The story about my family and me means a lot to me, and it brought me to tears the first two or three times I read it. You put the timeline of my struggle to finish school and made it perfect. It capped off the new year well. I have sent out and mailed it to all my friends, too.

John Shapter (’03 BA)
Fort Worth

Your cover story on John Shapter brought tears to my eyes and made me even more proud than usual to be a UTA grad. I returned to college at the ripe old age of 39 and received my B.S.N. in 1999 at the age of 43. The thing is, in all my time at UTA, I was guided by instructors whose only goal, it seemed, was to help me succeed. I was encouraged, but I was also challenged and respected. There are a lot of people who would have given up on me and my dream to be a nurse (including myself), but the people I encountered at UTA could always be counted on for positive reinforcement and a kind word when I needed it most. You know, there was a time as a nursing student when I dreamed of the day that someone would say, “You know, you’re a good nurse.” Thanks to the training I received at UTA, I am a respected member of the nursing community and those treasured words are no longer a dream, but a reality.

Valerie Wilkerson (’99 BSN)
Krum

I was so touched by articles of the students helped by the Mary I. Gourley Foundation. I, too, was a single mother left alone with three children to support and no education. It took me seven years to complete my B.S. In doing so, I was forced to take out several loans to survive. I have often wanted to be involved with an organization that does such good work.

Christi Summers (’02 BS)
Euless

My wife and I were quite moved by the articles on the Fort Hood march and reunion. Reading of the contributions and attainments those cadets and their leaders made in subsequent years made me proud to be a UTA graduate. While I am glad to find such quality and meaningful writing in the UTA Magazine, their inspiring story, so well told, needs wider distribution!

Robert Taylor (’94 BS)
Orange County, Calif.