Texas Womans Spring 2024 Magazine

OPEN DOORS
A door can be a powerful symbol.
Among its many metaphors, a door
can represent transformational
opportunities, signaling a wide array
of possibilities. At Texas Woman’s, the
many doors of opportunity are thrown
wide open, empowering all students to
dream big.
From student scholarships, graduate
assistantships, funding for study
abroad opportunities and other forms
of critical support, Texas Woman’s
provides the needed resources and
educational opportunities for students
to be successful and live productively.
Scholarships and fieldwork
opportunities have opened doors for
current graduate student and single
mother, Alicia Becker ’20, who earned
a bachelor’s degree in family studies
with a track in pre-occupational
therapy before being accepted
into the occupational therapy
graduate program.
Becker is training to become an
occupational therapist because she
“wants to help people regain the skills
they lost, so they can return to their
everyday activities.”
“Texas Woman’s scholarships have
been vital to my degree completion as
a single mother and working student.
And, I will complete my fieldwork
experience at AGAPE Clinic in Dallas,
where I will engage in practice-based
learning and provide quality healthcare
to underserved people. Scholarships
and the opportunity to train in the
community are opening doors for me
to new and innovative experiences,”
says Becker.
FUEL INNOVATION
From a single building in 1901 to the
first woman-focused university system
in the nation, Texas Woman’s continues
to blaze its own trail.
The Fuel Innovation pathway builds
on transformational ideas. Expanding
funding for research, establishing
named academic positions and
developing academic programs in
high-demand fields and industries will
bring the unique perspectives of Texas
Woman’s talented faculty and students
to real-world problem solving and
creative, ground-breaking solutions.
David Pugh is a second-year graduate
student in the physical therapy
program. He chose Texas Woman’s
after earning a bachelor’s degree in
biomedical engineering from Texas
A&M University, “because TWU has one
of the best physical therapy programs in
the country.”
Pugh began blazing new trails his very
first semester. With his background in
biomedical engineering, he was invited
to join Assistant Professor Hui-Ting Goh
in researching the relationship between
mental functions and motor movements
in stroke patients.
“I am proud to serve on this
innovative research team,” says
Pugh. “Adding to the collective body
of research knowledge can make a
real difference in patients’ lives. I am
inspired by this work.”
CULTIVATE GRIT
Grit is the desire to see the job done
right and the perseverance to see it to
completion. Texas Woman’s provides
tailored environments that help
cultivate a culture of grit. Expanding
opportunities, supporting programs,
and providing learning experiences
and leadership opportunities gives
students the confidence to make their
dreams come true.
Scholarship recipient Patty Lobos
Valle belongs to the weekend/evening
nursing cohort on the Dallas campus.
An immigrant from El Salvador, she
dropped out of school to support and
care for her family members. Despite
challenges, Lobos Valle never lost
sight of her dream to earn a college
education, and she returned at the
community college level.
“I transferred to TWU because the
weekend/evening nursing program
provides flexibility and allows me to
continue to work,” says Lobos Valle.
“My faculty mentors at Texas Woman’s
have taught me that no dreams
are off limits. After I complete my
undergraduate nursing degree, I plan
to pursue my doctorate so I can pay it
forward as a mentor and leader.”
To learn more
about the Dream
Big Campaign,
Visit dreambig.twu.edu
“We celebrate every success. We’re there to
lend a hand when anyone stumbles. We are
committed to honoring the pioneering qualities
of hard work, tenacity and taking risks to
achieve important things.”
Regent Ellen Amirkhan ’79
TEXAS WOMAN’S 3