Congratulations, Hixson-Lied Graduates!
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MORE THAN A CEREMONY
By Joshua Joven Deleon, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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Graduation is a time of celebration and honor for all the students who have completed their academic studies in a specific field. This is the final step for students to feel recognized for the achievements they have accomplished thus far in their academic journey. UNLV’s Commencement is a special ceremony centered around the students who have completed their courses and those who have achieved outstanding academic honors. Many students are also adorned in a variety of academic regalia, which are the different accessories that are worn in addition to the standard graduation cap and gown. Depending on your academic achievements, your participation in honor societies, or in club organizations, you may be awarded with a variety of stoles or cords representing those achievements or activities. As a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar, you are presented with the honorary Hixson-Lied silver and scarlet stole which you can wear during graduation. The different academic regalia separate students by their distinction and give students a sense of pride and joy.
Amongst the highest tier of regalia is the president’s medallion, which is worn by the president of UNLV. The president’s medallion is a medallion cast in sterling silver and hand-engraved with the state seal of Nevada as a centerpiece. The names of UNLV’s leaders are also carved on the individual links. The medallion itself represents the symbol of continuity of leadership at UNLV. Along with the medallion is another piece of regalia that is significant to UNLV and that is the University Mace. The mace is a 12-pound symbol for defending the university and its people. During the commencement, the mace is carried by the grand marshal to uphold its symbolic message of protection.
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UNLV’s commencement ceremony is a special time not only for its students, but also for the families and staff. As graduation comes closer, it is important to remember the knowledge and experience gained here at UNLV. Although college is mainly about getting your degree, UNLV’s commencement ceremony celebrates much more than that.
Congratulations, Spring 2019 graduates!
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A CALLING THAT MATTERS: COLA 100E COMMON READER
By Madison Hotze, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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“For those of you in search of your calling, consider yourself warned: this pursuit takes discipline, resilience, sacrifice and tremendous hard work.” This quote is the perfect introduction to this year's COLA 100E common reader
Callings
by Dave Isay
. Callings
is a collection of stories from StoryCorps about real people talking about their calling. This was the perfect book for Exploring Majors, taking students on a real journey to discover the individual purpose of life and how the work you do in the world matters. I had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Emily Shreve, Associate Director of Academic Transitions, and discuss not only the importance of a common reader program, but also her take on
Callings
.
While talking, we discussed what a common reader program was. “Common reader programs are programs designed to create community through reading and discussion in a shared text.” Dr. Joe, my COLA 100E professor, defined it like this, “A common reader program is intended to be a shared intellectual experience. Through active engagement with the text, students in the course analyze emerging themes and concepts.
Consistent with the University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes (UULOs) Inquiry and Critical Thinking, students analyze the complexity of topics and recognize various perspectives.” Throughout the program, we participated in various activities to help us engage in better diffusion. Reading reflections were a big part of our week to week assignments, asking us to pick three stories, explain why they stood out to us and what UULO they best represented. We also have class discussions on critical questions about the stories.
Talking to Dr. Shreve, I also got to learn about activities other classes were engaging in. Ranging from class to class, students participated in debates, reading reflections, exploration of the StoryCorps website, listening to the recordings of the stories and comparing that with reading them.
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The most important activity, which all of these activities have led up to, is a common reader essay. This common reader essay gives us the opportunity to add something new to the table, to express our ideas about our personal experience with
Callings
and how it impacted us as individuals as well as parts of our communities.
To give a quick insight into the book, I want to talk about a favorite of mine. The
Callings
story that stood out to me the most was the story of Herman Heyn, the city’s street corner astronomer. This story stood out for a few reasons, but the most important being that Herman Heyn, a man who bounced from job to job, trying to keep himself interested, but ultimately couldn’t handle it. There was something out there for Herman, but he didn't know what it was, until a
November night in 1987, when he decided to take his telescope out on the street. Instantly, he knew he had found his calling. Despite not making much money, he went out for 27 years teaching his passion for the stars. I love how much passion he had, how he did it even if some didn’t consider it a “real” job. I learned through this story, and the book as a whole, that a calling is a calling, regardless of how other people see it, regardless of the amount of money you make.
Callings
was an amazing book that helped me grow as a person in search of what I want to do and who I want to become.
Despite the fact that I will not be in COLA 100E next year as a student, I am excited for the opportunity to become a peer mentor through the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program, and I am very excited about the common reader for next year. COLA 100E will be reading
The Work: Searching for a life that matters
by Wes Moore. This book continues the
Callings
conversation, now more centrally focused on one man's journey to find his calling.
So buckle up, because next year we’re going to
dive even deeper into the meaning of our own callings
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UNLV: A ONE-WAY TICKET TO SELF-DISCOVERY
By Carly Kidwell, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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A little over four years ago, I was a high school senior, eager to begin a new chapter in my life, enjoying a presentation by guests from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). I knew I would be attending UNLV soon, and the presentation about a free program that could help remedy my less than perfect math SAT score sparked my interest (Math Bridge program). The presentation closed with the mention of a few scholarship opportunities, and though I was sure my scholarship application efforts had been futile until this point, I inquired about them after the close of the presentation. Little did I know at the time, I was speaking with staff members of the Academic Success Center (ASC), and I was soon to become a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar.
As a recent high school graduate, I didn’t know what to expect from college or what I wanted to do in my future endeavors. I had recently expanded my interest in science by taking AP biology and was awarded the Science Student of the Year award prior to officially graduating in the Spring of 2015. Thus, in the Fall of 2015, I enrolled at UNLV as a biology major with a concentration in pre-professional studies. Simultaneously, I joined the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program; a decision which I believe gave me the confidence to grow into the person I am today. During my inaugural semester at UNLV, I encountered one of the most challenging times of my life. My grandfather, the patriarch of my family and my biggest supporter, passed away unexpectedly. I never expected my life to change so much in just a few short months, and this unanticipated challenge was one of the many I would be faced with throughout my journey at UNLV. Though it was much more difficult for me at this point, I stayed on track to receive a biology degree. I joined the American Medical Student Association, became a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), and then changed my mind. After two years of biology classes, I decided to change my entire career path.
I had debated a switch in majors for a long time, and though it would be unorthodox after two full years, I went for it. I was no longer the same person I was when I had first embarked on my journey at UNLV; I knew myself enough to know that I was not satisfied with where biology was taking me. At this point, I decided I would take my time and explore every opportunity UNLV threw my way. In the Fall of 2017, I decided to take the path to a business degree at the most diverse university in the United States. I had decided I would now be a student of the Lee Business School as a marketing major in business management. And to shake it up even more, I chose to join a sisterhood on campus, a women’s fraternity. I joined Alpha Xi Delta and immediately took on leadership positions. In my time in Alpha Xi Delta, I held a social media chair position, was an assistant in New Member Development, and planned a few membership events. Joining a women’s fraternity challenged me to get out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and develop my leadership skills. In Alpha Xi Delta I first learned the importance of networking and how it would affect my future career in business. In 2018, with some help from one of the women I met in Alpha Xi Delta, I got hired at LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, an ethically passionate company that would soon change my life. Presently, I hold the position of Visual Merchandiser, which has helped me achieve new heights in retail marketing. My experience at LUSH has inspired me in many ways as a professional and as a marketer, but above all, it has inspired me to be a better person.
The years of my life spent as a student at UNLV have truly helped me become the inspired and passionate individual I am today. Joining the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program in the Fall of 2015 was one of the best decisions I could have made in my very first semester at UNLV. Becoming a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar was and continues to be a surreal experience; the program has shaped me as a student, a professional, and as a person. Through a true journey of exploration and discovery, being a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar has remained one of my greatest achievements. It has been my pleasure watching the program and the ASC evolve and grow internally, and I look forward to rooting from the sidelines, as a Hixson-Lied Alum.
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MY EXPERIENCE AT UNLV AND THE HIXSON-LIED SUCCESS SCHOLARS PROGRAM
By Joel Jimenez, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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It has been 4 years since the moment I walked into the conference room at the Academic Success Center (ASC). I was wearing a suit in the middle of the Las Vegas summer, in front of a panel of four faculty members, ready to ask me questions about my life, academic goals, and why I would be a good match for the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program. This was really the first time in my life that I was doing something this professional. I applied to UNLV, the Honors College, and other scholarship programs, but none of the aforementioned required interviews. Yet, one scholarship required panel interviews with the Associate Dean of the ASC and other members of the scholarship leadership team. Little did I know that these individuals would become my mentors, assisting me in every step of the way during my college career.
Our monthly meetings for the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program were an amazing resource. During our meetings, I had the opportunity to have actual conversations with individuals such as the NSHE Chancellor and Regents, the donor of our program, Ms. Hixson, and the UNLV President and Provost. Being a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar made my voice heard by people that can make actual changes to the UNLV community. The mission of our program is to give back to the community, and during my time as a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar, I had the opportunity to talk to these individuals and try to spark actual changes within UNLV.
As a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar, not only did I have the opportunity to speak to leaders in our community, but I also had the opportunity to be a peer mentor for first-year students. Being a peer mentor in a COLA 100E class – a first-year seminar for ASC students – was a fantastic experience that allowed me to share my knowledge and advice with other students. As a first-year student, it can sometimes be intimidating talking to professors with PhDs and other advanced degrees.
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It is much easier to go and talk to another student that previously sat in the same class, just a few semesters ago. This was exactly my role as a peer mentor; being there for students, answering their questions, and encouraging them to use the many resources offered at the Academic Success Center.
The resources and mentorship I obtained from the Hixson-Lied excited to see what the future holds for me, and if it was not for the resources and mentors I had during my undergraduate career at UNLV and the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program, I would not have been able to be at this stage of my life, ready to graduate and begin medical school. Success Scholars program were out of this world. Without the help of my mentors, I would not have been able to be successful during my undergraduate career.
I came into UNLV sure of what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to major in biology and continue with medical school after graduation. In high school during my freshman biology class, I discovered my passion for the sciences. I loved learning about how DNA was literally instructions to make proteins, and how proteins are not just in muscles, but are part of almost every single biological pathway. My curiosity to keep learning kept growing, and I decided to major in biology and pursue medicine.
In college, I kept learning biological concepts in class, but I also had the opportunity to join a research lab and apply those concepts in an actual science laboratory. I joined the Tseng Lab and began my independent project on retinal regeneration in the South African Clawed Frog. Being part of this lab was one of my best experiences as an undergraduate. Because of my research, I had the opportunity to present at different research symposiums at UNLV and at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Indianapolis. These opportunities made me a better scientist and helped me develop very important skills that I will use in my future career as a physician.
Now, in just a couple of weeks, I will be graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences. I was fortunate to receive multiple acceptances to medical school, but I have decided to stay here at the UNLV School of Medicine to pursue my medical education. I am beyond excited to see what the future holds for me, and if it was not for the resources and mentors I had during my undergraduate career at UNLV and the Hixson-Lied Program, I would not have been able to be at this stage of my life, ready to graduate and begin medical school.
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WRITING A NEW PATH
By De'Liza Dulatre-Galimidi , Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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The sheer love of telling stories about the people and things that matter has carried me throughout my college career and life. Hello, my name is De’Liza Dulatre-Galimidi, a first-generation college student and future global leader. As I prepare to walk across the graduation stage, I reflect heavily on the experiences and programs that have shaped me to become a more empathetic, critical and curious human.
I came to UNLV with the simple intention of getting a degree in journalism and media studies and a minor in leadership and civic engagement. Little did I know that in these few short years, I would walk out with more than just a major and a minor. I’m leaving with the experience to literally take on the world. Last semester I studied abroad at the historical business school, SAA in Torino, Italy. The opportunity to develop a stronger global consciousness, and challenge my American lens has unleashed a fiery passion for working abroad. While in Italy, I studied global marketing and spent every week at a local elementary school teaching English to two kindergarten classes. During my time on-campus, I served two years in CSUN student government, where I represented the College of Urban Affairs and eventually as the PR Administrator. I built fresh marketing campaigns and digital content for 91.5 KUNV and the new UNLV digital communications agency, Rebel Media Group. This month I was inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha, the national college honor society for journalism and mass communication. This honor is only given to students who rank in the top 10% of their class.
My work with the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program has allowed me to strengthen my relationship with my community and my peers. As a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar, I was honored as a keynote speaker for the ASC Honors Ceremony and spoke on two academic panels and collaborated with professors on lesson plans as I peer mentored students in COLA 100E.
As I graduate, I will take all the lessons of gratitude and self-awareness and bring it into my future career in global policy and international aid and service, as I aspire to work with non-governmental organizations that focus on global education and ending world hunger. I aim to pursue a Postgraduate Degree in Globalization: Politics, Conflict and Human Rights at the University of Brighton in the UK. Thank you, Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program, for giving me the essentials to become a greater leader.
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LEARNING WITH RESEARCH BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
By Sophia Quinton, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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I am part of the graduating class of 2019, and what an amazing four years it has been! Most people know that biology is one of the more difficult degrees to major in, but I know there is nothing else I would rather do. I love learning about how things work and why they work the way they do. As a cancer survivor, I have known since high school that I wanted to be a cancer researcher – no matter how.
I joined the Han research lab my first semester in college, and I am so glad I did. I worked in a bioinformatics lab that studies a retrotransposon called L1HS and how it relates to cancer. Bioinformatics is a combination of computer science and biology.
I joined this lab knowing nothing about computer programming, but I learned as I went. Since I first joined, I learned several programming languages that have become marketable skills. This lab has been the most influential of my college experience.
I have gone to conferences to present my research in Washington, D.C. and Bozeman, Montana. I also spent a year working on my undergraduate thesis with the Honors College in this lab. Because I spent the beginning of my college in the lab, I received an internship for summer 2018 in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Mayo Clinic where I studied Multiple Myeloma.
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In this lab, I learned skills required in a wet lab. I even went to an international conference to present my work from my internship.
The Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program has been my most memorable experience. I am a four-year member and joined as a freshman. This program has helped me through some tough courses over the years. I have made some wonderful connections and the faculty have been so supportive. I have grown with this program.
The peer mentoring, assisting and teaching in a first-year seminar course, has been helpful in improving my presentation skills and working with people I am unfamiliar with. It has taught me how to help others and help those the way I wish I was helped. The pilot peer mentor one-on-one meetings that I was a part of has been so helpful. It allowed me to connect with the students on a more personal level and helped better integrate me into the classroom.
I have worked very diligently as an undergraduate so that I can work towards an MD/PhD degree. I will be applying for the 2020 cycle this summer. My ultimate goal is to become a biomedical cancer researcher. For my research, I have won the Goldwater Scholarship award for 2018. During my gap year, I will be in Scottsdale, Arizona working at the Mayo Clinic continuing my work with Multiple Myeloma. I am excited to continue to do biomedical research and reach my goal. I cannot see myself doing anything else.
My favorite aspect of UNLV has been the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program, the underrated research, and the friends I have made along the way. It is sad to end my time here at UNLV as an undergraduate, but it is time for me to turn to the next page and see where I end up.
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... AND THAT'S A WRAP
By Jensen Radley, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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There are three major events that have impacted my time here at UNLV: working at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC), becoming a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar, and being accepted into the Athletic Training Program. Without any of these, I do not believe I would have enjoyed my time here as much as I have.
Working at the SRWC has allowed me to find some of my closest friends and provided me with the opportunity to improve upon my leadership skills. Starting out as a lifeguard then working my way up to a building manager has improved my ability to react appropriately in different situations, as well as given me the chance to build a presentation revolving around mental health awareness that I will be presenting at a national conference this Fall. As a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar, I have built strong, personal relationships with professors and discovered my passion for mentoring first-year college students. Serving as a peer mentor has been one of the most rewarding experiences yet, and I truly hope to continue this passion throughout graduate school.
The Athletic Training Program has been so much more amazing than I could have ever dreamed. From our directors of the program to my classmates and the clinical internship sites I have attended, I cannot possibly begin to pick my favorite part of it. I have had the great pleasure of working with athletes of all abilities and at all levels, and because of that, my passion for helping others return to the one thing they love most has continued to flourish. I have seen the physical and mental demands sports have on these athletes, and I have seen how important our role as athletic trainers play in keeping these athletes safe from the sport but more importantly from themselves. Being a member of the Rebel Athletic Training Society (RATS) has allowed me to attend three annual regional conferences for athletic training, and I have also served as an advocate for the profession through the events they host.
My favorite aspect of UNLV is the overwhelming sense of belonging I felt from the moment I walked on campus. That feeling of knowing this is where I am meant to be and the opportunities I have gotten since being here is more than words will ever be able to describe. After graduating with my Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, I plan to work as a part-time instructor for the Kinesiology department and eventually earning a Master’s in Education at UNLV. From working as a lifeguard and building manager, to serving as a peer mentor, to taping who knows how many ankles, I have found who I truly am. I am Jensen Radley: a healer, a leader, a friend, a teacher, and most of all, a proud Rebel.
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Ms. Christina M. Hixson graduated from high school in Clarinda, Iowa and moved to Omaha, Nebraska to attend business school. She later went to work for Mr. Ernst F. Lied , a car dealership owner in Omaha and in 1960 she joined Mr. Lied in Las Vegas, Nevada as his assistant. After Mr. Lied’s death in 1980, Ms. Hixson became the sole trustee of the Lied Foundation Trust and turned the Lied Foundation Trust into one of the largest foundations in the state of Nevada at that time. Ms. Hixson has a special understanding of young people who, like her, came from a challenging family background and are willing to work hard.
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Mr. Ernst F. Lied was born in Columbus, Ohio and attended the University of Kansas for two years, where he played on the golf team. He ultimately graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1927. Mr. Lied became a Buick dealer in Omaha, Nebraska and later his dealership was ranked third in the country for the number of cars sold. Mr. Lied established his charitable foundation in 1972, and upon his death in 1980 at age 74 nearly his entire estate funded the Lied Foundation Trust. Lied Foundation Trust has enhanced the capabilities of many schools and enriched the quality of many lives!
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*All photos used are original, can be found on unlv.edu, UNLV social media or have references indicated
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