Austin College

Austin College is the oldest institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. Established in 1849, Austin Collect is just north of Dallas, sitting on a 100 acre environmentally green campus in Sherman Texas. Austin College is a recognized leader in higher education for innovative programs, a strong faculty, and dedicated students. Since it’s founding by the Brazos Presbytery, Austin College has been associated with the Presbyterian Church. The covenant relationship the College maintains today with the Presbyterian Church provides a distinctive flavor to the life of the College.

Two Area Women Receive ATHENA Leadership Awards

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College, News 05/06/201707/23/2025

Austin College | May 5, 2017

Sherman, Texas

Austin College recognized two exemplary leaders from the region on May 3, awarding the prestigious ATHENA Leadership Award® to Michelle Castle, branch manager at Guild Mortgage Company, and the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award to Trish Bridges, director of critical care services at Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center. The event was presented by the College’s Center for Community and Regional Development and its Texoma Women Get Connected program. At the luncheon, Kourtny Garrett, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas, Inc., spoke about her work with nonprofit agencies.

ATHENA Leadership Award Nominees

The ATHENA Leadership Award® is presented to individuals who have attained and embody the highest level of professional excellence in their business or profession, devote time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and actively assist women in realizing their full leadership potential.

Castle, the region’s 2017 honoree, opened the Sherman branch of Guild Mortgage in 2011 with three employees, and since has added four locations and increased the support staff to almost 30. She is recognized for creating an office culture and processes that serve as a role model for Guild Mortgage branches across the country, and often presents at the company’s national summit to share her marketing expertise. Castle also is known for mentorship and strong support of career advancement for women working in the mortgage banking business. A generous sponsor of local charity events, including the Guild Breakfast with Santa at Sherman’s Snowflake Festival, she serves as board president of the Child & Family Guidance Center of Texoma.

Other nominee honorees for the ATHENA Leadership Award were Janis Fletcher, City of Sherman certified court clerk in the Municipal Court; and Leigh Ann Sims, commercial loan officer at Legends Bank.

ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award Nominees

ATHENA Young Professional Leadership nominees are emerging women leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession; provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in their community; and clearly serve as role models for young women both personally and professionally.

ATHENA Young Professional recipient for 2017, Bridges was recognized for her leadership skills and heart for service early in her career as a nurse. Today, she is the director of critical care services at WNJ Regional Medical Center, which encompasses several departments in the hospital including the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Room. Beyond the hospital’s walls, Trish has been described as an “invaluable” member of the North Texas Young Professionals, first as a volunteer and then on the board of directors. She currently services as NTYP president

The other nominee for the 2017 Young Professional Leadership Award was Mikayla Stocks, volunteer coordinator, case worker, and grant writer at Grayson County Shelter.

Sponsors for the 2017 event included Texoma Health Foundation, United Way of Grayson County, Austin College Institutional Advancement staff in honor of Jill Joiner Roberts, Kristine McKinney in memory of Clara Blackford Smith, and Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center. Event sponsorships benefit the College’s Social Entrepreneurship for Poverty Alleviation (SEPA) summer intern program.

Austin College reinstated the local awards three years ago, with nominations open to leaders in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson counties. Nomination information for 2018 honorees can be found at www.austincollege.edu/athena.

Austin College Presents an Evening of Chamber Music and Jazz

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College, Entertainment 04/16/201707/23/2025

The Austin College Chamber Orchestra and the Greater Texoma Jazz Ensemble together present their spring concert on Monday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Wynne Chapel on campus. The concert is free and open to the public.

The instrumental ensembles, under the direction of Dr. Ricky Duhaime, will present two distinct styles of music beginning with the Austin College Chamber Orchestra performing two movements of a Chamber Suite by G.F. Handel for violas and cellos arranged by Duhaime, and a set of Antique Dances and Airs by O. Respighi arranged by Harry Alshin.

The second half of the concert will feature the Greater Texoma Jazz Ensemble performing a variety of big band charts in both traditional and contemporary styles, including an arrangement by Duhaime.

The Chamber Orchestra is comprised of Austin College string and woodwind students, joined this semester by community members from across northeastern Texas. The Greater Texoma Jazz Ensemble consists of students, faculty, and community members from throughout the region.

The April 17 concert will feature jazz soloists James Carter on alto saxophone, Paul Onspaugh on tenor saxophone, Jesse Speer on trombone, Andrew Gregg on trumpet, Phil Pitts on piano, David Moore on guitar, and Richard Burleson on drums. Section features include current Austin College students Shelby Brooks and Mason Byrd on saxophone and Truman Dowdy on trombone. For additional information, contact the Music Department at Austin College at 903-813-2251.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book College’s That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates and inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Austin College Exhibits Art Inspired by the Inventions of the 60s

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College 04/16/201707/23/2025Art Exhibit

Austin College | Sherman Texas | April 2017

An art exhibit inspired by United States Patent Books from the early 1960s is on display in the Dennis Gallery of the Austin College Forster Art Complex through April 21. The exhibit, titled Patent Pending, features work by 30 artists using a variety of media.

Exhibit curator Jon Whitfill will give a talk about Patent Pending on Monday, April 17, at 1:30 p.m. at the Austin College Forster Art Complex, room 210. The exhibit and lecture are free and open to the public.

This invitational collection began when Whitfill sent original, de-commissioned patent books dated 1961 to 1965 to U.S. and international artists. They, in turn, sent back a piece of art that was inspired in some way by their book. Some artists responded to the physical nature of the thick, mustard-colored volumes, while others responded to the books’ contents. All books document the inventions and proposed inventions during this innovative time in history. The exhibit highlights the spirit of human inventiveness, the bizarre and technical aspects of the patent process, and a good dose of mid-century kitsch.