‘I Am WT’ Podcast Continues with Spotlight on Alumni Becky and Martin Lopez

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

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University’s student-run podcast continues the second half of Season 2 on May 9 with an episode spotlighting a married pair of Buff alumni.

 “I Am WT” host Myka Bailey, a junior PR/advertising/applied communication major from Abernathy, is joined by area natives and longtime WT supporters Becky and Martin Lopez.

The episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud, as well as at wtamu.edu/IAmWTPodcast. New episodes will drop weekly through June.

The couple first crossed paths as students at WT, then reconnected again later on campus.

“We actually met twice,” Becky Lopez said. “He made friends with my roommate, and they started dating. … Then, we lost contact for three years. The next time we met, I was actually looking for a job and he was working at the (Panhandle-Plains Historical) Museum. He was the gentleman who escorted me to my interview, which, of course, I got the job. That was our second go-round, and we kinda stuck (ever) since.”

“When we reconnected,” Martin Lopez said, “we were focused on … similar goals. … Knowing each other prior made our second go-round a little easier. … Our ties were to WT from the beginning.”

As are many WT alumni, the couple were wed in the Hill Chapel, which will be dedicated June 23 following an extensive remodel.

Though Martin Lopez retired as WT’s executive director of special programs in 2023, the couple is still actively involved on campus. They are members of The Arts at WT subscription series and the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society, and they are active members of the WT Alumni Association.

“The biggest majority of our social life is WT,” Martin Lopez said.

Becky Lopez is senior employee relations consultant for Xcel Energy.

The “I Am WT” podcast embodies WT’s commitment to people first, one of the key principles of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

In episodes of “I Am WT,” student hosts 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.

Photo: Becky, left, and Martin Lopez, right, are interviewed for the "I Am WT" podcast by student co-host Myka Bailey. 

—WT—