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Student named to All-Texas Academic TeamSecond-year psychology student, StephaniePapist, earned a medallion at the Universityof Texas System and Texas Association ofCommunity Colleges medallion and certificateceremony. Papist was selected in Februaryas a recipient of All-Texas Academic Teammembership for the 2017 season. Each year,approximately 100 outstanding communitycollege students are selected from the 50community college districts in Texas asmembers of the team. Our students havebeen recipients of the honor the previousthree seasons.“Congratulations on joining our exclusive andoutstanding club of representatives for St.Philip’s College as an All-Texas AcademicTeam member,” Dr. Adena Williams Lostonwrote to Papist. Team members representthe best and brightest students who excelin academics, leadership and service.“We are immensely proud of you and youraccomplishments. Your hard work is valued andis paying great dividends.”Papist said “My experience at St. Philip’sCollege has been more of a journey of selfdiscovery than two years drudging through acollege degree”. “The history of the campus,programs offered, and the foundation ofintegrity the college has built its programon are some of the things that drew me toSt. Philip’s College. I did not have to attendclasses at the main campus to be successful inmy journey through school.“At one point last year, I had met my matchin Anatomy and Physiology,” Papist recalled.“Filled with disappointment, I had come tothe conclusion I would not be able to passthis class. Much to my surprise, my professor(college faculty member Abel Candia) sensedI was struggling and asked me if there wassomething I needed to talk about. ProfessorCandia changed me as a person and studentwithout realizing his impact. I watched thisprofessor care for every other student I sawcome into his class during my two semesterswith him,” said Papist, who graduated in May.Phi Theta Kappa, community college presidentsand community college state associationssponsor All-State Community CollegeAcademic Team ceremonies in 38 participatingstates. Students from participating statesnominated to the All-USA Community CollegeAcademic Team are automatically named toStudents featured inPBS reportThe Jan. 28 PBS News Hour Weekendreport about Texas on front lines of NAFTAnegotiations featured interviews withmanufacturing students and an employerof interns.Stephanie Papistthe All-State Community College AcademicTeams. Ranking on the All-State CommunityCollege Academic Teams is generallydetermined by the student’s score in thenational competition.All-State Community College Academic Teamrecognition ceremonies vary by state, butare most often held in the state capital withlegislators, education leaders and corporateleaders attending. All-State CommunityCollege Academic Team members receivespecial recognition at these ceremoniesincluding medallions and certificates andscholarships. If applicable, Coca-Cola Gold,Silver and Bronze Scholars arealso recognized.Athletes Honor LocalLaw EnforcementIn addition to hosting San Antonio PoliceDepartment candidate recruiting events inMarch, St. Philip’s College invited SAPDmembers for on-court recognition duringa March 8 intramural basketball game.The department later acknowledged therecognition on its Facebook site, stating, “StPhilip’s College invited and recognized lawenforcement during their basketball game.Go Tigers!!!”Cesar Mendez (above) spoke to the impact ofThe North American Free Trade AgreementAmerica signed in 1993.Cesar Mendez was interviewed to illustratethe impact of The North American FreeTrade Agreement America, signed in1993. Mendez is a second year associateof science degree student attendingSouthwest Campus with support fromthe Trade Adjustment Act that provideseducation for workers who have lost jobsthat moved to another country.500 employees who lost their jobs at anArkansas wheel manufacturing plant, whenthe plant moved to Mexico in 2014. “Iwas with the company for about seven toeight years. I had settled myself down withthe company, with the job I had, so I feltterrible,” Mendez said. He moved to SanAntonio in search of work and to upgradehis skills. His classes are paid for by theTrade Adjustment Assistance program.“Once I did my research, I saw that SanAntonio is really big in manufacturing andI would have a better chance -- once Igraduate -- with me getting a job,”said Mendez.Steven Valdez, a 2015 Alamo Academiesintern concurrently enrolled at SPC and thepre-apprenticeship program of PrecisionMold and Tool Group, was also ont-lines-nafta-negotiations/

SPC active in San Antonio Early college junior headed to NASATricentennial CelebrationOn the 1st of May of 1718, Martín deAlarcón, Governor of Coahuila y Tejas,and Fray Antonio de San Buenaventura yOlivares established Mission San Antoniode Valero (later known as the Alamo) at itsoriginal site, according to UTSA Institute ofA pioneering student has made history asthe first at the college selected by NASA toparticipate in the onsite summer experienceelements of the space agency’s Texas HighSchool Aerospace Scholars (HAS) programafter successfully completing the preliminaryonline distance learning. Triniti Armstrongis a student at St. Philip’s College EarlyCollege High School with San AntonioIndependent School District.satellites and research on the planet toclassify habitable zones, and how manyother planets we think might have life onthem, in order to apply this information inthe real world,” Armstrong said. “I canpick a week I want to go this summer and Ihave not chosen one yet.”NASA’s preliminary program, funded bythe Texas legislature, is geared toward highschool physics students in their junior year.Texan Cultures. Four days later, on the 5thof May of 1718, the Presidio San Antoniode Béjar, a garrison was established toprotect the new mission. A few civiliansettlers and families of soldiers settled inthe area called the Villa de Béjar. Thetown would soon begin to grow as four newmissions were established nearby.San Antonio celebrates its 300thanniversary in 2018. St. Philip’s Collegeis an educational partner in the yearlongSan Antonio Tricentennial Celebrationcalendar of events, activities and innovativeinitiatives that honor that historic milestone.On Feb. 2 at Incarnate Word University,faculty member Allen Hamilton gave backas the college’s representative on thecity’s University Tri-Centennial Planningsubcommittee. Hamilton met with fourmembers of the committee in his capacity asthe designated representative for 119-yearold SPC. St. Mary’s University, IncarnateWord University, Trinity University andSPC have all pledged their support inhighlighting the role that institutions ofhigher learning have played in thecity’s 300 years of development in anobservance known as the San AntonioTricentennial Celebration.Armstrong said she is carefully concentratingon the opportunity, working hard to earnrespect in the world of space research.“Leading up to this, I did all the work, fourassignments per month for four months withgood grades on all of the work. That wasgood enough to go to the one-week onsiteprogram they have at the Johnson SpaceCenter. From what I understand, we areone of many teams planning a simulatedmission to Mars using the NASA techniquesand information we used so far. Thatincludes 3-D modeling, basic JavaScriptprogramming, completing a few essays onTriniti ArmstrongSan Antonio Masonic Lodges Fund Scholarships forApplied Science StudentsAlamo Lodge No. 44 and Triune Lodge No. 15 gave a combined gift of 4,000 in 2015. Thefollowing year, Alamo Lodge No. 44, Triune Lodge No. 15, Charles W. Anderson Lodge No. 1413,Highland Hills Lodge No. 1373, Texas Lodge No. 8, Victory Lodge No. 1160, and Kelly LodgeNo. 1131, all of San Antonio, gave a combined gift of 10,000 to St. Philip’s College.The Masonic Lodges Scholarships provide financial assistance for students enrolled in certificates ofcompletion programs in the fields of aircraft maintenance, construction trades, plumbing, welding,transportation services technology and manufacturing technology.

Ruth Jones McClendon Collectionhoused at Center for Learning ResourcesOn Feb. 28 in the Center for Learning Resources, the final highlight of African-AmericanHeritage Month was a ceremonial scholarship presentation and ribbon cutting during theopening reception for the exhibit of The Honorable Ruth Jones McClendon Collection.McClendon represented District 120 in the Texas House of Representatives from 1996 to2016. Her constituencies included 119-year-old St. Philip’s College.“Today we’re celebrating this wonderful donated collection from The Honorable RuthJones McClendon,” said event host Dr. Adena Williams Loston. “We are the benefactorsof her labor, her legacy, her work. She has donated many hundreds of artifacts, and ifpeople are interested in knowing more about the life, the legacy of Ruth Jones McClendon,they are here, said Loston.“Within days of arriving to San Antonio nearly ten years ago, I met with Ruth JonesMcClendon and she was explaining that St. Philip’s College is a jewel on the east side ofSan Antonio, and for that reason she continued to be supportive of St. Philip’s College andour community,” Loston said. “This is our way of recognizing her contribution.”McClendon was born on October 5, 1943 in Houston. She grew up in the Fifth Ward andcites the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan as the historical leader who had the greatestinfluence on her as a child.After working as a juvenile probation officer for 17 years, McClendon joined the ranks ofother trailblazing African American female political powerhouses such as Shirley Chisholm,Barbara Jordan and Carol Moseley Braun. She was a member of the San Antonio CityCouncil and served as Mayor Pro Tempore from June 1993 to August 1996. McClendonwas voted to the state house in a special election following the resignation of District 120Representative Karyne Conley.She served the Texas House of Representatives for 20 years and served two termsas chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Resolutions. She also served as amember of the House Committee on Transportation, the Joint Criminal Justice OversightCommittee, and chaired the House Appropriations Committee, responsible for the state’s 180 billion budget.As a state representative she authored, sponsored, co-sponsored, and passed more than160 bills, serving as a relentless advocate for education, health care, restorative justiceprograms, and transportation.McClendon started a scholarship fund with 27,500. During the opening reception, variousorganizations contributed to the scholarship fund. Ten students from District 120 havebenefited from those scholarships.To access the collection, contact Rebecca Barnard, the college’s archivist, at(210) 486-2583.For details on contributing to the Ruth Jones McClendon scholarship fund, contact Dr.Sharon Crockett-Ray, the college’s director of institutional advancement, at(210) 486-2887.The largest community college archive in theregion now includes public access the the artifactsof The Honorable Ruth Jones McClendon(seated, image above). Highlights of the Feb. 28opening ceremony and reception for the collectionat the college’s Center for Learning Resourcesinclude images on opposite page, clockwise frombottom left: artifacts from McClendon’s timein Austin and a showcase of her philanthropy,a scholarship fund presentation by DenverMcClendon to four of the ten District 120recipients, and friends and family members. Thefirst ten students to receive scholarships from TheHonorable Ruth Jones McClendon ScholarshipFund are: Nathalia Canizalez (occupationaltherapy assistant), Jessica Castro and Betty Clay(digital arts and media), Isaac Huron (liberalarts), Nicole Jaskolka (surgical technology),Genaro Solis (business administration), CharlesSheppard (engineering), Hershel Stewart(computer maintenance technology), GiselleVasquez (music) and Kanishia Young (computermaintenance technology).

Fox’s Empire StarFeatured inPresident’s Lecture SeriesSt. Philip’s College President’s LectureSeries season of seminars and free publiclectures concluded with Grace (Gealey)Byers -- actress and activist. During AfricanAmerican History Month, the audienceheard from and asked questions of theactress currently performing as AnikaCalhoun on the FOX series Empire.Byers was raised in the Cayman Islands byher African American mother and Caucasianfather. Both of her parents are deaf andthus, she was raised learning sign languageand understanding what it meant to bea child of deaf adults (CODA). Althoughpeople treated her parents as “deaf anddumb” and Byers as “too light” or “toodark,” these challenging experiences madeher strong and committed to following herdreams. SPC students, area high schoolersand members of the community got to meetByers after the presentation.Three images capture how Grace (Gealey) Byers,actress currently performing as Anika Calhounon the FOX series Empire was received duringher turn at the lectern. Byers celebrated localalumna Gertha Murphy, she heard from Dr.Adena Williams Loston, and she connected withstudents.The Daughters of the Republic of Texas recognizes historic St. Philip’s College at the AlamoThe St. Philip’s College legacy was celebrated by Dr. Adena WilliamsLoston, students and members of the oldest patriotic women’s organizationin Texas.SPC was honored by the Alamo Mission Chapter of the Daughters of theRepublic of Texas on Texas Independence Day. Event organizers recognizelocal historic schools each year as part of their educational mission. For2017, the ceremonially highlighted institutions were Texas MilitaryInstitute—The Episcopal School of Texas (est. 1893) and St. Philip’sCollege (est. 1898). The two have a shared founder, Bishop James SteptoeJohnston.While Dr. Loston and a TMI administrator were presented state flags thathad flown over the Alamo as gifts commemorating the Texas IndependenceDay observance, Angie Mendez sang The National Anthem and KatrinaKing led the audience in the Pledge Of Allegiance. SPC cheerleaders,mascot, faculty and staff also attended.2017 Texas Honor Day - Texas IndependenceDay event. Chairwoman Carla Miller presents aflag and commemorative certificate to Dr. AdenaWilliams Loston.

Collegiate 100inductions markinaugural organizationmembershipSt. Philip’s College celebrated studentleadership success during the Collegiate100 chapter of 100 Black Men of SanAntonio, Inc. induction ceremony. Thechapter helps students make connectionsbetween membership and access tomentoring and tutoring resources.Chapter leaders assist the parentStudent voluneers aid San Antonio’s BeethovenMaennerchor in 150th anniversary projectSan Antonio’s Beethoven Maennerchor officially commemorated its 150th anniversary ofGerman heritage and culture in San Antonio with behind-the scenes help from students.The association is the one of the oldest German singing societies in Texas.Located in the city’s King William Historic District, the group has been in existencefor nearly half the life of 300-year-old San Antonio, and their main property features agarden where fests for Oktoberfest and Fiesta are held. Students discovered the upkeepopportunity and offered their assistance to renovate the property’s Kuest Haus, currentlyenvisioned as a museum for the preservation of German heritage in Texas. The opportunityarose because of a connection between construction student and Navy veteran KristenReyna and San Antonio’s Beethoven Maennerchor, explained faculty sponsor GilbertNoriega. “A non-profit that raises money for other charities needed help themselves. Welike helping people who help other people, you know?”“They are in a very old building, and they may have the second or third largest-oldestbowling alley in the state that we may be able to get some work done on as a team in thefuture,” Noriega said. Students worked on many doors, installing an iron door in order tosecure the rear of the courtyard, and fixing a water leak in the men’s choir room. Then theymade adjustments to the women’s choir room door before sanding and painting a door to aballroom and repairing slats on five benches.In less than two years, induction ceremoniesof the Collegiate 100 chapter of 100 BlackMen of San Antonio, Inc. (image above) havebecome a major day in the seasons of service andleadership.The team repaired skirting on the property’s main house along with general cleanup andmaintenance on the grounds. The result was an uncluttered, more supportive environmentin preparation for the anniversary event. A success on many levels, according to reports.Students featured in builder’s association magazineorganization toward developing thesocial, emotional, educational andphysical needs of youth. The secondarypurpose of The Collegiate 100 is tonurture the growth of its members intoopen-minded professional leaders.Damon Lake said, “We’re signing upstudents for mentoring opportunitiesand moving forward in our semester ofservice. If you are a real student and youhave real time to give, this organizationis open for you.” Membership iscomposed of all ethnicities.Servicemembers gave a keynote addresson leadership. “We are fortunate,honored and glad they can be here todayto impart to us what it means to be aleader,” said Lake.Members of the National Association ofHome Builders Student Chapter have beengiving back on an epic scale. On Feb. 18 inElmendorf, plumbing, construction, HVACand auto collision students returned to anongoing project site. Plumbing studentsexcavated a tank lid approximately eightfeet in diameter and examined about 25feet of piping by hand.Other team members were inside repairingthree areas of the subfloor in preparationfor a future underlayment installation.Those repairs were extensive and requiredan additional floor joist installation forproper support. Two HVAC studentsinspected a heating and cooling systembefore assisting the construction students.The collective work of our students wasnoted by industry members in the January2017 Greater San Antonio BuildersAssociation Builder Brief article, “NAHBStudent Chapter Gives Back.”A prolific rate of giving back while learning hasearned the construction student organizationmembers (above) positive notice from the greaterbuilding community.

Faculty namedto Morgan’sWonderland boardEarly Childhood and FamilyStudies adjunct instructor, AmyHuebner, recently joined theboard of a unique local nonprofitthat provides an alternative totraditional special educationprograms and services. Huebner,now serves on the board of TheAcademy at Morgan’s Wonderland.The academy implements anindividualized education programfor each of its students, operatingoutside the constraints of programsand curriculum guidelines designedfor the typically developingstudent. Academy organizersrecognize that by improving livesof individuals with special needsthrough equipping them withthe skills they need, they will bemore productive and passionatecontributors to society.Amy HuebnerOne spectacular moment in the 2017 San Antonio Chapter of The Links Western Gala at Pedrotti’sNorth Wind Ranch in Helotes coincided with the ceremonial presentation of 5,000 in endowmentfunding by The Links chapter president Deborah Stanton Burke (center right, image above) to Dr.Adena Williams Loston.Students tour the newly renovated Turbon Student CenterThroughout the Turbon Student Centerproject, Skanska has given students indepth access to the inner workings of a liveconstruction project.Students have toured the building, studiedthe architectural plans and discussed safetyand best practices with professionals, gettingon-site experiences that will help them intheir pursuit of careers in this field. SkanskaProject Manager Sonny Knox has actedas mentor and guide to students, bringingtextbook knowledge to life.

ST. PHILIP’S COL

the Pentagon's 1,700 Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium Member Institutions, a network system to deliver degree programs to service members, funded by the Pentagon through a contract with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. SPC is the first Texas community college to receive the "purple heart" designation.