Mother with WT Ties Extending Nearly a Century Named Family of the Year

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

CANYON, Texas — A mother whose roots at West Texas A&M University date back to the 1930s was honored as WT Family of the Year during a Sept. 27 celebration.

Carrie Padgett was selected the top winner for WT’s annual Family Weekend following a nomination by her son, Phillip Urquidez, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Fowler, Kansas.

“It’s exciting because we have a huge family history here,” Padgett said.

Padgett helped her son find WT scholarship opportunities and continues to call and text frequently with news of University activities, Urquidez said.

“From my freshman move-in day, she has only encouraged me to be as proud of the University as she is,” Urquidez wrote in his nomination form. “She boasts the university and its programs to all our southwest Kansas friends. And here I am today because of my mother and her determination to help me successful in my education and future.”

Urquidez comes from a long line of Buffs.

His great-grandmother, Ila Slack Jennings, graduated in 1931 from the then-West Texas Normal School and, according to the family, was for many years WT’s oldest living graduate. Grandfather Doyle Eugene Isaacs earned degrees in 1959 and 1962 and helped found the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity on campus. Grandmother Sally Jennings graduated in 1965. Older brother Riley Law graduated in 2017, and sister-in-law Jordan Schulte Law graduated in 2018.

“Phillip’s family embodies what it means to be Buffs across generations,” said Amanda Lawson, senior director of orientation and academic success. “Their story reflects a deep legacy rooted in this University. The committee and President Walter V. Wendler chose them as Family of the Year because of their unwavering support, their pride in keeping WT traditions alive, and the way they encourage future generations to be proud Buffs.”

Urquidez’s winning nomination represented WT’s College of Engineering. For the first time, Families of the Year also were named for each of WT’s Colleges:

• Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences: Jodie and Dean Johnson, nominated by son Jared Johnson, a senior biology major from Amarillo
• Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business: Priscella Cole, nominated by niece Crystal Segovia, a senior computer information systems major from Pampa
• Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences: Michael Flanagan, nominated by wife Brenda Flanagan, a junior education major from Channing
• Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities: Colby, Teddy and JJ Pladsen, nominated by wife and mother EmmaLee Pladsen, a senior general studies major from Amarillo
• College of Nursing and Health Sciences: Jesus, Letty and Gabriel Solis, nominated by Jessica Solis, a junior sports and exercise sciences major from Lockney

The 2024 winner was the Thinakone family, nominated by Elna Thinakone.

Family of the Year awards have been given since 2017. Winners are chosen by a committee of staff members.

Family Weekend activities also included opportunities to meet faculty members, to attend a WT soccer game, and to take part in the Party on 26th Street tailgating events before WT’s game against Western Oregon University in Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium, among other opportunities.

A commitment to family is a key WT value cited in 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 has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M 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. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT 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. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is 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 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: Phillip Urquidez, center, successfully nominated mother Carrie Padgett, second from right, for West Texas A&M University Family of the Year. Also pictured are, from left, Urquidez's nephew, Reese Law; his brother, Riley Law; and his sister, Mattie Law; and Dr. Chris Thomas, WT vice president for student affairs.

—WT—