By Olivia Discon
An army general, a lawyer, the first and third, President of Texas, Governor of Texas, Governor of Tennessee, and the first of two Texas senators in the United States: Sam Houston is nothing short of a Texas hero. We honor his legacy through our university, exemplifying leadership and service at every turn. To celebrate our namesake and the excellence of Sam Houston State University, both current and former Bearkats gathered at the Austin Club in downtown Austin.

The birthday reception was held on Tuesday evening at the Austin Club, hosted by the Sam Houston State University Alumni Association and supported by the President’s office. This allowed us to learn from, and work with, Jennifer Alexander, Hollie Garza, and Tabitha Shanley. Texas legislators, Sam Houston alumni, SHSU students and staff, and Texas State University System Regents and staff were all invited to help celebrate the 230th birthday of Sam Houston.





Professor Yawn and Dr. Gene Roberts drove us (Olivia and Michelle) from SHSU to Austin to assist with the event. In addition, three of the LEAP Ambassadors as well as Ingrid Cuero (all SHAIP interns) and Kiara Williams volunteered to assist us: Jessica Cuevas, Morgan Robertson, Yvette Mendoza, and Ingrid Cuero. Our job was to assist the President’s Office and the Alumni Association’s Office, mostly by greeting guests, helping guests with nametags, and doing some odds and ends.

This was an excellent opportunity for us to expand our professional networks and to meet the people who support SHSU.






We were all impressed with Tabitha’s, Hollie’s and Jennifer’s attention to detail. Every minor adjustment, or rearrangement helped ensure the look of a professional event. We also enjoyed meeting Associate Vice President Charlie Vienne, as well as Dr. McCartney Johnson and General Dave Glaser.
President Alisa White briefly spoke about many of the university’s accomplishments, such as the success SHSU School of Osteopathic Medicine, the University’s strong rankings in social mobility for students, and SHSU’s strong showing in online classes. The President of the Alumni Association, Julia Woods, capped the remarks with a toast to Sam Houston!






After most of the guests arrived, we were able to enjoy the event and mingle! We had the pleasure to speak with Texas State University Systems Vice Chancellors Sean Cunningham and Mike Wintemute, as well as Pierce Mitchell.






For Michelle and me, who’ve had the least amount of time with TSUS Staff, it was great to get to know them and see how close the SHAIP Interns have gotten with them.
Amongst our favorite guests, were Dean Li of CHSS, Dean Lyons of CRIJ, and Dean Roper from Health Sciences. All three Deans made it a point to speak with the students and seemed to enjoy the event!




Bearkats from all walks of life; current students, SHAIP interns, recent graduates, and Alumni all had the opportunity to speak with one another. The student volunteers were able to mingle with the LEAP Ambassadors who are interning in Austin and learn more about their experience and responsibilities thus far in the 2023 legislative session.














Although he doesn’t normally enjoy photographs, Professor Yawn said the highlight of his evening was the opportunity to capture a photo with his current and former students, all under 32!

Happy 230th Birthday to Sam Houston! Thank you to the Office of the President, and the Alumni Association, for allowing LEAP to assist with such a wonderful event.
