WT Nurses Named to Panhandle Great 25 List, to Be Honored Nov. 5

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

CANYON, Texas — Two faculty members, a retired faculty member and seven alumni from West Texas A&M University’s Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing will be honored among the 2026 class of Panhandle Great 25 Nurses.

Additionally, four current WT nursing students and a faculty member will receive Panhandle Great 25 scholarships.

The 10th annual celebration will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 5 in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus.

Tickets are $40; sponsorships are available. For information, visit panhandlegreat25.org.

The list was chosen by the Panhandle Great 25 Nurses committee. Criteria include leadership qualities, service to the community, compassionate caregiving and significant contributions to the profession of nursing.

“We could not be prouder of our faculty’s leadership and our alumni’s impact,” said Dr. Angela Phillips WT’s Mike Wartes Professor of Nursing and associate dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. “Their clinical expertise and mentorship are the reasons our students graduate at the top of their field and our regional healthcare partners continue to succeed.”

Current faculty members on the list are Dr. Colleen Peace, assistant professor of nursing, and Ryann Thompson, instructor of nursing. Dr. Helen Reyes, former head of the then-Department of Nursing, also was named to the list.

Peace joined WT in 2017 after earning a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University. She earned additional degrees, including a Ph.D. in nursing, from Walden University.

“Being named a Panhandle Great 25 Nurse is a humbling reminder that compassion, dedication and advocacy matter,” Peace said. “This honor reflects not only my journey in nursing and nursing education, but also my family, my students, and my colleagues who have trusted me, taught me, and inspired me to make a difference every day.”

Thompson joined WT in 2023 after earning her BSN from Tarleton State University. She is pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. In addition to being named to the Panhandle Great 25 Nurses list, Thompson won a scholarship from the organization.

“Being recognized as one of the Panhandle Great 25 Nurses is especially meaningful because my nursing journey was inspired by my mother and grandmother, whose experiences with chronic illness taught me the importance of compassion, advocacy and being a voice for those who need it most,” Thompson said. “This honor is not just a reflection of my accomplishments but also a tribute to the two women who shaped my purpose and continue to inspire my commitment to making a difference in the lives of patients, families, and future nurses.”

Reyes spent 34 years in nursing and served as WT department head from 2008 to 2021. She earned her BSN and Master of Science in Nursing from WT and a doctoral degree in education from Liberty University.

“To be a part of the sisterhood and brotherhood of nursing has been such an honor,” Reyes said. “When I became a nurse, I wanted to make a difference. Then I realized my true calling was to help others who, like me, wanted to make a difference, and that’s when I went into education. Now, when I go to the hospital and see some of the people I taught, I know it was the right thing to do.”

WT alumni on this year’s Panhandle Great 25 list include:

• Gwen Campbell, who earned a BSN in 1995 and is program coordinator for Northwest Texas Healthcare System;
• Malesa Gray, who earned a BSN in 2015 and an MSN in 2025 and is a family nurse practitioner for Family Care Clinic of Panhandle;
• Kimberely Herring, who earned a BSN in 2017 and is a registered nurse for VA Amarillo Health Care;
• Tristan Morin, who earned a BSN in 2019 and is cardiology nurse manager at Northwest Texas Healthcare System;
• Mackenzie Romero, who earned a BSN in 2016 and is nurse manager for BSA Health System’s neonatal intensive care unit;
• Shannon Villarreal, who earned a BSN in 2013 and is a registered nurse for Northwest Texas Healthcare System;
• and Sylvia Wyer, who earned a BSN in 2008 and is an instructor of nursing at Amarillo College.

Also recognized on this year’s list are Lauren Barnett, Alissa Dillard, Nikki Harton, Jessica Jacobo, Kelli Killian, Stacha McGee, Justin Mulanax, Trinity Munoz, Cara Ramirez, Jill Rushing, Erin Schmidt, Sharon Shelton, Casey Simpson, Brianna Tilson and Paula Winkleblack.

Over the past nine years, Panhandle Great 25 Nurses has awarded more than $108,000 in nursing scholarships.

Panhandle Great 25 Nurses also awarded scholarships to 10 students, including Thompson, as well as Jessica Aguilar, a graduate student in nursing from Hereford; Janet Banuelos, a senior nursing major from Booker; Andrea Marquez, a senior nursing major from Dumas; and Isabel Mitchell, a graduate student in nursing from Amarillo.

Established in 1972 and graduating its first students in 1974, WT’s Street School of Nursing currently provides about 70 percent of nurses employed throughout the Texas Panhandle.

WT nursing graduates, over the past five years, have averaged a 92 percent score on the National Council Licensure Examination, required by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to test the competency of nursing school graduates in the United States and Canada. Nationally, the average is 86 percent; in Texas, it’s 89 percent.

In July, WT expanded its nursing program by adding a Doctor of Nursing Practice program and a post-master’s emergency nurse practitioner certificate.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University 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 boasts an enrollment of about 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 65 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 41 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and three doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference; WT offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University current and retired faculty members Ryann Thompson, Dr. Helen Reyes and Dr. Colleen Peace were selected for the Panhandle Great 25 Nurses list for 2026.

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