Lamar honors 10 with Plummer Awards
Lamar University honored 10 students with the Plummer Award, recognizing them as the top male and female graduates in Lamar’s 2015 May graduating class. Lamar University president, Kenneth Evans, presented the awards during commencement ceremonies May 22 and 23 in the Montagne Center. Plummer Awards honor the late Otho Plummer, who was chairman emeritus of the Lamar board of regents and a longtime board member.
Marlene Cardenas, a graduate of Memorial High School in Port Arthur, earned the Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management Information Systems. She is the daughter of Maria and Jose Silva and the spouse of Jose Guadalupe Cardenas. Cardenas is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and the Association for Information Systems. She earned the Ben J. Rogers Outstanding Business Student award for 2015, Doak C. Procter Memorial Scholarship in Business, President’s List, Texas Top 10 Percent Grant and T.G. Wootan Grant. Her hobbies include baking, traveling, photography, do-it-yourself projects and reading. Future plans include acquiring a job in the IT field, preferably as a business analyst, and eventually starting a family.
Theresa Ener, a graduate of Lumberton High School in Lumberton, earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She is the daughter of Linda and Glover McCauley and the partner of Jennifer Lovelace. Ener is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and earned the Eleanor Weinbaum Poetry Award. Her hobbies include reading, writing, running, biking and spending time with family. Future plans include beginning graduate school at Lamar to pursue the master’s degree in English to one day teach at the college level or perhaps go into the publishing field.
Megan Schwartz, a graduate of Klein Oak High School in Spring, earned the Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Science degrees in Criminal Justice. She is the daughter of Mark and Maggie Schwartz. Schwartz is a member of Gamma Omichron Chapter of Alpha Delta Mu, National Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi, Social Work Student Association, National Association of Social Workers and the Lamar University volleyball team. She earned the Lamar University Volleyball Athletic Scholarship, Milton Bell/Babe Didrikson Zaharias Scholarship and the F.L. McDonald Postgraduate Scholarship and was named to the President’s List. Her athletic accomplishments include Capital One Academic All-District First Team (2014), Southland Conference All-Academic First Team (2013, 2014), Capital One Academic All-District Second Team (2013), Southland Conference All-Academic Second Team (2012) and the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2010-2014). Her hobbies include reading, spending time with friends and family and exercising. Future plans include attending the University of Michigan in the fall to pursue a master of social work degree in the Geriatric Scholarship Program at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
Tiffany Schwartzenburg, a graduate of West Brook High School in Beaumont, earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in American Sign Language. She is the daughter of Greg Schwartzenburg and Julie and Joey Warner. Schwartzenburg is a member of Signing Cardinals, Student Government representative (Fall 2014), Lamar University softball team (Fall 2014) and named to the President’s List. Her hobbies include going to the beach, spending time with friends and family, enjoying live music, playing sports with friends and fishing. Future plans include pursuing a career in education at the high school level teaching American Sign Language. She has plans to marry Jacob Fairchild in November.
Maryum Shabazz, a graduate of American School in Lansing, Ill., earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Shabazz was named to the President’s List. Her hobbies include reading, writing fan fiction, gardening, anything Star Trek, art and crocheting. Future plans include deciding between becoming a medical doctor or physician’s assistant.
Andrew Arnold, a graduate of Nederland High School in Nederland, earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He is the son of Sheila and Byron Arnold and Debra and Preston Harper, and husband to Danna Arnold. Arnold is a member of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society (Alpha Phi Sigma) and the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and was named to the President’s List. He attended school on the Montgomery G.I. Bill. His hobbies include outside fraternal organizations such as Nederland Masonic Lodge Shriners International, and Cashan Grotto. Future plans include ascending to the upper administration in law enforcement, hopefully to one day become chief of police. He also plans to further his education by obtaining a master’s degree from Lamar University.
Justin Bode, a graduate of Cinco Rancho High School in Katy, earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He is the son of John and Celeste Bode. Bode was the recipient of the Lubrizol Scholarship, Rebecca Lynn Fussell Scholarship and the Ron and Mary Robins Scholarship. His hobbies include working on cars, fishing, reading, architecture, history, volunteer work, basketball, trying exotic foods and listening to music. Future plans include applying for the master of business administration program and working for Valero in the Port Arthur refinery.
Jackson Broussard, a graduate of Nederland High School in Nederland, earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He is the son of Kerri and Scott Broussard and the husband of Kaci Broussard. Broussard is a member of Lamar Ultimate Frisbee Club and was named to the President’s List. He is the recipient of the Charles and Susan Gordon Scholarship, Boston Scientific Scholarship, Houston Chapter for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals Scholarship and the Ernest Holdredge Memorial Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering. His hobbies include fishing, ultimate Frisbee, video games and spending time with his wife. Future plans include working at Valero as an associate rotating equipment reliability engineer and buying a house.
David Mikel, a graduate of Sweeney High School in Sweeney, earned the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics. He is the son of A.J. and Dani Mikel and the fiancé to Heather Holland. Mikel is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society, Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering Honors Society, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society and the Sigma Pi Sigma Honors Society, Engineers Without Borders, IEEE, Order of the Engineer and is a Reaud Honors College graduate. He is the recipient of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Scholarship, Joseph Domino Electrical Engineering Scholarship, Charles and Eleanor Garrett Scholarship, Don Lyle Engineering Scholarship, Charles and Susan Gordan Scholarship and McMasters Honors Scholarship. His hobbies include spending time with family and friends, working on electronics, taking things apart to see how they work, playing sports and watching movies. Future plans include getting married in November and working at INEOS Olefins and Polymers USA Chocolate Bayou Works in Alvin. He would eventually like to start his own consumer electronics company for home automation products.
Daniel Splinter, a graduate of West Brook High School in Beaumont, earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He is the son of Fred Splinter. Splinter is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society, LU Department of Student Development and Leadership, American Student Dental Association, Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society, American Dental Association and American Student Dental Association. He is the recipient of the Mrs. Gilbert T. Adams, Sr. Memorial Scholarship, Elaine Tatom and Hunter “Ticket” Henry Scholarship and the W. Russell Smith Scholarship in Biology. He was awarded the Academic Excellence for 4.0 Award (2013-2015), Iraq Civilian Service Award and Bahrain Civilian Service Award from the U.S. Armed Forces and was named to the President’s List. His hobbies include volunteering with Texas Mission of Mercy Dental Charity, Give Kids a Smile Dental Charity, Southeast Texas Food Bank, Anchor Church Food Bank, Texas Beach Cleanup and playing bass guitar. Future plans include attending UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry.
