As classes will not be in session on Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, the University Testing Center will also be closed. The center will reopen on Monday, December 2nd.
Our best wishes to the entire Mustang family for a wonderful holiday, and we give thanks for your support!
It’s hard to believe this semester is coming to an end! Final exams are around the corner and the UTC will extend its hours to accommodate the schedule.
Testing hours will be 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. beginning Thursday, December 12th through Wednesday, December 18th, including Saturday, December 14th. The testing office will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. each day.
There will be no testing during Reading Days (Tuesday, December 10th and Wednesday, December 11th).
DASS students and student-athletes should schedule their testing appointments as soon as possible in the UTC Portal, as space is limited.
Best of luck on your finals, Mustangs, and congratulations to our December graduates!
The Council on General Education met on November 8, 2024. The meeting minutes for October 18, 2024 were approved at this meeting. Below is the agenda, and the meeting minutes have now been posted on the General Education website.
Please contact the Office of General Education for questions or proposal development support.
Sometimes the connection you need is one you don’t go searching for – just ask SMU transfer students Walker Homan and Bianey Rojas. As members of the inaugural Mustang Mentors Peer Mentoring cohort, they’ve found in each other not only a peer mentor and mentee, but also a friend who has enriched their college experience.
Walker, the peer mentor, and Bianey, the mentee, were first paired together in September 2024 through the Mustang Mentors’ matching survey, which pairs mentors and mentees together based on shared academic interests, hobbies, and backgrounds. Both transfer students majoring in Economics, Walker with a Math minor and Bianey with a double minor in Business and Spanish, the pair quickly found commonality in their academic experiences and transition to SMU. However, it is the different perspectives they each share with each other that makes their mentorship truly unique.
Reflecting on her academic experiences, Bianey recalled how close-minded she felt towards math as a subject until she met Walker. “Walker will just do math for fun! Being mentored by him has shifted my mindset about math and he always encourages me to not give up in my classes,” says Bianey.
Meanwhile Walker, who initially felt unqualified to be a mentor, says, “with it being only my second semester at SMU, mentorship to Bianey has given me another way to define myself. In the context of SMU, it’s given me another SMU identity. Yeah, I’m an Econ student, and I do undergraduate research, but I’m also a Mustang Mentor.”
Bianey also describes how Mustang Mentors has deepened her sense of belonging at SMU. “I love SMU, but I thought being a transfer and commuter student would really make it different for me. Being a commuter, I just would come to campus just for class and then go back home, but through this mentorship program and the events, it has given me a reason to stay and meet other people in the program,” says Bianey.
The two agreed that there is no way they would’ve met if not for Mustang Mentors. “This program connects you to people you otherwise wouldn’t have met. If you can be a peer mentor in Mustang Mentors, just do it. Especially if you’re a transfer student, it’s just nice to have one more friendly face on campus,” says Walker.
The Mustang Mentors program goes beyond academics. Through shared insights and consistent encouragement, peer mentoring empowers students like Walker and Bianey to make the most of their SMU journey. To learn more about Mustang Mentors, visit our website at smu.edu/mustangmentors.
The Academic Skill Development team is ready to assist students in preparing to successfully finish the semester and complete finals! There are a number of ways students may receive support. Students may attend a Preparing for Finals workshop, find and use our finals preparation tools online at smu.edu/StudySkills, and/or schedule and attend academic counseling.
We encourage students to set aside time to:
Remember, the Academic Skill Development team is here to help with finals preparation and many other topics!
This month’s Mustang Champions feature three Senior Mustangs and one on the rise Freshman! Check out the commitment to excellence by our Mustangs Champions of the Month!
Natalia Newsome (Volleyball)
Natalia Newsome is a freshman from Arlington, Texas and is having a standout year on the court and in the classroom. She has impressed her senior academic counselor, Alana Owens, who shared that she has a respectful and punctual attitude and that Natalie is committed to her studies. Owens notes that Newsome embodies the Athletic Department’s S.P.I.R.I.T. motto, making her a joy to work with. She is the middle blocker on the SMU volleyball team, which is nationally ranked at #10. Natalia’s academic interests include Business, Law, or Sports Management.
Kyran Chambron Pinho (Men’s Soccer)
Kyran Chambron Pinho is a senior from Frankfurt, Germany. During his time on the Hilltop, he has been a role model for the other international students on his team. He exemplifies what is means to be a student-athlete. Not only is he competitive and striving for excellence on the pitch, but he also expects perfection in the classroom and from his peers. The two-time ACC Player of the Week honoree, encourages the use of ADSA resources and regularly pursues opportunities for personal, educational, and professional growth, which will continue to serve him well. Dr. Teiana Jones, Senior Director of ADSA and Assistant Athletic Director of Academics, shared that Kyran has been a pleasure to get to know. She is proud of his academic journey. Kyran is on track to graduate in 3.5 years, with a degree in Economics and a minor in Psychology (Fall 2024). SMU awaits the reveal of the 48-team NCAA Championships bracket, which is set to be released during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 18. First-round NCAA tournament action will begin on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Maykayla Jackson (Track & Field)
Senior Triple Jumper, Maykayla Jackson has earned this honor, through her pursuits and voice on campus. She is an active member of BSAC (Black Student-Athlete Committee), whose mission is; “to create a safe space and advocacy channel for Black-identifying student-athletes at SMU”. Originally from Midlothian, Texas, Maykayla is consistently working to reach her personal and educational goals. She is majoring in Biological Sciences, conducting research with Professor Brewster, and has aspirations to go to medical school after she graduates in May 2025.
Keon Ambrose-Hylton (Men’s Basketball)
Keon’s journey to SMU wasn’t easy; originally from Ontario, Canada, his first stop in the US was Alabama University. He transferred to SMU in the Summer of 2022, and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Applied Physiology and Sports Management (APSM) in Spring 2024. He is furthering his education on the Hilltop, and is pursuing his Masters of Liberal Studies (MLS), expecting to graduate in 2025. Keon has been an active member of BSAC and LAB. This Fall, he has the second most community service hours logged by an individual SMU student-athlete at 11.25 hours. Come support Keon and SMU Men’s Basketball team (currently 3-0) this season! (Click here for Schedule)
By Tiffany Nguyen ’27, Pathways to Business and Industry PAL
Peter Mendiola’s journey into the world of history began when he was browsing the course catalog and was drawn by the diverse offerings. He enrolled in first history class at SMU: Texas History with Brian Franklin. The course left a lasting impression on him, particularly the unique perspectives it offered on the Alamo—exploring not only the traditional narrative but also the viewpoints of both the Texans and the Mexicans. He describes history as “very malleable,” how it is “written by the victors,” and getting jarred out of the perspective was impactful.
On top of his diverse set of classes, Peter was involved in Student Foundation, as part of the Development Team and the Bridwell Reading Group, that discusses various books and policy articles regarding economic philosophy. While he was involved on-campus, he was working for a construction company in the financial accounting department, gaining hands-on experience in the business world. In his junior year, he was required to do a junior seminar class, where they spent the entire semester researching and finalizing on a tremendously large academic paper, sifting through large documents of information. As a history major, he is preparing to do his independent study in the spring.
Beyond his academic career, he worked at Ares Management, an alternative investment firm as a summer analyst this past summer in New York. During his internship, Peter found himself sifting through long, dense packets of information. Fortunately, he realized that his history classes had prepared him for this type of task, as they often involved analyzing similarly complex materials. The nature of history—its reliance on different perspectives and interpretations—made it easier for him to understand what was being communicated in the documents he reviewed. As Peter himself put it, he was grateful for his history major, which gave him the skills to navigate the information, a skill he hadn’t developed in his other coursework.
In the office, Peter was able to use his knowledge of history to connect with his colleagues. He engaged in conversations about historical topics that interested them, fostering meaningful relationships and creating a sense of camaraderie. He quickly learned that being able to engage in conversation and connect with others was essential to thriving in the workplace. Without that ability, he noted, it would be difficult to succeed in the company.
Peter also came to appreciate how understanding historical context is valuable not only in his field but in the business world as a whole. He believes that knowing the broader context of the world—how things evolved and where they began—helps in understanding various industries, from finance to marketing. In essence, everything has a starting point, and understanding that foundation is crucial for navigating the complexities of business. His future goals entail working at an investment firm, either in New York City, Miami, or Dallas, in wealth management, fostering connections with his co-workers with his knowledge of history, and knowing how the context for how the world is now. He hopes that when he speaks to people in his industry, that his love of history comes across and inspires people to learn more about it, as well as “inspiring other people to find what they like to do” besides their line of work.
By combining his interests in history and finance, Peter is setting an example for students who want interdisciplinary paths to business and industry. To find out more information about the SMU Pathways to Business and Industry, please contact pbi@smu.edu.
A snapshot into traveling on the road in the ACC:
During the first week of the 2024 Fall semester, while most students were walking to their first class on campus, it looked a little different for the SMU volleyball student-athletes; who were on a plane traveling to Hawaii and San Diego for their first away tournament. Before they stepped into a class, they were walking on the court.
It’s no secret that the demands on a student-athlete are different than the average college student. There are early mornings, late nights, changing schedules, and traveling for competitions that take up an athlete’s “spare time”. In those small breaks, you can see the dedication shown by the athletes studying on the bus or plane, reading the in the hotel room, etc. Our Mustang Student-Athletes want to be the best at everything they do, so SMU Athletics partners with ADSA to ensure that academics are still prioritized even when they are traveling for competitions. The coaching staff “really value ADSA support and resources and make it a priority in the volleyball program” – Alana Owens, Senior Academic Counselor
More than Competition:
This trip allowed many of the volleyball players to experience Hawaii and Polynesian culture for the first time. While most away trips for student-athletes are scheduled to allow for the shortest travel time possible- to avoid missing classes, etc. On this trip, the team was able to experience several unique events including attending the Polynesian Cultural Center (see below)
When on the road, Alana Owens, the Volleyball Senior Academic Counselor, conducted mandatory academic study hall for all student-athletes on the team. This is to ensure that there is scheduled time dedicated to academics. “This group is very athletically and academically focused this semester; I am very proud of them for putting in the required road study hall hours through this busy road trip schedule” – Alana Owens. Of the 15 players on the team, 7 are graduate students pursuing programs in Cox and Simmons. These athletes are dedicated to pursing their degree while also having a record-breaking season in the ACC.
Come support this outstanding team at their next game on Friday, November 15, 2024 in Moody Coliseum in Dallas, TX.
Photography credit: FreeKey Three Creative Team
The Council on General Education met on October 18, 2024. The meeting minutes for September 27, 2024 were approved at this meeting. Below is the agenda, and the meeting minutes have now been posted on the General Education website.
Please contact the Office of General Education for questions or proposal development support.
We are excited to highlight the entrepreneurial journey of SMU alum Josh Baier (’24), founder of TIMIO News LLC.
TIMIO News, set to fully launch soon, is an innovative platform designed to provide users an unbiased news feed using GenAI to analyze news articles from across the web. Baier’s journey began while he was a student in the SMU Big iDeas program, where he developed foundational components of his business and honed his skills in innovation and leadership.
As an SMU student, Baier found the Big iDeas program instrumental in shaping his path, providing resources and capital that fueled his entrepreneurial drive. Now, with a team that includes other SMU Students (Abbie Ellermeier, Isabella Fleet, Justus Woods), TIMIO is inspiring other team members to take part in Big iDeas – including Big iDeas Pitch Contest winner, Isabella Fleet.
The Office of Engaged Learning recently sat down with Josh for an interview to discuss more about his vision for TIMIO and his insights on building a successful startup while being a collegiate entrepreneur. To hear more about Baier’s story and the upcoming launch of TIMIO, watch the full interview here.