Stephen F. Austin State University

Music... finance... speech language pathology... agribusiness... biology... social work... elementary education.

Students who are graduating Saturday from Stephen F. Austin State University with perfect 4.0 grade point averages came from all areas of study and all walks of life.

But they have at least one thing in common: They strove for perfection, and they achieved it.

The group of 4.0 graduates includes both men and women, some who started college straight out of high school and some who returned after raising children of their own.

Some worked their way through college, some secured work they will begin after college, and some will continue to attend college in pursuit of their master’s degrees.

Nearly all of the 4.0 graduates have been involved in numerous activities in addition to their educational endeavors.

Here is a closer look at the 4.0 graduates:

*Kristina Boruff*

Kristina Boruff of Mesquite, an elementary education major, managed to make the president’s list every semester she was at SFA. She also received an honor’s diploma from the School of Honors.

But Boruff’s college experience has not been “all work and no play.” She served as an officer for the SFA Cycling Team and was named “Female Cyclist of the Year,” was active in the Baptist Student Ministry, played intramural sports including basketball and flag football and served as an SFA Lifeguard.

Boruff will not slow down after she crosses the stage Saturday. This summer she will work as a camp counselor at YMCA Camp Erdman, located on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.

The following fall and spring she will teach outdoor education to fifth graders at TMCA Camp Grady Spruce in Graford. She hopes to eventually teach science in middle grades.

Boruff is the daughter of Ron and Becky Boruff of Mesquite and the sister of Ann Boruff. She graduated from North Mesquite High School in 2003.

Boruff said the teachers she had from kindergarten through high school inspired her to become a teacher.

“I was so fortunate to have amazing teachers,” Boruff said. “That made me want to pursue a degree in education and become a teacher, myself.”

*Cindi Darbe*

Cindi Darbe of Texarkana did not intend to go to college. She had good jobs after high school, and she didn’t initially see the need to further her education.

But as time passed, she became interested in becoming an educator. One day she met a speech language pathologist, and she said, “It was like someone turned on a light.”

Darbe compared finding her calling to meeting the man who would become her husband. She knew what she was supposed to do with her life.

She chose to attend SFA because her parents lived in Nacogdoches, meaning she could stay with them during the week and return to Texarkana to see her husband on the weekends.

“As it turned out, I fell into one of the best speech language pathology programs in the state,” she said. “It was such a blessing.”

As planned, Darbe spent weekdays in Nacogdoches, and traveled home to Texarkana to see her husband on the weekends. She said the time apart was worth it, in the end.

“It seems like my first class was yesterday,” she said. “There were times I didn’t know if I would make it, but looking back—it really flew by.” Darbe described herself as a “mediocre” high school student, and she said she surprised herself by achieving a perfect grade point average.

“My parents always told me I had potential,” she said with a laugh. In the fall she will pursue her master’s degree at SFA, in communication disorders.

Darbe made the president’s list every semester she was at SFA and was also a member of Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society, the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association and the Texas Speech Language Hearing Association.

She graduated in 1997 from James E. Taylor High School in Katy, and she is the daughter of Tom and Carol Wagoner of Nacogdoches. She is married to William Darbe of Texarkana.

*Lauren Ferrero*

Lauren Ferrero of West is the daughter of Larry and Suzanne Ferrero, and a 2004 graduate of West High School.

She is a member of Who’s Who Among American College Students, Phi Eta Sigma, Order of Omega and received the Marsellos and Scott Social Work Award.

She has participated in the Student Foundation Association, Omicron Delta Kappa, Chi Omega, was an instructor for SFA 101, and was a Supplemental Instruction Leader in SFA’s Academic Assistance and Resource Center.

Ferrero said several of her high chool teachers inspired her, including school counselor Kay Younger and history teacher Kim Smith.

“They both inspired me to strive for excellence and to do well in school,” Ferrero said. “All of my family and friends supported me, and I’m so thankful I chose SFA as my college. It’s been nothing but the best for me. It definitely has the nicest people, best academics and best extra-curricular activities in the state.”

Ferrero said she was also appreciative of scholarships she received and other financial aid that assisted her with funding her education.

“My family and friends supported me, and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without their support,” Ferrero said.

She will attend the University of Oklahoma to complete her master’s degree in Social Work.

*Andrew Frohman*

Andrew Frohman of Grapevine, a Finance and Economics major, has been inducted into Phi Eta Sigma and Beta Gamma Sigma and received the Vernon D. McKinney Finance and Economics Award, the Highest Finance Student Award and the Highest Economics Student Award.

He has also been a member of the Finance Club, the Economics Club, and served as vice president of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

Frohman plans to complete an internship at a financial firm this summer and will enter the Texas A&M University Mays MBA program in the fall to pursue his master’s degree.

He graduated from Colleyville Heritage High School in 2004 and is the son of Mark and Judy Frohman.

It was Frohman’s mother who inspired and motivated him to achieve a perfect grade point average, three years after finishing high school.

“Growing up, I saw how hard she worked,” he said. “She worked and saved up money so she could go to college, after my brother and I were born.” Frohman’s father had a job transfer while his mother was still attending college, so she stayed behind and finished her last year of college with her two young boys underfoot.

That same work ethic is evident in Frohman, who said he finished college in three years because he “doesn’t like to be bored.”

“I had nine hours coming in to SFA,” he said. “I took nine hours one summer and 15 hours one summer,” he said. “I took 21 hours last spring, and I always took ‘mini-mesters’ on the Christmas breaks. Mainly, I wanted something to do.”

It should have come as no surprise to Frohman that he was accepted to several graduate schools. Texas A&M is the one he has chosen, and he will begin classes there in the fall.

“My mom had a huge influence on me,” he said. “And so did my dad. My dad works in finance, so I followed in his footsteps, in that respect.”

Frohman’s high school basketball coach, Greg Gober, motivated him by always believing in him, and Frohman said he still talks to his coach on a regular basis.

Roger McOmber, the person who gave him his first internship after his freshman year of college, helped Frohman change his major from “undeclared” to “finance and economics.”

“He told me I was good at it, and he gave me a chance,” Frohman said. “There were a lot of really good influences in my life who helped me. I appreciate all they did.”

*Corey Graves*

Corey Graves of Henderson is a music educator major whose list of extracurricular activities and achievements implies superhuman abilities.

He is the son of Charles and Brenda Moore and Marcellus Stripling, and he graduated from Henderson High School in 2003.

Graves received the President’s Award for Outstanding Recitalist of the Year and Instrumental Recitalist of the Year (the first time a euphonium player has ever received the award at SFA.) He is a member of the Graduate School of Honors and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, is a Presser Scholar and was Feature Soloist at the International Tuba/Euphonium Association Regional Conference (2005-2007).

He is also a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar.

Graves is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Principal Euphonium of the SFASU Wind Ensemble; Lumberjack Marching Band; Soul II Soul Gospel Choir; National Society of Collegiate Scholars; Beta Omicron Beta and the SFASU Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble.

He performed in Tuba Christmas; was involved in Relay for Life; and has served as a private lesson instructor of euphonium, trombone and tuba. He was all-region judge for the Association of Texas Small School Bands.

Graves will attend Ohio State University in the fall on a graduate enrichment fellowship to pursue a Master of Music in Brass (Euphonium) Performance. He plans to pursue doctoral studies in either music or education. Ultimately he said he wants to teach euphonium and tuba on the collegiate level, but he is also interested in the public school circuit.

Graves said his mother and his grandmother motivated him to achieve the goals he set for himself.

Gray Meggs and Cindi Rains were two educators at Henderson ISD who pushed him to achieve what he wanted for himself and who “fired up his passion for music.”

“Gray Meggs didn’t accept mediocrity,” Graves said. “And all of the people who motivated me continued to call and check on me to see if I was doing OK. That had a lasting impact on my education.”

Graves began playing in band in 1996 as a sixth grader, and he’s been playing ever since.

He said he started SFA interested in both the pre-med and music programs. “I was competitive and I liked to be at the top of the pack,” he said. “Learning is something I enjoy.”

When the time came to choose one area or the other — medicine or music — Graves chose the one he regarded as his true vocation.

“I’m interested in medicine, but music is my passion,” he said. “A lot of people go into music because they want to make it big. But you really have to go into it because you love to do it. I knew I would be satisfied performing and teaching music.”

Graves said he ultimately hopes to teach music, because it’s a universal language with no barriers.

“Anyone can learn it,” he said. “It’s emotional, and it’s easy to compel someone to enjoy it.”

*Ginny Hughes*

Ginny Hughes of Center, the daughter of Mitchell and Deidra Hughes, is a biology major who has been listed on the President’s Honor Roll, received the Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award and the Hugh B. Smith Outstanding Graduate Award or Biology.

She has also served as Pre-Health Professional Club treasurer and is a member of Alpha Chi and Gamma Sigma Epsilon.

Hughes will attend pharmacy school in the fall.

Hughes said her sister, Angela Hughes, is a pharmacist in Austin. “She showed me what a great career it is,” she said. “It allows you to help people and get involved in the community.”

Hughes said her high school teacher Mary Pigg, who taught her chemistry, and Rob Payne, who taught her math, got her interested in doing well in school.

“My family has also supported me through college and has really been there for me,” she said.

*Cara Johnson*

Cara Johnson was home schooled and completed that education in 1998. She is the daughter of the Rev. John and Diana Johnson of Tyler.

Johnson was part of a pilot program initiated by the SFA School of Social Work. Classes were offered at Tyler Junior College, which meant Johnson was able to complete all but her last semester in her hometown.

“It worked out absolutely perfectly for me,” she said. “The professors were so dedicated. They worked hard, and they showed us that they care about the students.”

Johnson was vice-president of SFA-SWAT (Social Work Association at Tyler), from fall of 2005 to spring of 2006.

She volunteered at Red Cross Hurricane Shelters in the fall of 2005, and was a volunteer at the East Texas Medical Center Cancer Institute Great Getaway Retreat in the spring of 2005 and 2006.

In spring 2007, she volunteered at the 10th annual Foster and Adoptive Training Conference, “Hold Fast — Help is on the Way!” at SFA.

She is a Sunday School teacher at Tyler Presbyterian Church, and she hopes to start graduate school at UT Arlington in the summer to pursue her master’s in social work.

“I hope to work in child welfare, particularly foster care, and to one day be a registered play therapist and work with children who have been abused,” she said, adding that she was inspired to seek this career path following a volunteer experience in Colorado.

Johnson was home schooled, and she said her mother’s individualized attention helped prepare her for college.

“I have a hearing impairment, so the one-on-one attention was really good for me,” she said. “My mom worked with us on our writing skills, and thanks to her I learned to take good notes and write good papers. I was fully prepared and had a broad education that covered everything.”

*Ashley Martin*

Ashley Martin is an agribusiness major who graduated from Garrison High School in 2003. She is the daughter of Martin and Ladea Martin of Garrison.

She was awarded the Arch Price Outstanding Agriculture Graduate Award and the Stephen F. Austin State University Outstanding Agribusiness Student Award. She is a member of the Delta Tau Alpha Honor Society, Agri-Ambassadors and Collegiate FFA. In the future she plans to continue her education pursuing a master’s degree while working full time for an agriculture-based lending agency.

Martin grew up in a “farm family,” she said. “I considered going to other schools, but I came to SFA because, financially, it was the best deal,” she said. “It worked out for the best, because I had so many opportunities I wouldn’t have been offered at other schools.”

*Deborah Nicholson*

Deborah Nicholson of Kilgore is the daughter of the late Frank R. and Shirley Hardin. She graduated from Palestine High School in 1970. She is a member of the SFA Alpha Chi Honor Society.

Nicholson was working as a teacher’s aid when she decided to return to college for her degree.

She couldn’t afford to quit her job, and she didn’t want to go to classes at night because it would require too much time away from her family.

Online classes were the perfect solution.

“It’s the only way I could’ve reached my goal,” she said. “By finishing my degree online, I was able to keep my job and do things with my family. I started SFA two years ago, and I was just hired as the testing coordinator and regular education reading intervention specialist for Kilgore Intermediate School.”

Nicholson said she is a long way from retirement, and she was doing many of the same things as an aide that teachers do “for a lot less money.” “I already had an associate’s degree, so it just took me two years to get certified,” she said. “It was well worth the time. I love kids and I love to work with kids. There’s nothing else I want to do.”

Nicholson said Susan Barber, coordinator of the online program for the early childhood through fourth grade teacher certification program, kept all of the online students going when the going got tough.

“My husband and my friend Becky McQueen in Mount Enterprise also kept me going,” she said.

*Alesha Pither*

Alesha Pither of Longview majored in interdisciplinary studies. She is the daughter of Walter and Tonya Pither and graduated from Spring Hill High School in 2003.

She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society, Texas State Teacher’s Association and the Early Childhood Organization. She plans to begin her career as an elementary teacher at Whitehouse ISD this fall.

“I used to work at the Spring Hill intermediate school, and being there and seeing those teachers inspired me to become a teacher,” she said.

Pither said Jannah Nerren, an instructor in elementary education, was a mentor to her while she attended SFA.

*Anne Marie Sampietro*

Anne Marie Sampietro didn’t set out to make a 4.0 – in fact, she jokingly said she “prayed every semester she would make a ‘B,’” so she wouldn’t have to continue carrying the burden of maintaining a perfect GPA.

Now that she’s finished, she’s pleased to have achieved that “nice, round number” for a grade point average.

“I’m a compulsive person,” she said. “I like even numbers.”

Sampietro knew in high school that she would choose English as a major. She said she never considered anything else.

Her double major in Spanish will also serve her well in the future, as she’s hoping to move to Madrid, to live with her sister, where she will continue Hispanic studies, tour Europe from a “cheap home base,” and hopefully wrap up a novel she started writing in the fall.

When asked, “What is the book about?” Sampietro responded, “What isn’t it about? It’s about life, love and the pursuit of happiness.”

Sampietro described her first year at SFA as “angst ridden.” Having been raised in Nacogdoches, she watched many of her friends leave for universities in other places.

Those feelings of angst quickly subsided, and now Sampietro says, “If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

She said she was fortunate to have had incredible mentors at SFA. “It was the highlight of my academic career to interact with extraordinary people,” she said. “All the professors in the English department are amazing people.”

The three mentors who meant the most were Dr. Allen Richman, director of the School of Honors, Dr. Kirsten Escobar, assistant professor of English and philosophy and Dr. Pedro Escamilla, assistant professor of modern languages.

“They provided endless encouragement and support, and they put up with all of my shenanigans,” she said.

Sampietro is the daughter of Barbara and Scott Sampietro, and she graduated from Nacogdoches High School in 2003.

She is the Alumni Association’s Outstanding English Graduate, recipient of the Vera Dugas Honors Scholarship and member of the School of Honors.

She has participated in the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society and was co-founder of the O’Malley Alley Cats on Campus.

*Michele Sanders*

Michele Sanders is an applied arts and sciences major from Grapeland. After raising her daughter, Sanders returned to school in 2005 to complete her bachelor’s degree.

She participated in an internship program in the SFA/NISD Charter School first grade classroom this semester and she plans to complete SFA’s post baccalaureate teacher certification program this summer.

Her future plans include teaching in an elementary classroom and pursuing a graduate degree.

Sanders lives in Grapeland and is the daughter of Richard and Sybil Sanders.

“After my daughter graduated, got married and moved away, I left Houston to be closer to family,” Sanders said. “While I was in Houston I was an interior designer. But there isn’t much of a need for interior designers in Grapeland.”

Sanders said she realized there is a need for teachers, and since she is good with children, she de ided to look into it.

“I’ve had fabulous instructors at SFA,” Sanders said. “I’ve been very, very pleased.”

*Linda Turnbough*

Linda Turnbough of Waco is the daughter of Truman and Mary Jo Matthys. Turnbough said she could not have completed her degree with a perfect 4.0 without the encouragement and support of her husband, Ronnie Turnbough. Turnbough graduated from University High School in 1975.

She is a fourth grade teacher at H.P. Miles Intermediate School, in La Vega Independent School District.

In addition to having made the President’s List at SFA, she is a member of the Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society.