Casey Stevens is a third-generation Tarleton State Texan, following her grandparents and mother to the university. She fondly remembers childhood campus visits with her brother and university history lessons from their mother. Ahead of her graduation this Friday, Stevens\u2019 deeply rooted connections feel even more sentimental. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen she showed us the mural on campus, mom taught us all about John Tarleton\u2019s journey and Oscar P,\u201d Stevens said of her early exposure to Tarleton State\u2019s founder and his companion. \u201cShe would point out all the little details, and I thought it was such an amazing story.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born and raised in Zephyr, Texas, Stevens said Tarleton State\u2019s Stephenville campus has always felt like home away from home. The proximity to her family and their ranch kept Stevens motivated, particularly having her mother to lean on for advice and reassurance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe has always been there for me, supporting me through every challenge and celebrating every success,\u201d Stevens said of her mother. \u201cOn the ranch, she taught me how life would be: You have to work for everything you want.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevens developed a passion for agriculture and learned the discipline and work ethic that would shape her college experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She began her Tarleton State journey as an agribusiness major before realizing her passions lay elsewhere. After her first semester, she changed her major to agricultural communication, which better aligned with her professional goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI chose communications because I love storytelling and advocacy,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cI wanted to combine my rural background with that passion to preserve and share the stories of agriculture.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Stevens arrived at Tarleton State, she was familiar with the campus but uncertain where she belonged. Since then, she has grown more self-confident and present, serving as a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and as secretary of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT). While she did not plan to become an officer with ACT, Stevens embraced the role, encouraging other students and organizing professional development events with her fellow officers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI gravitated towards ACT and found friends and a sense of belonging,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cAs I got more involved, I wanted to help other students find where they belong.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Friday\u2019s commencement ceremony, Stevens will deliver a speech inspired by her personal path to growth and one plastic flamingo gifted by a professor. Just as flamingo feathers grow from dull grays to vibrant shades of pink, she said, students at Tarleton State become their best with time. Here, students are shaped by their journey, slowly but surely discovering their true colors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about finding our voices and the unexpected moments that shape us,\u201d Stevens said of her commencement address. \u201cTarleton State helps us become our brightest selves.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Upon graduation, Stevens plans to pursue a Master of Arts in Heritage and Museum Sciences at Texas Tech University. She has already charted her future beyond that, with goals of obtaining a doctorate and becoming the director of her own ranching heritage museum. Ultimately, she says, her mission is to honor the agricultural communities and hardworking matriarch that shaped her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t start out extraordinary,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cBut we grow into who we are meant to be through our experiences and the challenges we face. Transformation takes time.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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