Program/Level: M.S. in Geology
Home Town: Alpine, TX
Prior Education: B.S in Geology, Sul Ross State University, 2015

I was born in Alpine, TX and grew up on a ranch along the border near Presidio, TX. Spending much of my childhood roaming around the desert fostered a love for nature and the outdoors, as well as the beginnings of what has become an impressive rock collection. I decidedto take a geology class after pursuing another major for a few years and realized that geology was my true passion. As an undergraduate, I was nominated for the NAGT/USGS Cooperative Summer Fellowship Program and was accepted for an internship with the USGS in Reston, Virginia after graduating. I was fortunate to work with some great scientists from different disciplines, researching floodplain geomorphology and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. After a few years out in the real world, I chose to return to Sul Ross to work towardsa master’s degree in geology, specifically studying structural geology in the Lower Canyons.

Program Level: Master’s in Business Admin Supply Chain Managment

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Prior Education: BBA Sul Ross State University

Dayln was born and raised in Texas where he grew up playing every sport imaginable. He loved to be outdoors and go fishing, play basketball and football, and was very active as a child. He continued to play sports through high school where he earned the opportunity to play at Sul Ross while getting his undergraduate degree. He became a 2X all Conference player *1st & 3rd team* and tied for 1st in sacks in the 2023 season. Dayln will pursue his master’s degree while also playing his last year of football and preparing for life after college where he dreams to make an impact within his designated field.

Program/Level: M.S. in Range & Wildlife Management, Graduate Research Assistant at Borderlands Research Institute

Home Town: San Antonio, TX

Prior Education: B.S. in Environmental Science, University of Texas at San Antonio (2019)

I am a Texas native and have split most of my time between San Antonio and Austin. Growing up, my weekends were full of outdoor activities including camping, biking, playing sports, and visiting Port Aransas, Texas. I have always had a deep fascination with movies and music – a life-long love affair that has only grown as I’ve aged. I even spent all four years of high school in theatre and was the lead singer of an Austin-based band for five years! I’ve spent most of my adult life working in the hospitality industry, and as it turns out I am very hospitable and great at working with people. The skills I learned as a server/bartender have been helpful in navigating my academic career because they are rooted in communication and collaboration. In my undergrad, I took a Desert and Field Biology course that involved camping from West Texas to New Mexico to Arizona. Having this experience shaped my appreciation for science and research, as well as bird watching – it’s not just for retirees! After visiting West Texas for the fifth time, I decided I could certainly continue my education in conservation in the beautiful Big Bend region. My ultimate goal is to take complex conservation ideas, repackage them in a way that is understandable and engaging, and normalize their application within everyday life for everyday people. As I hone my scientific skills, I look forward to combining them with the creative parts of myself to effect the most change.

Program/Level: M.S. in Range & Wildlife Management /Graduate Research Assistant at
Borderlands Research Institute

Home Town: Aurora, Colorado (by way of Libby, Montana)

Prior Education: B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University
(CSU), Fort Collins, Colorado; Concentration in Wildlife Biology

I was born in Aurora, Colorado into a family with three brothers. At the beginning of the millennia, we moved to the Twin Cities of Minnesota, where I finished high school. Through my experiences with the Boy Scouts of America, I developed a passion for nature and animals. First trying the Pre-Vet route, I quickly found Wildlife Biology was where my interests are, leading me to earn my BS in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Over the last ten years I worked on a myriad of different wildlife management and research projects to find where my career interests were. Starting my career working on a Bubonic Plague research project in prairie dogs, led to other experiences like: passive hair collection for bobcat and coyote population research and winter time urban Chronic Wasting Disease trapping and sampling. This ultimately led me to live-trap grizzly bear and black bears across the Inland Northwest with the US Fish and Wildlife Service for population research. My current passion for bear research and population modeling led me to start a Masters here at SRSU Alpine and the Borderlands Research Institute.

Program/Level: MBA Business Administration 

Home Town: Eagle Pass, Texas

Prior Education: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Sul Ross State University

Jesse Gaytan is a driven 25-year-old first-generation American, born and raised in Eagle Pass, Texas. Proudly the youngest of six siblings, Jesse is the first in his family to graduate high school, earn an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, and now pursue a master’s degree at Sul Ross State University. A man of many talents, he enjoys hands-on activities like carpentry and vehicle repair while cherishing time with his
wife and three pugs. Currently working as a Background and Licensing Specialist for the Kickapoo Gaming Commission, Jesse is also preparing for law school with aspirations of becoming an immigration attorney. His dream is to return to his community to provide affordable legal services and advocate for Mexican and Mexican-American rights. Jesse believes that earning his MBA will enhance his skills as a future attorney, enabling him to make a greater impact in his field.

Program/Level: Master’s in Business Administration

Home Town: El Paso, TX

Prior Education: Sul Ross State Bachelors in Business Administration

My name is Jacob Morales and I am from El, Paso TX. I graduated Highschool in 2022 With my Associates degree. While In highschool I played Football and Threw shot put. I decided to get my Bachelors Degree while Playing football at Sul Ross State. This year I am working on my Masters in Business Administration and playing another season with the Lobos. I am also a First Generation student trying to Create a new Standard for the family.

Program: MS Geology, Thesis

Hometown: Seminole, Texas

Prior Education: Bachelor of Science in Geology, Sul Ross State University

I was born and raised in Seminole, Texas. I grew up working in cotton and peanut fields, running under irrigation systems, and riding with my dad in semis hauling cotton bales, dirt, and cottonseed to dairy farms in New Mexico. I was always fascinated with irrigation systems, wanting to know where our water came from and the relationship between agricultural communities and their water resources. Since moving to Alpine, I fell in love with the desert, shifting my interest from farming communities and their water to communities reliant on water in the desert. As an undergrad, I began researching the
impact of transient groundwater use on the local minor aquifers in the Big Bend Region of Texas; I am continuing this project as my thesis, using Object-Based Image Analysis technology to produce a longitudinal study of short-term rental property developments in south Brewster County, and conducting qualitative research to gain insight into the local communities perspective on groundwater use in the region. Following my master’s, I intend to attend law school focusing on a Water Law or Law and Science concentration. My career goal is to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or a state agency to help produce policies focused on surface and groundwater preservation and protection of water rights for municipalities, private well owners, and the agricultural sector.

Program/Level: MBA

Home Town: San Antonio, Texas

Prior Education: Batchelor’s of Science, Social Work

Paul Stadelman is an MBA student at Sul Ross, a PPOHA Fellow, and the Marketing and Community Manager at El Camino de San Antonio Missions, an organization run by the Archdiocese of San Antonio. He has worked in faith-based sector for 10+ years and is interested in the intersection of organizational management in the nonprofit sector. A native Texan, Paul currently resides in San Antonio with his wife Lauren and their two girls.