STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tristian Saxon has been around Tarleton State University’s Stephenville campus almost his whole life. Long enough, it turns out, to inspire a commencement speech.
He will deliver that speech at spring graduation exercises at 9 a.m. Friday, sharing his experiences as a third-generation hometown student before he accepts his diploma and a degree in wildlife sustainability and ecosystems with a concentration in wildlife management and ecology.
Saxon hopes to attain his longtime goal of becoming a game warden and is following the educational footsteps of his mother and grandmother, who both earned Tarleton State degrees.
“Tarleton State was always in the cards,” he said. “They were both big influences in my choosing a university. My grandmother (Phyllis Adams) was an assistant professor, and my mother (Lauren Saxon) took me to her classes and labs here when I was just a baby.
“Tarleton has been intertwined with my family forever. As a kid we would ride bikes around campus, walk or meet people here. Campus was a big part of my life.”
He describes his early experiences as a Tarleton State student as similar to that of most of his peers.
“I started by going to class, going to work and then going home. But a buddy of mine would drag me to Wildlife Society meetings, and that’s when I really got involved in student life.”
Involved might be an understatement.
He wound up volunteering in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, working hand in hand with the college on university projects. He became an officer in the Wildlife Society and earned President’s List and Dean’s List recognition every semester of his college career.
The Wildlife Society won Student Chapter of the Year at the recent Texas conference where members, Saxon included, competed on plant identification and quiz bowl teams. His participation also led him to volunteer at outreach events, major-related conferences and networking opportunities with alumni.
His extracurricular activities and education neatly dovetail with his career goals. “My classes have been very hands-on and experience based. I was able to participate in white-tailed deer captures, turkey captures and assist with graduate research.”
His chance to speak at Friday’s commencement ceremony was an unexpected bonus.
“It was not a goal,” he said with a laugh. “My department faculty took a vote on students they felt would best represent the department, and I got an out of the blue nomination. I decided that since I was nominated, I was going to take advantage and do the best I can.” His speech will revolve around a student’s common college experiences, including group projects, meeting new friends, getting prepared for research, internships and extracurricular activities.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.