University Scholar Spotlight: Diego Lozano Welsh

Written by special contributor Lance Fleming

Each day, students across the ACU campus display the university’s mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world through their actions and acts of service on the campus. Each year, students like those are nominated by their academic departments. From those nominations, 50 scholars are selected by the ACU Faculty Senate to receive the University Scholars Award for their graduating class. 

Among those 50 scholars who demonstrated outstanding scholarship by maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher, earning 90 hours towards their degree, and continuing the pursuit of knowledge in their research field, seven are students from the College of Business Administration. The COBA students who received this year’s University Scholars Award are Kathryn Crawford, Gracie Isham, Matthew Roberson, Will Harris, Diego Lozano Welsh, Ben Blackmon, and Garrett Powell. 

We have been highlighting each of those seven individuals over the last few weeks, including this profile of Diego Lozano Welsh. A native of Coppell, Texas, Diego recently graduated with a 3.87 GPA as a business management major. In June, he will begin work as a Talent Acquisition Specialist for Sinacola, a construction company in Frisco, Texas. 

As a student, Diego – a member of Frater Sodalis – was instrumental in reviving the Lighthouse Catholic Student Organization, which was hit hard by COVID in 2020 and almost disappeared. But with the help of sponsors and parishes in Abilene, Diego led the effort to bring the organization back to campus. He was also part of Lynay, and as a freshman, he began doing volunteer work with “Palm House Kids,” a group that provides children from lower-income families a meal and a place to play and teaches them about Jesus.

Diego recently answered a few questions about his time at ACU and in COBA, covering everything from his most influential class to the most unique thing he’s been a part of while at ACU:

 

Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself at ACU?

Welsh:  “The most important thing I’ve learned about myself is that I have been equipped to spread the gospel. I learned how to involve my faith in everything that I do. This allows me to show my hope in Christ and bring that hope to others.”

 

Q: What professor or class has impacted you most and why?

Welsh: “Dr. Matt Deeg greatly impacted my development during college. I was lucky enough to have a class with him for three consecutive semesters. During those semesters, I changed my major and concentration a few times. He walked with me each time, having conversations to help lead me in the right direction. He was a fantastic teacher whom I learned a lot from professionally. However, the most significant impact he had in my life was personally, as a mentor and a friend.”  

 

Q: What has been your experience in COBA?

Welsh: I have loved every moment in COBA. I got to work as a COBA student ambassador during my senior year, giving tours to high school students and working in the offices for recruitment. That allowed me to have a different perspective on COBA. I saw the faculty and staff every day and experienced the culture in COBA. This was such a fantastic opportunity; it allowed me to build relationships with everyone working there and see them as real people: these relationships and all the experiences I had in COBA combined into a beautiful experience at ACU.”

 

Q: Of all the things you’ve experienced at ACU, what do you believe will have the most impact on your life?

Welsh:  “The relationships I built will be the most impactful. The way that I learned to build relationships with mentors and the friendships I developed will shape how I live the rest of my life.” 

University Scholar Spotlight: Matthew Roberson

Written by special contributor Lance Fleming

Each day, students across the ACU campus display the university’s mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world through their actions and acts of service on the campus. Each year, students like those are nominated by their academic departments. From those nominations, 50 scholars are selected by the ACU Faculty Senate to receive the University Scholars Award for their graduating class. 

Among those 50 scholars who demonstrated outstanding scholarship by maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher, earning 90 hours towards their degree, and continuing the pursuit of knowledge in their research field, seven are students from the College of Business Administration. The COBA students who received this year’s University Scholars Award are Kathryn Crawford, Gracie Isham, Matthew Roberson, Will Harris, Diego Lozano Welsh, Ben Blackmon, and Garrett Powell. 

We will highlight each of the seven over the next month, including this profile of Matthew Roberson, a native of Weatherford who carries a 4.0 GPA and is graduating with a degree in accounting. After graduation, Matthew plans to complete his Master of Accountancy with ACU and continue his audit internship with Condley and Company. 

Matthew has served as Vice President of Fundraising for ACU’s chapter of the International Justice Mission and was also a member of the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society and the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. 

Matthew recently answered a few questions about his time at ACU and in COBA, covering everything from his most influential class to the most unique thing he’s been a part of while at ACU: 

 

Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself at ACU?

Roberson: “I’ve learned that I value relationships more than academic or work success. Investing time to know the people I am around provides me with the most fulfillment.”

 

Q: What professor or class has impacted you most and why?

Roberson: “This one is tough to answer. Each professor I have had at COBA has profoundly impacted my life, and I cannot honestly rank who has done so the most. However, the class that most influenced the trajectory of my life was Financial Accounting 210 with Dr. Clint Buck. Before taking that class, I struggled with finding purpose and fulfillment in my previous major. While Dr. Buck provided a logical foundation for accounting principles that I still rely on to this day, the most important thing he did was help me understand why and how accountants bring good into our communities. All I needed was the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ followed soon after.”

 

Q: What has been your experience in COBA?

Roberson: “My experience in COBA has been unparalleled. I transferred to ACU in the second half of my junior year, and I fully expected COBA to be like the other academic environments I had experienced. However, I was happily proved wrong. There is a familial atmosphere at COBA that I was hard-pressed to find elsewhere. The professors pushed me to be the best I could be, but I never once felt like I had to go it alone.”

 

Q: Of all the things you’ve experienced at ACU, what do you believe will have the most impact on your life?

Roberson: “The connections I have formed at ACU will impact my life the most.”

 

University Scholar Spotlight: Kathryn Crawford

Written by special contributor Lance Fleming

Each day, students across the ACU campus display the university’s mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world through their actions and acts of service on the campus. Each year, students like those are nominated by their academic departments. From those nominations, 50 scholars are selected by the ACU Faculty Senate to receive the University Scholars Award for their graduating class. 

Among those 50 scholars who demonstrated outstanding scholarship by maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher, earning 90 hours towards their degree, and continuing the pursuit of knowledge in their research field, seven are students from the College of Business Administration. The COBA students who received this year’s University Scholars Award are Kathryn Crawford, Gracie Isham, Matthew Roberson, Will Harris, Diego Lozano Welsh, Ben Blackmon, and Garrett Powell. 

We will highlight each of the seven over the next month, including this profile of Kathryn Crawford. A native of Flower Mound, Texas, Kathryn carries a 4.0 GPA and is graduating with a BBA degree double majoring in Financial Management and Management with a concentration in Leadership. After graduation, she will travel this summer and serve as a Resident Advisor for the Leipzig Study Abroad program. 

Kathryn is a member of Sigma Theta Chi and participated in Sing Song with her club each of the last two years. As a freshman, she was in Sing Song and directed a Freshman Follies Hall act. She also volunteered at Palm House as a freshman and sophomore and worked in the Lytle Center for Faith and Learning. 

Kathryn recently answered a few questions about her time at ACU and in COBA, covering everything from her most influential class to the most unique thing she’s been a part of while at ACU: 

 

Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself at ACU?

Crawford: “I grow the most when I am challenged. Even though it can be difficult, pushing myself out of my comfort zone has been pivotal to my development personally, academically, and spiritually.”

 

Q: What professor or class has impacted you most and why?

Crawford: “The class that impacted me most at ACU was International Business. I had the opportunity to take this course abroad during my junior year when I spent a semester in Leipzig, Germany. I not only learned how countries engage with one another, but I was also able to experience first-hand how businesses operate outside the United States. Touring companies such as BMW and Leipziger Messe allowed me to gain a new perspective on the possible operations and organizational structures of businesses in a way that would not have been possible in a traditional classroom setting. I came to appreciate cultural collaboration and international business through this course and plan to pursue this area more in my future career.”

 

Q: What has been your experience in COBA?

Crawford: “For someone who didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do entering college, I could not have ended up in a better place to explore my passions and cultivate my skills than COBA. Surrounded by encouraging faculty, I uncovered new areas of interest each year. The support I experienced from a few specific professors, such as Dr. Jody Jones, helped me find my affinity for research and ignited a desire to continue my education beyond a bachelor’s degree. With unique courses such as social enterprise consulting and S.T.A.R., I immersed myself in real-life situations that forced me to apply classroom concepts to actual projects. Most importantly, I will walk away most grateful for the integration of faith into every single aspect of my experience from my time at ACU. Between equipping courses like Leadership Summit and the consistent spiritual encouragement from my professors, particularly Dr. Marquardt, I was exposed to an incredibly unique experience. I leave ACU well-rounded and equipped to enter life as a young professional with confidence only possible from the strong foundation in knowledge, faith, and purpose that COBA cultivated.”

 

Q: Of all the things you’ve experienced at ACU, what do you believe will have the most impact on your life?

Crawford: “My semester abroad will have the most impact on my life. This experience gave me a new perspective on the world around me and my role in it. I came to appreciate living outside my normal, everyday comforts and continually found myself enamored by the cultural nuances surrounding me everywhere I traveled. It solidified my ability to love and appreciate my neighbors regardless of their customs, traditions, or beliefs. I hope that I never stop seeing the world with the awe and wonder I felt during this time, and I pray that God will use that for his glory wherever life leads me.”

University Scholar Spotlight: Garrett Powell

Written by special contributor Lance Fleming

Each day, students across the ACU campus display the university’s mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world through their actions and acts of service on the campus. Each year, students like those are nominated by their academic departments. From those nominations, 50 scholars are selected by the ACU Faculty Senate to receive the University Scholars Award for their graduating class. 

Among those 50 scholars who demonstrated outstanding scholarship by maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher, earning 90 hours towards their degree, and continuing the pursuit of knowledge in their research field, seven are students from the College of Business Administration. The COBA students who received this year’s University Scholars Award are Kathryn Crawford, Gracie Isham, Matthew Roberson, Will Harris, Diego Lozano Welsh, Ben Blackmon, and Garrett Powell. 

We will highlight each of the seven over the next month, including this profile of Garrett Powell, a native of Aledo, Texas, who carries a 3.9 GPA while majoring in computer science with a focus on software engineering and minoring in mathematics. Garrett – who has been working as an intern for Funeral Directors Life Insurance Company – will go to work with FCLIC as a DevOps Developer. 

While at ACU, Garrett has been heavily involved in academic and campus life pursuits. He has served as Dr. James Prather’s research assistant, researching metacognition, programming error messages, and novice programmers. Seven of his articles have been published on various platforms over the last three years. 

He’s also the chairman of the local ACM SIGCHI Chapter and is president of the ACU Swing Cats, the swing dance club on campus. Garrett has been with the group since the fall of his freshman year (2019-20) and was with the group on April 29 when it celebrated its 20th anniversary with a dance at the Elks Ballroom. 

Garrett recently answered a few questions about his time at ACU and in COBA, covering everything from his most influential class and professor to the most impactful thing he’s been a part of while at ACU: 

 

Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself at ACU?

Powell: “Learning to interact and communicate with people from different areas of life, whether from other majors or societal backgrounds.” 

 

Q: What professor or class has impacted you most and why?

Powell: “James Prather has by far been the most influential professor. He picked me up as a research assistant in the spring of my freshman year and has been a mentor ever since. He introduced me to the many ways we can improve people’s lives by implementing accessibility tools on our software. The most influential class would have actually had to have been a two-part class. Software 1 and 2, taught by Brent Reeves, greatly impacted me. He helped implement projects that reflected what working in the real world was like. It did a great job preparing me for what I see in my job day to day.”

 

Q: Of all the things you’ve experienced at ACU, what do you believe will have the most impact on your life?

Powell: “Being involved in Swing Cats has been the most influential part of my college experience. It brought me out of my comfort zone and moved me into a leadership position.”

University Scholar Spotlight: Gracie Isham

Written by special contributor Lance Fleming

Each day, students across the ACU campus display the university’s mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world through their actions and acts of service on the campus. Each year, students like those are nominated by their academic departments. From those nominations, 50 scholars are selected by the ACU Faculty Senate to receive the University Scholars Award for their graduating class.

Among those 50 scholars who demonstrated outstanding scholarship by maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher, earning 90 hours towards their degree, and continuing the pursuit of knowledge in their research field, seven are students from the College of Business Administration. The COBA students who received this year’s University Scholars Award are Kathryn Crawford, Gracie Isham, Matthew Roberson, Will Harris, Diego Lozano Welsh, Ben Blackmon, and Garrett Powell.

We will highlight each of the seven over the next month, starting with Gracie Isham, the youngest of the four Isham siblings to attend ACU. A native of Decatur, she is a member of Ko Jo Kai, has served on the Executive CEO Leadership Board and the Executive Philanthropy Board, and sang in the Foundation and Grace Note a capella groups.

A double major in accounting and finance, she has already accepted a job offer at Weaver, an accounting firm in downtown Fort Worth. She is in the process of applying to schools across Texas so she can work toward getting her MBA.

Gracie recently answered a few questions about her time at ACU and in COBA, covering everything from her most influential class to the most unique thing she’s been a part of while at ACU:

Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself at ACU?
Isham: “The most important thing I have learned is that we all need community, and that community looks different for each individual. As I’ve gone through the troughs and peaks of college, my community has kept me stable and looking toward my purpose: to be a good steward of God’s gifts. With this being said, my definition of community has changed throughout my time here. I would have used to say that community looks like being plugged in with a vast group of people across all areas and interests in my life. Still, as my time in college ends, my definition of a true community has changed to this: my caring roommate that sews the hole in my shirt, my lifetime friend that walks my dog while I’m sick, my friend that offers me a prayer whenever I need, and my family who constantly supports all of my future ideas. Community isn’t about quantity but the quality of people who know you best.”

Q: What professor or class has impacted you most and why?
Isham: “The class that had the most impact on me was the strategic philanthropy class I am currently taking (The why behind this answer is located in the last question!).”

Q: What has been your experience in COBA?
Isham: “COBA has been a great experience overall. It has offered me many opportunities to grow by presenting me with leadership opportunities, networking events, and an overall supportive environment with people who want to see me succeed!”

Q: Of all the things you’ve experienced at ACU, what do you believe will have the most impact on your life?
Isham: ACU’s constant push toward turning its faculty and students toward God will have the biggest impact on my life. I have grown spiritually through all the big chapels, small group chapels, the professor’s daily class prayers, and constant spaces of worship. The things I gained through these experiences are things I will implement into my life forever.”

Q: What is the most unique thing you’ve been a part of or learned at ACU?
Isham: The most unique thing I have been a part of at ACU has been sitting as the chairperson of the Strategic Philanthropy Board. I have had the opportunity to visit various non-profits in Abilene and witness God’s good work through the people of each organization. Through this, as a board, we have chosen several non-profits to allocate $50,000 for their use. This has challenged me to engage in more philanthropic endeavors in my life and home community.”

 

Internship Highlight: How Alissa Davis Brought Comfort to Uvalde

Written by special contributor Lance Fleming

In most places of business, an apprentice is given a few days or even a week to get their feet wet and learn the ins and outs of the office before being fully indoctrinated into the ins and outs of the everyday job.

Alissa Davis didn’t have that luxury.

When Davis – who is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Digital Entertainment Technology (DET) with an emphasis on Video Game Design and is on target to graduate in May 2023 – started her apprenticeship with Funeral Director’s Life Insurance Company on June 1, she had no choice but to get right to work and help her co-workers make it through one of the saddest moments in the recent history of the country.

Just one week before she began, 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde lost their lives to a mass shooter. When Davis began her apprenticeship, she was immediately charged with helping to set up and monitor live streams of approximately 15 of the funerals that stretched over several days.

It was a tough and emotional task and one that Davis hasn’t fully put into perspective.

“I still haven’t fully processed the emotions that came with it,” said Davis, who is a senior from Stephenville. “There were several times during the services when I had to completely turn the sound off and momentarily step away from my desk where I was monitoring the live stream because I couldn’t handle the sound of the parents grieving for their lost children. There was always a tense aura in the department because we needed to do better than our best and ensure that everything went as smoothly as possible for those families and the community, who suffered great losses.”

Around July 1 when her boss returned from Uvalde, Davis was assigned a new responsibility to create short training videos for both new and regular clients to watch and learn how to use the FDLIC streaming product. Despite the difficult and emotional circumstances, Davis had quickly made a name for herself at the company. So much so that at the end of her apprenticeship, Davis was awarded the Performance Plus Award, which is awarded by the FDLIC’s Board of Directors and had never before been presented to an apprentice.

The award is given to an employee who shows outstanding qualities that fit several of the 22 non-negotiable traits of the company. Normally, the person who receives the award is recognized by another respected employee of the company and awarded at a company-wide meeting at the end of the month. However, Davis’s above-and-beyond effort resulted in her receiving this remarkable reward.

“I was stunned,” Davis said of the moment when she was announced as the winner of the award. “I knew that I helped the team, but I discredited myself as able to receive praise because I never went there personally or interacted with the people in person as the rest of the team did. So, when it came time to recognize the winners, I was completely stunned to see my name there.”

By the end of her second week, Davis said, she was fully trained and up to speed on almost everything a normal employee in the FDLIC Encore Department would know. The Encore Department is the technology used to live-stream funeral services.

“I had to quickly learn how to do so much more than an ordinary apprentice should in less than one week,” Davis said. “By my third day, I took on responsibilities as if I was another full-time employee because I wanted to do anything I could to help make the lives of my bosses and co-workers easier. They needed to put their focus and full attention on the devastating matter at hand and give the funeral directors on site their undivided attention and assistance.”

Davis – who said the greatest lesson she learned during her apprenticeship is that it’s OK to make mistakes – was on the job for two months and will have a full-time job waiting for her when she graduates. In the meantime, she was offered a part-time job when the apprenticeship was over and she’s currently working in that job until she can begin her full-time job. And after some time there, her goal is to pursue a career with her DET degree because her true passion is video game design.

She credited ACU and COBA with getting the apprenticeship and learning to use her imagination to be as creative as possible.

“ACU had the connections for me; I would not have learned about this internship in the first place without them,” Davis said. “Being at ACU has helped me come out of my shell, so I can take the leaps of faith and go for something I want. My time at ACU has also taught me to think quickly on my feet so that I can learn how to do what I need to do quickly to be able to give back to and help others.

“The best thing about being a COBA student is having the opportunity for freedom to create whatever I can imagine,” she continued. “And if I can’t do it because I lack the skill, I have friends and professors around me who can and are actively willing to help because want to see me succeed.”