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Texas A&M University Students
Eddy Badrina Gavin
Brown Jennifer Edwards Mario
Foyo-Lopez William Franklin Tamara Freund
Bunny Heard Pedro Marcial
Anya Martin Juan Morales Katharine Sheaff Heather Strickland
Douglas Thomas David
Walden Wesley Welch
William White Wei Wu
Eddy Badrina (email: eddy@tamu.edu)
I was born on January 15, 1976, to Eddy and Noemi Badrina, immigrants from the Philippines. I was born and have lived in Houston, Texas all my life. I have one sister, Janel, who is three years older than me.
I did my undergraduate work here at Texas A&M and majored in psychology. I was a member of the Corps of Cadets as well as the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. I graduated in May of 1998 and started at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service in the fall of 1998.
I am involved in Breakaway Ministries, a weekly college Bible study on Tuesday nights, and also volunteer at Still Creek Boys’ Ranch. In addition, I am an intern at President Bush’ office in Houston.
My interest lies in foreign relations, possibly in the private or government sectors, with an emphasis on the Pacific Rim and Asia.
Gavin Brown
(email: gavinb@tamu.edu)Gavin is from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He graduated from Simon Fraser
University in 1994 with a BA in Communications. His undergraduate degree took longer than
expected due to travel and work. He has wandered through much of Central America,
South-East Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Currently he is pursuing an MBA at Texas
A&M University and is expecting to graduate in May 1999.
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Jennifer Edwards (email: j-edwards@tamu.edu)
Howdy! I’m Jennifer Edwards, Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 1994. WHOOP! My
undergraduate degree is in agribusiness, and at the same time I was
also able to earn a certificate in international business. I had every intention of
leaving this great town upon graduation, but as fate would have it, I managed to get a job
with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station on campus, so I ended up sticking around
for a little while longer. Since I was here, I decided to take this opportunity to attend
graduate school. This time I decided to do something different so I switched to
agricultural education to study international agricultural development. After a couple of
years of working full-time and going to school part-time, I decided that I wanted a degree
sooner than later, so I found a half-time position with the Texas Agricultural Extension
Service on-campus working in the Office of Sustainable Agriculture. Not only have I been
able to go to school full time, but I was able to find a thesis topic in a project being
done at work. My thesis focuses only on the state of Texas, so my international interests
are being satisfied through a problems course that I am taking. If I am extremely lucky
I’ll graduate in December. Otherwise, it will be next May. From there…. we'll
see what the world has waiting!
Having grown up in Plano, I’m often asked why and how I decided to study agriculture. My grandparents own and operate a Christmas tree farm in upstate New York, so I suspect that my interest in agriculture stems from the summers I spent visiting them. I participated in FFA in high school, which led to my interest in agriculture at the college level. My mom tried to persuade me to participate in 4-H when I was younger, but I wasn’t interested in home-making activities, and the city wouldn’t allow me to keep livestock projects in the backyard.
One of the greatest opportunities I took advantage of while I was doing my undergraduate degree was studying abroad in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. I spent Spring semester '94 there and have been searching for a way to go back on a more extended basis. I would like to spend some time in different parts of this country and other countries as well. The world has a lot to offer, and I hope to make the most of the opportunities that lay ahead.
"Cool" you're saying (and I'm sure you're saying that! J ). "So what about your non-professional life?" Being an over-committed grad student I don't have much of a personal life it sometimes seems. My better half, my pooch, and some good friends tend to fill in the wee moments that I'm able to take from school. Before I got into grad school I did some scuba diving, rock climbing, and other various outdoor activities. I also enjoy curling up with a good fiction book every so often. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into those and add some others after I graduate. The potential of one day having free time is what keeps me working. The list of things I plan to do upon graduating keeps going and going and going…….
I'm sure this is probably more than you ever wanted to know about me. But, if for some reason you want to know more, drop me an e-mail and we'll talk! Cheers!
Mario Foyo-Lopez (email: mlopes@tamu.edu)
PLACE: Queretaro, Qro. Mexico
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES: Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM)
Campus Queretaro
MAJOR: Agriculture
GRADUATE STUDIES: Texas A & M University
MASTER: Master of Agribusiness (MAB) Graduating December 1999.
BACKGROUND:
Agriculture Student Association President at ITESM Campus Queretaro, Mexico
Member of the Student Senate at ITESM campus Queretaro, Mexico
President of the "XVI Simposium Internacional de Agricultura" in Queretaro,
Mexico.
WORKING EXPERIENCE
Agriculture loans department in Banca Confia, Queretaro, Mexico.
INTEREST AND CARRER GOALS
I would like to work in an international trade
area, especially in trading agriculture products between Canada, USA, and Mexico.
NAFTA is going develop and improve that
trilateral trade. It is important to know how this agreement works, the advantages and
disadvantages of each country, and the best way
to handle the exportation of our products in order to be competitive.
William Franklin (email: wfranklin@bushschool.tamu.edu)
My name is William E. Franklin. I am a student here in the George Bush School of Government and Public Service here at Texas A&M University. This is my first year in the program. I am very excited about the program and this class. But first I would like to tell you a little bit about myself.
I was born in Oklahoma City on August 3, 1970. I was a fun loving child that enjoyed riding my bike and playing with my toys. I had a wonderful childhood that culminated in my high school graduation in 1988. I attended Friends University in Wichita, Kansas on a football scholarship for my freshman year. After deciding that football was not where I wanted to make my fortune I took a year off from school I worked some odd jobs until I signed up for the Air Force Reserves. I went to basic in February of 1990 and graduated from advanced technical training in June of that same year. I was trained to be a bomb loader on F-16 fighter jets. After that I reenrolled in college, transferring to Prairie View A&M University. I changed my major three times, finally deciding on economics. I graduated in May of 1994 with a B.A. From there I took a year to determine what I really wanted to do. When the year was up I moved to Dallas to seek my fortune. I found FootAction instead. I worked there as an assistant manager for nine months before IBM asked me to join them in June of 1996 as an inside sales representative. I spent the next two years selling computers before coming here to advance my education. This is a change in career paths but I am glad to be here.
Tamara Freund (email: freund@tamu.edu)
Hi, my name is Tamara (Tammie) Freund. I’m working on my masters of science degree in the fields of international agricultural development and communication. I hope to attain my M.S. in August of this year.
My undergraduate work was done in my home state of Iowa at Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames. I received two bachelor of science degrees in May 1998. One was in Agricultural Studies and Extension Education and the second one in Journalism and Mass Communications with a minor in Spanish. My curricula of contrasting disciplines stem from my basic interests. My agriculture interest is a direct influence of my rearing on a large family farm consisting of corn and soybean crops and a feeder cattle operation. The journalism reflects my interest in communications. These "opposing" fields are both rapidly changing, but a combination of the two will prepare me to serve as a link between the consumers / producers and the policymakers /researchers.
As an undergraduate, I took part in an international student exchange. I spent six months living in Australia with four of those months as a student at University of Queensland in Brisbane. There I was able to see life from a vantage point outside of the U.S for the first time. This initial international experience was enough to convince me that I’d like to continue study in a multicultural as well as in my prior chosen multidisciplinary fields.
When I returned to the States, I worked at the ISU Study Abroad Center giving student orientations prior to international work, exchanges, or travels. I spent summer of 1998 working in Guadalajara, Mexico with an international vegetable seed company. Here I learned how poorly I spoke Spanish, but how much I desire to know a second language fluently. I also was able to see the interdependency of U.S. and Mexico industries.
My work at Texas A&M University has been influential in my decision to pursue international agriculture from a policy or international relations perspective. I desire to work in a position where I can serve as a project or relations consultant within international agriculture.
Bunny Heard (email: heard-m@masters-lab.tamu.edu)
Hi! My name is Mary Catherine Heard and I am a second year MBA student at Texas
A&M. I grew up in Dallas, Texas and
have lived in Texas my entire life. I am graduating this May and I have accepted a
position with a management consulting
firm in Dallas. Hopefully, if plans work out, I am going to defer my starting date of
employment and study abroad next year!
I am taking this NAFTA course because I am very interested in issues of trade
liberalization. I had the wonderful opportunity
of studying in Austria and the Czech Republic this past summer. I went with a group of MBA
students and we studied the
European Union, the EMU, and emerging markets. It was at this juncture that I became very
intrigued about the globalization
of the economy and the opening of the world’s borders. The issues revolving around
the NAFTA agreement are of great
importance to the world economy and to the expansion of trade.
I have traveled both to Mexico and Canada, although I was young. I hope to return to
both in the near future! I am excited
about the interaction with all of you from Mexico!
Pedro Marcial (email: pemi@hotmail.com)
Petroleum Engineer. 27 yrs old. Master of Eng. Student (Int'l Petroleum Mgmt). Painter.
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, the 6 of February of 1971. Lived by the sea, in a beach town near Caracas, where I finished my basic and high school studies. At the age of 17, moved to Caracas and enter the Central University of Venezuela in 1989. I graduated as a Petroleum Engineer in 1994 and went to Boston for 3 month to learn the english language. Back in Venezuela, I entered Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), as Production Engineer in January of 1995. Worked for 18 month in the fields of western Venezuela, in several positions, and participated in a year-long Formation Program in 1996, which also served as an evaluation period for sponsorship candidates to continue studies abroad. In August 1997, started a Master of Engineering, with the option of International Petroleum Management, in the Department of Petroleum Eng., at Texas A&M University (Ranked #1 in Petroleum Engineering Graduate Studies in the U.S.). I will graduate in August 1999 and go back to PD! VSA, where I expect to explore other areas of the petroleum business. In the near future, I plan to enter the College of Social and Economic Studies of the Central University of Venezuela, and finish a Master in International Relationships.
Anya Martin (email: martina@acs.tamu.edu)
Anya is currently in her last semester of a Masters of Science degree in Educational Human Resource Development, at Texas A&M University. Anya received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1994 from Texas A&M University in Agricultural Economics with a major in Agricultural Business and a minor in Human Resource Management. Prior to transferring to Texas A&M University in the fall of 1993, Anya attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK, where she majored in Human Resource Management. During the summer of 1991, Anya attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR, in a 10-week Intensive Spanish course, of which the last five weeks were spent in Costa Rica. There she lived with a local family and attended classes during the week. Anya's work experience includes working as a Systems Analyst for Geochemical and Environmental Research Group at Texas A&M University. There she was in charge of maintaining three different network systems, maintenance of all PCs, Macs, and their peripherals, and data processing for technical reports. She is currently employed as a graduate assistant in the Educational Human Resource Department in the College of Education at Texas A&M University. Anya's career goal is to work with a consulting firm, assisting companies in utilizing technology in the workplace and assisting schools in the integration of technology into the classroom.
Juan Morales (email: dmorales@bushschool.tamu.edu)
Juan Daniel Morales is a first year graduate student at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service. Juan Daniel holds a Baccalaureate degree in Political Science from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. His varied work experience includes working as a Legislative Intern in the United States Senate, a Caseworker with the City of San Antonio as well as working with the Dept. of the Air Force among other things. As a native of Brownsville, Texas, Juan Daniel has first hand knowledge of the problems facing the U.S-Mexico Border and its surrounding areas and the impact that NAFTA has brought to the local economies. His passion for reform of border policies and the economic and leadership development of the Texas Border region has led him to consider attending Law School upon graduation to better prepare him for a political career. Daniel enjoys fishing, friends, and would rather be at the beach.
Katharine Sheaff (email: ksheaff@tamu.edu)
Hello! I’m Kate Sheaff. I spent most of my junior high and high school years in southern California, so I returned there for college after spending my senior year of high school in Houston, Texas. I enjoyed my three years at the Univ. of California at San Diego, and took advantage of the proximity of UCSD to Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, and the many beautiful beaches to have some fun during college as well. I spent my junior year in Granada, Spain and discovered that I like Latin American literature better than Spanish literature, so I changed my major to Latin American Studies and was one of the first two undergraduate students to graduate with that major from my school. After college I returned to Europe to study, but this time I went to Germany where I worked at a Michelin-starred restaurant as an apprentice chef. Not only did I learn about cooking while at Die Traube, but I also learned that the lifestyle of a chef is not for me. Now I am back in school trying to meld my language skills, interest in foreign affairs, and my love for food with the business acumen that is being taught in the Master’s of Agribusiness program at Texas A&M. Hopefully when I complete this course of study I will be able to enter the international food arena as an employee of a multinational food corporation.
Heather Strickland (email: hstrickland@bushschool.tamu.edu)
I am a second year Master’s student at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service. It is joint program in Public Service and Administration, from which I hope to graduate in a few short months. I have specialized in International Relations and after graduation, I plan to work for the United States government, hopefully in foreign relations or international affairs. Immediately prior to this program, I graduated from Texas A&M University with degrees in Political Science and Psychology. Although I grew up in San Antonio, Texas, I speak only broken Spanish and have traveled only to the border towns, but I am looking forward to the expansion of both.
Douglas Thomas (email: dthomas@tamu.edu)
Doug Thomas was born and raised in North Carolina. He graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a BA in Economics in 1996. He has also done graduate work at Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona. Doug & Doris moved to Mexico City for seven months during 1997 while Doug worked for American Express. Currently he is working on his PhD in Stratetic Management and International Business at Texas A&M University. They live in College Station, Texas.
David Walden (email: dwalden@bushschool.tamu.edu)
My name is David H. Walden and I was born on February 7, 1974 in Ft. Dix, New Jersey. After graduating from Willingboro High School I enlisted into the United States Navy. I spent some time in the Navy and then earned a scholarship to Prairie View A&M University. At the same time I was attending Prairie View A&M University, I decided to change from the path of the Navy and seek a commission as a Marine Corps officer. I graduated Prairie View A&M University in May of 1998, with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Political Science. I was then accepted and enrolled into the George Bush School of Government and Public Service. Currently I am seeking a Master’s degree in Public Service and Administration.
My desire, while here at Texas A&M University and the Bush School, is to become educated and enlightened on the many aspects of international relations. I am especially interested in those areas that are of concern to American foreign policy and national security. My goal, upon graduation, is to be employed, on the federal level, by an institution that enforces the law and works against terrorism.
Aside from any professional aspirations there are a few social and personal aspects of life I enjoy. I find it a great pleasure to work with my hands, constructing models and woodworking. I enjoy working out and consequently have a rather rigorous training schedule. In the arena of sports, perhaps my favorite sport to play is volleyball but my favorite sport to watch is football. In my spare time I try to read, most of which is historical non-fiction, and keep abreast of current events.
Wesley Welch (email: wpwelch@tamu.edu)
Degree Sought: Ph.D. Agricultural Economics
Home Town: Denver City, TX, USA
Education: BS Animal Science 1995 West Texas A&M University
MS Agriculture 1997 West Texas A&M University
I grew up in a small west Texas town in a region consisting mostly of pump-jacks (machines extracting petroleum from the ground) and cotton fields. After graduating high school in 1991, I enrolled at Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX as a Mechanical Engineering Major. That didn’t work out so I switched to pre-Veterinary Medicine. I was accepted to the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. I later declined acceptance and decided to play baseball for West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX, a decision I do not regret in the least. After receiving my BS in May of 1995, I interned on a ranch for the summer. While there, I was offered an assistantship to continue my education at West Texas. Since I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do career-wise at the time, I accepted. The semester before finishing my thesis (Spring 1997) I was still unsure of a career path. Two opportunities arose. I applied for the Peace Corps as well as a USDA National Needs Fellowship here at Texas A&M. I accepted the fellowship. I spent the summer before enrolling at A&M in Mexico. I decided I wanted to learn Spanish and figured total immersion was the key. I found a school, Instituto Falcon, on the Internet, jumped on a train and headed for Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico. This experience drew me to the idea of possibly working with Latin American countries. Currently in my second year of the Ph.D. program in Agricultural Economics, I am now concentrating on my field, or specialty, International Trade.
In my spare time, I enjoy any type of outdoor or athletic activity. My latest adventure was a weeklong backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon over Christmas break. Sports-wise, my current passion is Sand Volleyball.
William White (email: jinx@myriad.net)
I was born in a small town in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky where the primary employer is the coal mining industry. Seeking to expand my horizons, I attended Georgetown College where I received my BS in Chemistry. I later received my MS in Organic Chemistry from Miami University.
Upon graduation, I accepted a position with Hach Company in Ames, Iowa. During my seven years with Hach, I held positions as Process Organic Chemist, Production Supervisor, and Project Manager. Also, during this time I entered the MBA program at Iowa State University where I was a few hours short of completion when I accepted a position with Lynntech, Inc., a small start-up company specializing in cutting edge technologies, here in College Station, TX. Currently, I am completing that MBA by taking a few courses here at TAMU and transferring them back to Iowa State. My professional goal is to use my education, background and skills to help Lynntech achieve it’s potential.
Personal Background:
I have been happily married to my best friend, Karen, for eight years. We met in Graduate School where we both worked in the same lab. This relationship, catalyzed in that tiny lab in Hughes Hall, continues today. Quite possibly, our greatest achievement is our precious little 2-year-old daughter, Katherine Jessamyn.
Other interests include sports, computers, poetry, listening to music, chess, and spending time with my family.
Wei Wu (email: wwu@bushschool.tamu.edu)
Wei Wu is a student in Master program of Public Administration in the George Bush School of Government and Public Service. She is interested in international affairs, particularly in the relationship between America and Asia, and recently she selected international affairs as her academic track in the program.
Wei Wu comes from Changchun, People’s Republic of China. She received her BA in Economics in Peking University, China, from 1993-1998. She is fascinated by western culture and thus decided to come to United States for graduate study. She is the only Chinese student in the Bush School so far.
Wei Wu is planning to work for a few years in the US after her graduation before she goes back to China. She would like to work in the public organization, which develops and explores relationship between America and Asia.
Wei Wu’s hobby is dancing, swimming and playing badminton.