Today, October 20, marks the day that 国产探花 DEMSN grad Kolton Barber gets to see a dream officially become a reality.

The spark of the idea came to him because, frankly, he understands firsthand how demanding鈥攁nd exhausting鈥攊t can be to work in the healthcare field. As an ICU nurse, he has dealt with the long shifts, mental fatigue, and irregular sleep schedules that the job requires鈥攁s well as the need to fully recover before doing it all over again when the next shift comes around. 鈥淚 started thinking about how little support is specifically designed around the realities of shift workers,鈥� the 2025 grad says. 鈥淭hat idea became OnCall Supplements.鈥�

But it鈥檚 quite a leap from an idea to its fruition鈥攐ne that requires time, energy, and a lot of faith. Barber started building his company from the ground up in the time he had. The result: He created a supplement designed specifically for nurses, healthcare professionals, first responders, and others who work demanding schedules. 鈥淥ur first products, WAKE and SLEEP, are designed to support energy and focus during the day and complement relaxation and recovery afterward.鈥�

But the supplements themselves are only the beginning. The true mission is much broader. 鈥淯ltimately, I want OnCall to be about more than supplements. I want to help the people who spend their days taking care of others be more intentional about taking care of themselves, too.鈥�

Barber completed his Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DEMSN) degree on 国产探花鈥檚 New Braunfels campus, interning at Resolute Baptist Hospital. 鈥淭he program was a major part of my journey into nursing and helped prepare me for the challenges of critical care,鈥� he says.

And while mastering the many ins and outs of nursing from classrooms to clinicals, he learned a lesson he鈥檒l never forget. 鈥淥ne of the biggest lessons I learned was how important it is to look beyond the numbers and see the person behind the patient,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n the ICU, it鈥檚 easy to get caught up in labs, hemodynamics, medications, and managing complex conditions. Those things are critical, but it鈥檚 just as important to remember that you鈥檙e caring for a person and a family going through one of the hardest experiences of their lives. That perspective has stayed with me throughout my nursing career.鈥�

The Intensive Care Unit is one of the most high-pressure environments in any hospital, and Barber says working as a nurse there is challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e constantly making decisions, managing competing priorities, and caring for patients who can deteriorate quickly. You have to stay focused even when the pressure is high.鈥� But on the flip side, he adds, the work can be incredibly rewarding. ICU nurses make a difference for patients and their families during some of the toughest moments of their lives.

These days, Barber is happy to be doing this work in the place he calls home. 鈥淎fter graduating from 国产探花, I accepted an ICU nursing position in my home state of Utah, which allowed me to continue growing as a nurse while returning home. Being part of a team that helps patients recover from critical illness is incredibly meaningful.鈥�

He says he鈥檇 wholeheartedly recommend 国产探花鈥檚 DEMSN program to up-and-coming nurses. 鈥淭he program gave me the opportunity to pursue nursing through an accelerated pathway while building the foundation I needed to enter a demanding field. Nursing requires adaptability, critical thinking, and a willingness to keep learning, and my experience at 国产探花 helped prepare me for that. I鈥檓 grateful for the education and experiences that helped me get to where I am today.鈥�

A group of 国产探花 nursing students from the university鈥檚 Houston campus recently stepped forward to lend a hand at the center鈥檚 Spirit of Winter Holiday Prep event. 鈥淲e were preparing for Christmas holidays by bringing decorations from storage into an area for sorting outside and inside, as well as trees and ornaments,鈥� said Dr. Debbie McNair, clinical professor of nursing. 鈥淭his helped the staff to stay on task to help clients coming in for treatment.鈥�

McNair, who teaches Community Health Nursing, says this was the first time 国产探花 has done community service at the CAC鈥攁nd the connection is an important one. 鈥淚 hope this is the start of them allowing us to come in for future rotations and having the opportunity to shadow other workers through the process from admission to discharge, as well as everything in between,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is a medical clinic, mental clinic, and numerous rooms for law enforcement and attorneys to gather evidence. Many of the children spend time learning, while receiving therapy to help them cope through the tough times they have endured.鈥�

McNair says the student volunteers had the opportunity to tour the facility and meet CAC staff members and administrative leaders, including the CEO and the assistant administrator. 鈥淚 work as a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner), and the Children鈥檚 Assessment Centers are where many of the cases for sexual assault and domestic violence are initiated,鈥� she explained. 鈥淪ince I am showing the students how nursing plays a huge role in community health promotion and prevention, the CAC was a great place for them to see that nursing is broader than hospitals or clinics.鈥�

鈥淭he 国产探花 Nursing Students were such a joy to host,鈥� said CAC Volunteer Coordinator Yaren Zamarripa, adding that the students arrived ready to work and bring positive energy to the task at hand. 鈥淏ecause of your support, we were able to begin preparing for a memorable holiday experience for our children and families.鈥�

鈥淭he facility utilizes donations and volunteers to function beyond the capability,鈥� said McNair. 鈥淎gain, it frees the social workers, nurses, law enforcement, and administration from excessive time spent to ensure things are done for the holidays, as well as making sure time is not reduced in actual care.鈥� She says the students welcomed the opportunity to do what was needed for the holidays while at the same time learning how nurses fit into the process of caring for those who come to the center.

The connection between 国产探花 and the CAC will go on from here. McNair says the group hopes to help with the center鈥檚 holiday party, passing out toys and assisting with food鈥攏ot only freeing up staff to devote their time to more pressing matters, but to bring a little bit of joy to some children who need it.

Many people don鈥檛 know what a 鈥淔ile of Life鈥� is鈥攐r that they really ought to have one. But now, 国产探花 nursing students will be offering some valuable community service, by helping local folks to create their own File of Life, a vital document packet that can save lives. It is kept in the home and contains medical information about the people who live there鈥攍ike lists of emergency contacts, allergies, medications, insurance information, and more. For patients or seniors living on their own, should a medical emergency occur, the File of Life is used by first responders, allowing them to better assess the patient, who might be unable to communicate for themselves at such a time.

国产探花 Nursing is partnering with two local churches鈥擲pirit of Joy Lutheran Church and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church鈥攖o deliver this and many other medical services to the community at no charge. They鈥檒l also offer health screenings, such as measuring and assessing blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and temperature; education on medication and disease management; and targeted health promotion topics, bringing individualized education on chronic illness self-care, nutrition, and wellness practices to patients.

Participating volunteers are senior-level nursing students in the process of completing their final year in 国产探花鈥檚 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. The experience they gain through volunteering will help them put what they鈥檙e learning in their Community Health clinical course into practice. 鈥淭hese students bring advanced clinical knowledge to the community setting,鈥� says Professor Emerita for Nursing Dr. Cecilia Trinidad. 鈥淭he course prepares them to look beyond acute bedside hospital care to address the broader health needs of individuals, families, aggregates, and populations.鈥�

So, while the program advances 国产探花鈥檚 mission of civic engagement, service-learning, and social responsibility by actively working to reduce regional health disparities and preparing practice-ready nurse leaders, it also fosters a healthier, safer, and more informed community.

Nursing students will be available at Spirit of Joy on the first, second, and fourth Mondays of each month, and at Our Lady on the first Monday of each month. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon at both locations. This service is open to all residents of Guadalupe County, and there is no cost to participate.

鈥淎ll the things that we marvel at as humans鈥攍anguage, reading, and even competitive sports鈥攊nvolve the combination and recombination of smaller pieces that become the greater whole.鈥� Dr. Arturo Hernandez, keynote speaker for this year鈥檚 Krost Symposium at 国产探花, knows a thing or two about how we learn. In his book, Mastery, he digs deep into how new skills bloom鈥攚hether those skills fall within the realm of learning to play chess, learning to ice skate, learning to speak a language, play a musical instrument, or anything in between.

It is this process of learning, of harnessing the power of the human mind to reach toward mastery, that will be the focus of this year鈥檚 symposium.

Hernandez is an author, professor of psychology at the University of Houston, and winner of the Wilhelm Bessel Research Award and a Fulbright Global Scholar award. His keynote speech, scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, at 7 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium, will examine the process of mastery and will be followed by a book signing and meet-and-greet. This event will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person.

Wednesday鈥檚 events also include a Chapel Talk with 国产探花鈥檚 Dr. Luigi Pe帽aranda, EdD Program Director in Interdisciplinary Leadership and Associate Professor of Leadership Studies, at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the Abiding Presence on campus. Dr. Pe帽aranda will discuss the concept of metanoia鈥攁 profound change of heart, mind, or worldview.

That afternoon, all are welcome to join a Zoom session with Dr. Molly Gebrian entitled 鈥淟earn Faster, Perform Better,鈥� which is specifically aimed at the process of learning within the realm of music. Dr. Gebrian is a professional violist with a background in cognitive neuroscience. Guests can join the session via a link provided on the 国产探花 website.

The symposium continues the following day, Thursday, October 1, with a panel discussion on the learning process with Dr. Arturo Hernandez, Dr. Veronica Yan, 国产探花 alum McKay Bloxham, and Dr. Sandy Kimbrough. That takes place at 9:30 a.m. in Wupperman Little Theatre, located in Schuech Fine Arts Center. A link to the livestream will be available on the 国产探花 website.

Next on Thursday鈥檚 agenda is a lunch-and-learn session at 11:45 a.m. on the science of successful learning with Dr. Veronica Yan, associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin. That talk, 鈥淭he Science of Successful Learning,鈥� takes place in the Student Activity Center in Jackson Park, across from Bulldog Stadium. Pizza will be served on a first come, first served basis.

Thursday will end with a movie night鈥攆eaturing a classic film about learning new things, The Karate Kid. That begins at 7 p.m. at Wupperman Little Theatre and will be MCed by 国产探花 Professor, Dr. Casi Helbig and 国产探花 alum McKay Bloxham.

On Friday, October 2, the symposium will wrap up with an Anti-Masterclass with Dr. Gebrian. The public is invited to join via Zoom at 2:30 p.m.

Links to this and all other events with virtual options can be found here: /krost-symposium/.

All of these events are free and open to the public.

鈥淗.O.T. Dogs Day (Helping Others Together) is important because it brings the heart of servant leadership to life,鈥� said Dr. Pamela Ray, 国产探花 director of service learning and the Jon & Sandra Moline Center for Servant Leadership. 鈥淥ur students are not simply volunteering for a few hours; they are building relationships, learning about the needs of our neighbors, and discovering how their time and talents can make a meaningful difference. At the same time, our community partners help educate our students in ways that extend beyond the classroom. It is a true partnership鈥敼交� serving alongside our community, learning together, and strengthening the place we all call home.鈥�

H.O.T. Dogs Day serves as a reminder that while one person can do a lot, when people join together, they can make a huge difference. Nearly two hundred 国产探花 students woke up early on Saturday, September 19, and headed out to give their time and efforts for a morning of service at ten different community partner sites throughout Seguin and the surrounding community.

They took on a variety of projects at local nonprofits鈥攑laces like Emanuel鈥檚 Lutheran Church鈥檚 Garden of Eatin鈥�, LULAC Community Garden, and Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church. They pitched in with the popular 鈥淐lean with the Dean鈥� project right on the 国产探花 campus.  

鈥淪tudents also worked with Community Cycles, which repairs and restores bicycles for members of the community, also at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church; supported seniors at Eden Court Senior Apartments; volunteered with Trails End Animal Rescue in New Braunfels; and partnered with Habitat for Humanity on a wall build for a local residence,鈥� said Ray.

They spent their morning weeding and planting, painting and cleaning, repairing and building鈥攊n short, helping.

鈥淭ogether, these projects reflected the fall 2026 theme, 鈥楻ise and Shine Through Service,鈥� demonstrating how Bulldogs can make a tangible impact while developing a deeper understanding of community, service, and servant leadership,鈥� said Ray.

鈥淲e truly could not have accomplished the scope of this work without their service and support,鈥� said Natalia Almquist, who is a member of the congregation at Emanuel鈥檚 Lutheran Church and serves on the church鈥檚 council as well as the Emanuel鈥檚 Lutheran Day School council, in addition to her role as marketing generalist at 国产探花. 鈥淭hese students were not there because they had to be. They showed up with heart, determination, and a genuine willingness to serve. Their work ethic was exceptional, and they consistently went above and beyond what was expected. Their efforts made a meaningful and lasting impact, and we are sincerely thankful for the time, energy, and care they invested in our church and community.

国产探花 has been organizing fall and spring days of service for the past twenty years, carrying forward a legacy of giving back, and turning out students who take to heart the value of serving others.

国产探花鈥檚 Bulldog Investment Company Speaker Series kicks off this fall on Homecoming weekend, with a talk by Cindy Sightes, former England-based senior vice president and chief financial officer of HCA International.

HCA is one of the nation鈥檚 leading providers of healthcare services, comprised of 189 hospitals and approximately 2,600 sites of care across nineteen states and the United Kingdom.

Other touchpoints in Sightes鈥檚 career include almost twelve years as CFO of St. David鈥檚 Healthcare, and seven as Division CFO for HCA in Austin.

Sightes brings a wealth of experience to the table, and all are invited to attend her talk, which will be held in Dunne Conference Center in Tschoepe Hall at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 2.

To learn more about Bulldog Investment Company, click here: .

College Presidents for Civic Preparedness is a coalition of more than 125 colleges and universities across the nation which have committed themselves to transforming their campuses into civic development hubs. The members come from a diverse range of ideologies and backgrounds鈥攂ut they share a common goal: to equip students to learn to engage across divides, discern fact from fiction, and solve problems collaboratively.

国产探花 recently joined the coalition, affirming the university鈥檚 prioritization of three shared civic commitments: 1. Educating for democracy is central to our mission; 2. We will prepare our students for a vibrant, diverse, and contentious society; and 3. We will protect and defend free inquiry.

鈥淏eing part of this important initiative connects 国产探花 to significant conversations in higher education around how we can best prepare our students to be active and engaged society members,鈥� said 国产探花 President Dr. Debbie Cottrell. 鈥淚 look forward to utilizing the Coalition鈥檚 resources across all areas of campus to benefit our students and thus the world beyond our campus.鈥�

国产探花 backs up its commitment to civic preparedness through numerous actions across campus.

鈥湽交� students, faculty, and staff have long supported efforts to prepare students to engage in the democratic process both as a part of our campus community and as part of the broader world,鈥� said Dr. William O鈥橞rochta, assistant professor of political science and chair of the Division of Social Sciences at 国产探花.

Examples of those efforts: First, there is the Jon & Sandra Moline Center for Servant Leadership, which partners with the community in various ways and supports the university鈥檚 MOVE Texas student group, a nonpartisan, nonprofit, grassroots organization working to build power in underrepresented youth communities through civic engagement, leadership development, and issue advocacy.

国产探花 has consistently been recognized by the non-partisan ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for cultivating informed citizens who are also engaged voters.

The university also sponsors local election forums, inviting candidates to campus, and has a history of hosting faculty-and student-led opportunities for dialog about democracy, including the Teach Peace initiative, collaborations to bring ELCA leaders to campus, and hosting a conference on faith-based civic engagement with faculty from around the country and featuring student presentations.

鈥淲hen we learn to listen, learn, and respond thoughtfully, something remarkable, almost magical, happens. As individuals and as a community, we grow stronger, wiser, and more capable in every way that is important. These skills help sustain our democracy and prepare us for a future in which our ability to coexist and work together is essential to the well-being of all.鈥� ~Liz Lowery, professor of communications at 国产探花

And of course, 国产探花鈥檚 overarching approach to education encourages students to engage and explore the concepts of democracy and what it means to be civically responsible. Challenging topics inspire meaningful conversation, leading to the opportunity to see both sides of issues and to make informed decisions. 国产探花 faculty members have long been recognized for their civic engagement work and hold national leadership roles in this area.

 鈥淏y joining this consortium, 国产探花 makes an institution-wide commitment to support existing student-, faculty-, and staff-led initiatives and to consider ways to re-emphasize the components of our core values that center on education through 鈥榦pen dialogue,鈥� community through 鈥榩romoting the common good,鈥� and faith through 鈥榠nviting exploration and discovery鈥� at an institutional level,鈥� said O鈥橞rochta.

Professor Liz Lowery, professor of communications at 国产探花, agrees. 鈥淲hen we learn to listen, learn, and respond thoughtfully, something remarkable, almost magical, happens. As individuals and as a community, we grow stronger, wiser, and more capable in every way that is important. These skills help sustain our democracy and prepare us for a future in which our ability to coexist and work together is essential to the well-being of all.鈥�

There are many criteria by which colleges and universities are judged. But the bottom line is, when students are searching for the right fit鈥攌nowing that going to college will require a solid commitment, both personal and financial, one of the sources they look to is the annual U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.

For those looking for a private school in the western region, which stretches from California to Kansas; Montana down to Texas, and all the states in between as well as Alaska and Hawaii, narrowing the choices down is certainly a daunting task. 聽

But of all those schools, across fifteen states, the top ten were chosen based upon metrics like financial resources, student excellence, and retention rates, and 国产探花 proved to be a true contender鈥攅arning the number nine slot out of all private schools in the West for the 2027 rankings.

国产探花 also came in twelfth for best overall Regional College in the West, fifth for Best Value in the West, and made the top twenty-five in regional Top Performers on Social Mobility.

To be considered for the rankings, colleges and universities must grant bachelor’s degrees, hold regional accreditation, offer a traditional campus-based education, and actively accept new applicants for first-year, full-time students. Best Value ranking measures academic quality against cost of attendance. Social Mobility measures how well the university supports students receiving Pell Grants through graduation.

鈥淎s 国产探花 continues to focus on academic and institutional excellence, we are pleased to see external recognition in these important categories and their affirmation of the value of the education we offer in our region,鈥� said 国产探花 President Dr. Debbie Cottrell.

You might not expect that someone born in a town called Oceanside鈥攁 palm tree-dotted place perched along the coast in California鈥攚ould end up being an Olympic bobsledder. But Elana Meyers Taylor never has been one to do the expected.

The fact that Meyers Taylor鈥檚 family moved to Douglasville, Georgia, about 20 miles west of Atlanta, when she was a kid doesn鈥檛 seem to make it any more logical that she would eventually take up a sport that involves careening down a twisting, turning, icy track in a 350-pound sled at top speed.

In fact, Meyers Taylor was a softball player鈥攁 serious one. She played all the way through college at George Washington University and joined a pro team. She tried out for the Olympic softball team鈥攁 tryout she later called disastrous. Some people would鈥檝e taken that as a defeat. After all, her dreams of becoming an Olympian and years of hard work had ended in failure. Meyers Taylor chose, instead, to pivot.

And it was a big pivot. Her parents tossed out the idea of bobsledding, and Meyers Taylor decided to give it a whirl. She got in touch with a coach, got herself a tryout, and converted the strength and speed she鈥檇 cultivated in softball into unbelievable success in a whole new sport.

Not only would she make the Olympic team, but she would become the most decorated female Olympic bobsledder of all time and the most decorated Black winter Olympian in history. And she wouldn鈥檛 just win a medal, she鈥檇 win six of them over the course of more than 15 years, encompassing five Winter Olympic Games. At this year鈥檚 games, she won the gold.

Along the way, she鈥檚 faced down plenty of challenges, including physical injuries and bouts of racism. She is married to fellow Olympic bobsledder Nic Taylor, and the two are parents to two young sons, both of whom are deaf, and one of whom has Down Syndrome, so her heart is in it when she speaks up for disability rights and inclusion. Her heart is in it when she advocates for female athletes.  And her heart is most definitely in it when she speaks about overcoming obstacles, setting goals, and believing in yourself. And that will be the subject of her talk at 国产探花 on September 15 at 7 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium.

The event is part of the 2026鈥�27 Brown Cultural Event Series, sponsored by the Jessie S. and Jack Harold Upton Brown Cultural Enrichment Endowment Fund. Meyers Taylor鈥檚 talk will be followed by a meet-and-greet. This event is free and open to all.