Painting the Town Maroon - McMurry University

35 graduates of Merkel High School currently attend McMurry University. That may not seem
noteworthy; however, when you consider that the total enrollment of Merkel High School is
325, the number of graduates who have found their way to McMurry is significant.
argument, a recent poll conducted by the College Board
reported that of all factors that influence the millennial
generation in their college decisions, staying close to
home is number seven on the list out of nine. In short,
this generation is more inclined to leave home than
previous generations. And, even for those who choose
to attend a college because it is close to home, there are
several other options available to them in Abilene. So
the “location” factor alone doesn’t hold water—Merkel
water or any other variety.
The same student poll cited academic quality as
the most important factor in choosing a college, and
therefore we might argue, with some success, that our
excellent placement rates and first-rate faculty has
single-handedly attracted Merkel’s best and brightest.
Our 35 majors and nine pre-professional programs
offered in a small campus setting that boasts a 14:1
student-teacher ratio would certainly be attractive
to many a small-town scholar who excelled in high
school through personal attention they received from
knowledgeable instructors who showed a genuine
interest in their academic experience. Michael Qualls
graduated from Merkel High School and subsequently
from McMurry University in 2005. He chose McMurry
for all the reasons above: “In the state of Texas, there
are a lot of colleges to choose from. I chose McMurry
because of the small classes and great faculty. It was also
close to home if I wanted a home-cooked meal.”
Currently a high school girls’ basketball coach
in the Boys Ranch Independent School District near
Amarillo, Qualls shared that he was drawn to the
outstanding athletic program and family atmosphere
at McMurry that reminded him of his own high
school experience at Merkel. A standout player on the
men’s basketball team in high school, he continued
his basketball career at McMurry, along with two
other former Merkel cagers. In fact, those close to the
program affectionately referred to the men’s team at
that time as “McMerkel.” Among other Merkel Badgers
of the same era who made names for themselves at
McMurry were golfers Rode McElreath ’07 and Colby
Watts, and track and field athletes Brittney Harris and
Amanda Richardson Jordan ’07. Qualls speaks fondly of
his mentors and role models on the McMurry coaching
staff, naming several in particular: Ron Holmes, Bev
Ball, John Byington, Bill Libby and Veronica Snow. In
fact, Qualls cites his relationships and the influence of
teachers and coaches at both Merkel and McMurry as
instrumental in his decision to pursue a coaching and
teaching career.
While one adult role model can exert a huge
influence over a young life, what might be the influence
of thirty?! That just happens to be the number of
McMurry graduates currently employed by the Merkel
Independent School District. Renee Waggoner, a 2002
McMurry graduate who teaches elementary school
in Merkel, said the following about her McMurry
experience: “I felt like the teachers/professors wanted
me to succeed. We were all on the same side…I loved
my professors! They truly took a vested interest in me,
my life, my family and my education.”
Renee was proud to have the opportunity to share
her McMurry experience. A well-known mantra
in operating a successful business is that a satisfied
customer is your best salesman. Would that mantra
not also apply to higher education? Mary Ann Duke
Abbott, a middle school teacher at Merkel and a
1990 McMurry graduate, was certainly a “satisfied
customer” and provides the following testimonial:
“Being from a small school, McMurry’s small campus
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