Two Canyon High Graduates to Study in Central Europe with WT College of Business

Copy by Dr. Robert A. King
Contact: Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Just two days after graduating high school, a pair of incoming West Texas A&M University freshmen will travel to Europe to begin their college studies.

“With help from a dedicated group of donors, the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business is proud to launch a program that will provide a few graduates of our area high schools an opportunity to immerse themselves in a global business environment,” said Dr. Amjad Abdullat, dean.  

Canyon High School seniors Noah Neighbors and Joey Peak, who will graduate May 23, will serve as the pilot students and are incoming majors in accounting and finance.

“I recommended Noah and Joey to serve as our inaugural students because I know them to be mature and hardworking individuals,” said Dr. Anne Macy, the Edwards Professor of Finance and director of the Amarillo National Bank School of Accounting, Economics and Finance. “They are also helping us learn the nuances of completing paperwork and related requirements as we pioneer this effort.”

Neighbors and Peak will join eight undergraduates and five graduate students from the College.

The Engler College of Business already is planning for its 2026 study abroad opportunity. Students will travel to London and the surrounding area, where they will study pop culture and the corresponding financial and marketing implications. 

Students in the class of 2026 from any high school in the top 26 counties who plan to pursue a degree in any business major from WT and are interested in the study abroad program should contact Dr. Robert King, Wilder Professor of Marketing and associate dean of undergraduate business programs, at raking@wtamu.edu.

The 2025 Engler College of Business Study Abroad trip will include destinations in Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. Highlights include Copenhagen Business School, IKEA, Airbus and Lund University, as well as cultural sites in Copenhagen; Malmö, Sweden; Hamburg, Germany; and Berlin.

“For our business students in the Engler College of Business, any opportunity to study comparative economic, social, and civic structures as they influence markets is a good one,” said Dr. Jeffry Babb, Stan Sigman Professor of Business and associate dean of graduate business programs. “Denmark, Sweden, and Germany each contribute uniquely to the world economy as well as that of the United States. There is always something about being there that deeply enhances learning and understanding.”

Undergraduate students participating in the 2025 Engler College of Business Study Abroad, in addition to Neighbors and Peak, are Jarred Natalie Castaneda, a senior accounting major from Perryton; Hannah Craig, a junior general business major from Canyon; Kami Drinnon, a senior accounting major from Vega; Heidi Giesbrecht, a senior marketing major from Seminole; Kyla Holt, a junior economics major from Borger; Romie Rubio, a senior finance major from Amarillo; and Maylee Wertz, a junior marketing major from Balko, Oklahoma.

Graduate students are Paul Harrington, a graduate student in finance and economics from Galveston; Paul Kendrick, a graduate student in finance and economics from Columbus, Ohio; Justin Lovell, a graduate student in computer information systems and data analytics from Canyon; Simon Luong, a graduate student in business from Houston; and Blake Wilson, a graduate student in business from Lamar, Colorado.

Macy, Babb and King will travel with the students.

Donor support for the program includes the Paul and Virginia Engler Foundation, Amarillo National Bank, and a generous endowment for study abroad established by David and Sherry Schaeffer.

“The study abroad experience is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about business practices in other countries in a way that clarifies comparative advantage in global trade,” King said. 

Providing a nurturing yet rigorous educational environment for learners of all levels is a key principle 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 more than $165 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. 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 more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and 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.

—WT—