Outstanding students prepare for commencement
Mason Ramirez never pictured himself as an “Outstanding Student.” For most of his college journey, he just saw himself as a regular guy who liked history, worried a lot about grades and quietly did his work.
But somewhere between the long nights of studying and movie nights with classmates, he’s built a record that earned him recognition as one of the Outstanding Students at Texas A&M University-Victoria’s College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. He will receive a Bachelor of Arts in History on May 16. Along with him, Andy Woods of Norwalk, Ohio, was named the Outstanding Graduate Student and will receive a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
"This is a fantastic accomplishment for Mason and Andy,” said Craig Goodman, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. “We're excited to recognize their discipline and achievement as our two Outstanding Students for the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. I'm excited for their futures, and they will be great ambassadors for Texas A&M University-Victoria.”
Each semester, professors from A&M-Victoria’s four colleges select outstanding students to be honored during commencement. A&M-Victoria will host three commencement ceremonies on May 16 at Faith Family Church, 2002 E. Mockingbird Lane. The first ceremony will be at 9 a.m. to recognize students from the College of Education & Health Professions and the College of Natural & Applied Science. The second ceremony will start at noon to celebrate students from the College of Business. The third ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. for students in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A live stream of the ceremonies will be available at https://www.tamuv.edu/commencement/.
A Victoria native, Ramirez began his journey at A&M-Victoria in fall 2021 with a very different plan. He originally pursued computer science, only to run into a stubborn roadblock: college algebra. After reflecting on his goals and interests, he made the decision to change direction. History, a subject he had always enjoyed, became his new path.
“When I got the notification that I was an Outstanding Student, wow, I mean, my heart started to race and my face got flustered,” Ramirez said. “Just wow, it felt like such an accomplishment.”
The major change fit him better than he had realized. For most of his life, Ramirez has gravitated toward stories, especially those rooted in culture, culinary traditions and lost media, he said. During his free time, he likes to go to the Victoria Public Library to explore history books and grew up listening to his grandparents describe life during the Great Depression and World War II. Those family stories passed down helped him see the present as “living history” and deepened his appreciation for the past, he said.
“My grandma Ripp, she was absolutely amazing. I would ask her so many questions about what it was like growing up,” Ramirez said. “It was fascinating listening to what she had to say, and a light went off in my head.”
On campus, Ramirez works as a tutor at the Student Success Center and will be joining the university’s Information Technology department part-time this summer. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a master’s degree in higher education and work either in advising or student support.
“For once, I know I am smart and I am strong,” Ramirez said. “I’ve done well in the past, and there’s no reason I can’t keep doing well now.”
Andy Woods has spent the last several years living and breathing words. From undergraduate classes to graduate seminars, from lesson plans to personal fiction projects, nearly every corner of Woods’ life has revolved around reading, writing and helping others do the same.
A master of fine arts student, Woods is set to graduate this May, adding a graduate degree to an academic journey that began with a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing she received from A&M-Victoria in 2022.
While completing her MFA, Woods has also been working as a high school English teacher, juggling grades, lesson plans and thesis pages. The dual role – teacher by day, graduate student and writer by night – has shaped her long-term goals, she said.
“My goal is to create as many creative writing outlets as I can for high school students,” Woods said. “My eventual goal is to be able to inspire more future writers so they could have an opportunity to do so before they pursue higher education.”
A&M-Victoria’s creative writing faculty have been central to her growth and vision, Woods said. She chose to stay at A&M-Victoria for graduate school largely because of the relationships formed as an undergraduate, she said.
“Everyone on that creative writing team has been very helpful and supportive,” Woods said. “What’s been steady has been my faculty advising team throughout.”
Some of the faculty members who have really shaped her journey include associate professor Anthony Madrid, who served as her mentor, associate professor Nadya Pittendrigh and associate professor Brooks Sterritt.
As commencement approaches, the thought of crossing the stage once again will represent more than just another diploma, she said.
“It will be the first time that I won’t have homework in a while,” Woods said. “Which will be kind of interesting.”
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.