‘I Am WT’ Podcast Spotlights Giving Opportunities to University

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — The importance of finding one’s place at West Texas A&M University—then giving back to that community—is highlighted in the latest episode of WT’s student-run podcast.

Britny Lee, a 2014 WT alumna and senior director of annual giving, speaks with “I Am WT” hosts Brae Foust and Tearanee’ Lockhart in the latest episode, available April 20 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud, as well as at wtamu.edu/IAmWTPodcast.

Lee said she came to WT in 2011 and never left: After graduating, she joined the staff at the WT Enterprise Center, then became the assistant director of the WT Alumni Association before moving into annual giving.

“I love this place, obviously,” Lee said. “I’m never leaving.”

In the podcast, she recalls her active life as a student—joining the Delta Zeta sorority and the LEAD WT program (now Rogers LEAD WT), as well as working as a peer leader and helping plan New Student Orientation.

Her best advice to students? “Get involved. I just cannot imagine coming to WT and not finding a group of people … around you to dive in and immerse yourself in the WT spirit,” she said. “Find what you love and what you’re passionate about. … That ultimately is going to change your experience.”

Lee also discusses WT’s annual giving program, which encompasses all gifts under $25,000.

“The annual fund is a source of … unrestricted funding that helps innovative programs, student scholarships, Study Abroad (and more),” Lee said.

It also includes the I Am WT campaign, which shares its name with the podcast.

It currently is the name of WT’s internal giving campaign, but it will expand to encompass all annual giving, Lee said.

“No matter if you’re faculty or staff or if you’re a student or if you’re a friend of the University, once you’re part of the community you feel like you’re part of something,” Lee said. “ ‘I Am WT’ is a good brand for no matter where you are in your journey with WT.”

Gifts to the WT annual fund are counted in the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which fuels the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

To date, the five-year campaign— which publicly launched in September 2021 —has raised more than $120 million.

In the biweekly episodes of “I Am WT,” student hosts Lockhart, a senior advertising/PR major from Amarillo, and Foust, an Amarillo native pursuing his second bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, interview WT faculty, staff, students and alumni about what WT means to them.

Audiences hear stories about how attending or working at WT changed the lives of the guests, and how they’re making a difference in their community.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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