When Frasier began her advanced nursing degree at TTUHSC two years ago, she experienced the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon — a sudden awareness of encountering something with which you notice as familiar. (Like when you buy a white car and then seemingly see more white cars than you did before.) Frasier began to take notice of the Double T’s proudly displayed on vehicles in Mansfield Methodist’s parking lot and throughout the city. She thought, Why don’t we grow our own nurse workforce?

“The best way to describe Molly is that she is an all-around beautiful person. She walks into a room, always happy, thinking, ‘How can I make everyone’s day better?’,” said Scott Bullington, a classmate.

Molly Beckman died Feb. 1, 2021. She was a second-year student in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Doctor of Audiology Program. The Molly Beckman Memorial Audiology Scholarship Endowment, established by her parents, honors her memory.

From an early age, Molly would sing “You are my Sunshine,” and she lived her life shining for others. With her big smile and even bigger heart, she decided her dream was to serve as an audiologist.

Hobbling to his car, he drove home, arriving at 11 a.m. and then sleeping until 8 p.m. the following day. He woke up drenched in sweat. That was only the beginning.

tanding atop California’s Mount Whitney, Thomas Pressley and Michael Blanton gazed in awe at the surrounding peaks of the Sierra Nevada below them. At 14,500 feet, they had reached the highest point in the continental U.S.

The view was breathtaking — literally, Pressley quips. At that altitude, it’s a challenge to breathe.

Blanton reaches into his backpack, pulling out the four cans of Texas Shiner beer he hauled up the mountain to toast their group’s achievement. In that unspoken moment, the duo reflected on just how far they climbed, yet there were greater heights to reach.

t’s been 15 days since Colleen Rud heard from an underage human trafficking victim she knows in the Abilene area. The girl is moved around often. As a case management advocate for the Regional Victim Crisis Center in Abilene, Rud tries to contact victims once a week, but they don’t always respond. She constantly checks her phone waiting for a call or text, hoping in the meantime that they’re safe.

“I wanted to see if the physician actually read the paperwork,” he quipped.

Originally from New York, D’Agostino, DO, MPH, MBA, accepted a position with Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut in 1997. New employees were required to undergo a physical exam, which led a then curious D’Agostino to challenge their process.

Today, Mraz focuses on her patients’ overall wellness and loves making a difference in their lives, giving them more quality time with their families. And, at the end of the day, she gets to go home to her own. — Glenys Young

“I’m not so good with blood and guts,” she admits, “but I’m enthusiastic about leading others to be healthier, happier and more productive.” — Glenys Young

Biomedical Sciences Graduate: 1983

Bacterial slime — a layer of extracellular material that surrounds bacteria cells to protect them from environmental dangers like antibiotics — is involved in over 80% of infections and can be found in any ecosystem.

In retirement, Domenico observes his anti-biofilm compound’s progress while metamorphing his scientific career back to its artistic beginnings — sculpting, cartooning and gardening with his wife, Gloria, as they volunteer for several Berkshire gardens and the Central Park Conservancy. — Kate Gollahon

There’s got to be a way to save lives in a more controlled environment, Brown thought, as he prepared his patient for the flight to an Albuquerque, New Mexico, trauma center.

Returning to the Rio Grande Valley as a health care provider was his plan since leaving for college. Brown, CRNA, (Nursing ’03) is now the first nurse anesthetist at Socorro General Hospital to live in the community for more than 40 years. His journey began at TTUHSC, fueled by the generous support of a family who chose to honor their beloved mother by establishing the Jewel Benton Endowed Scholarship in Nursing, the first of its kind in the School of Nursing.

As ‘airway guy,’ Brown said he’s always relied on the critical thinking skills he learned as an undergraduate nurse. “Her (Benton) scholarship not only played a role in my being here but also in the quality of care I can give to those in this remote part of the state – whether they live here or they’re just passing through.” — Danette Baker

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