Chris Collins masters gravity as a licensed
pilot, but he didn’t know if he could
survive in college. Collins, who has a learning
disability, struggled through high school and
applied to St. Edward’s after hearing
about its personalized approach to learning.
Here, he has thrived. A Communication major,
Collins is a former resident assistant for Moreau
Hall, co-chair of the Student Leadership Team,
and a member of University Fellows, which matches
exceptional students with national and international
scholarships and fellowships. Collins also interned
in Gov. Rick Perry’s office and traveled
to 13 cities as part of the 2000 gubernatorial
campaign. And he’s involved in community
service: Last summer, Collins joined members
of his church on a trip to the Guatemalan jungle,
where they spent 10 days building homes for
the people of a small village. Next up: beginning
a career in politics to promote ethical reform
in government. |
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Medallion Ceremony
Speech
This is it. Congratulations. You made it. Remember
not too long ago you were taking SATs, filling out
painfully long applications to universities, and awaiting
the response? Here you are, on the eve of your first
classes — take a sigh of relief. You did it!
You are now a scholar at St. Edward’s University
in Austin, Texas. This is it.
So again I say, take a sigh of relief. After all,
you are not here to take classes. Does that surprise
you? It should, because this is a common misconception
about the life of a quality student at St. Edward’s.
Read
more. (pdf format)
“Progress or Blindness?: A Look at
the Current Status of Native Americans”
The thundering of six drums on the arena floor compelled
me to imagine life in a different time. As I heard
the song that Cheyenne warriors listened and danced
to before battles, I imagined what the song would
sound like while standing on Cheyenne territory in
the spring of 1864, the beginning year of the Cheyenne-Arapaho
War (Waldman 170). The thought that I was watching
the relatives of the survivors who fought in that
war celebrate their rich culture actually made goose
bumps appear on my skin. But I was not the only one
enjoying the music — I was amongst hundreds
of people in a crowded gymnasium who had gathered
to celebrate. Read more. (pdf
format)
"Sweaty Heaven"
The temperature was quickly approaching 100 on a steamy
July morning in Quanah, a quaint oil and farming community
on the southeast tip of the Panhandle. When the heavy,
undercover, two-way radio clipped to my black suit
squawked forth my name — “Chris, is he
still speaking?” — I turned so the crowd
wouldn’t notice me whisper “yes”
into my Secret Service–style microphone. Read
more. (pdf format)
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