Rogers LEAD WT Graduates Celebrated at Year-End Ceremony

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - Two dozen of West Texas A&M University's powerhouse students were honored at a special pre-commencement ceremony.

Twenty-four graduates from the Dyke and Terry Rogers Leadership Education and Development Program were celebrated at 6 p.m. May 14 in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT's Canyon campus.

Rogers LEAD WT was created in 2012 to challenge high-achieving students to further develop their leadership potential.

"We celebrate each Rogers LEAD WT graduate for their dedication and growth, confident that the leadership foundations built will empower them to succeed far beyond their time at WT," said Kimberly Cornelsen, executive director. "We look forward to their future accomplishments and the lasting impact they will make."

Up to 25 students annually are accepted as LEAD WT scholars following an extensive application and interview process. The program is completed in two years, with students taking leadership theory courses, working as a team on service projects, and completing internship experiences and taking part in other real-world activities including networking events and public speaking opportunities.

Those honored, all seniors, included:

• Ethan Archambault, sports and exercise sciences, Haverhill, Massachusetts
• Tilly Avalos, nursing, Comfort
• Leah Aviles, general business, San Bernadino, California
• Janet Banuelos, nursing, Booker
• Caoimhe Benn-Rothstein, animal science / pre-vet, Peyton, Colorado
• Will Blackmon, electrical engineering, Hereford
• Kate Burnett, criminal justice, Lubbock
• Kami Drinnon, accounting, Vega
• Emily Garner, animal science / pre-vet, Edgewood
• Heidi Giesbrecht, marketing, Seminole
• Kiki Khan, nursing, Canyon
• Katelyn Lechwar, sports and exercise sciences, Tulia
• Blake Martinez, mechanical engineering, Mesquite
• Madison McCall, animal science / pre-vet, Vega
• Kylie Menasco, nursing, Midland
• Madison Mollenhour, agricultural media and communication, Decatur
• Dominic Narvaez, mechanical engineering, Amarillo
• Oscar Navarro, accounting, Canadian
• Charlie Pointer, sports and exercise sciences, Turkey
• Romie Rubio, accounting and finance, Amarillo
• Alaina Scher, equine industry and business, Georgetown
• Lauren Stokes, chemistry, Amarillo
• Kelly Velazquez, nursing, Beaumont
• and Bentley Wesbrooks, speech and hearing sciences, Canyon.

The Rogers LEAD WT program currently includes 52 students.

Currently, 16 students come from the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, 10 from the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, nine from the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences, four from the College of Engineering, four from the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, and nine from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The program is part of the rigorous educational environment laid out in the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: The Rogers LEAD WT program celebrated its graduating spring 2026 seniors at a recent ceremony. Pictured are, front from left, Kelly Velazquez, Kate Burnett, Janet Banuelos, Emily Garner, Romie Rubio, program supporter Terry B. Rogers and Madison McCall; middle from left, program supporter Dyke Rogers, Katelyn Lechwar, Kami Drinnon, Caoimhe Benn-Rothstein, Kiki Khan, Charlie Pointer, Kylie Menasco, Madison Mollenhour, Thalia Avalos, Blake Martinez; and, back from left, William Blackmon, Bentley Westbrooks, Heidi Giesbrecht, Alaina Sher, Leah Aviles, Lauren Stokes, Ethan Archambault, Dominic Narvaez and Oscar Navarro.

-WT-