But the work they have done in the midst of a global pandemic is nothing short of inspirational. All of us have been touched by this disease, and all of us have had these incredible caregivers helping us, our family, or our friends. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can scarcely be repaid.”

The collective faculty of Texas A&M University-Texarkana are also recognized for their rapid response in adapting new methods of instruction.

“We are exceptionally proud of our university faculty,” said Raley. “The pandemic forced them to make unprecedented changes to their course delivery methods in a very short period of time. Understanding the need to continue our tradition of providing our students a world-class education, they discovered new ways to teach and explore their subjects and engage their students.”

The annual Eagle Roundup, hosted by the Alumni Association, was not held in its traditional form because of COVID19 concerns.

Instead, the university and community sponsors raised money by holding a drawing for a Honda Pioneer 500 side-by-side and a week-long getaway at a Sandestin, Florida, condominium. Dr. Craig Nakashian was the winner of the Sandestin vacation, and Dena Youngblood was the winner of the Honda Pioneer 500. This year’s fundraising efforts raised in excess of $26,000.