KINGSVILLE (May 13, 2022) — Graduates from Texas A&M University-Kingsville walked the stage Friday, May 13, in two commencement ceremonies held outdoors at Javelina Stadium.
Prospective graduates from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education and Human Performance graduated at 10 a.m. while prospective graduates from The Dick and Mary Lewis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Business Administration and the Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering graduated at 6 p.m. There were total of 812 students who graduated Friday.
Two students were chosen to provide the commencement speeches at Friday’s ceremonies.
Natalia Flores, a Corpus Christi native who received a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences; and Zoleda Davila, a Kingsville native who received her degree in computer science.
All ceremonies can be viewed at https://www.tamuk.edu/commencement/ and are shared on the university’s social media pages.
About Natalia Flores
Natalia Flores is a Corpus Christi native who graduated from Tuloso Midway High School in 2018. Today, she graduated with highest honors. She received a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences with minors in both chemistry and psychology.
Her parents, David A. and Anna L. Flores, graduated from Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 1996 from the College of Business Administration.
During her time at Texas A&M-Kingsville, she served as a co-president of Women in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (WIMENS), was an active UNITY member, and held an executive board position in Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. In fall 2021, she and Mauricia Gallegos started a STEM Outreach Program in affiliation with WIMENS, the American Chemical Society, J.R. Perez Elementary School, and the nonprofit Nerd Squad.
Due to her commitment to service, she has had the opportunity to assist with student-led hiring committees and improvement initiatives on campus. While maintaining her academics, she worked on a CRISPR-based undergraduate research project in Dr. Rudolf Bohm’s lab that involved the genomic editing of fruit flies.
After receiving her undergraduate, Natalia plans to enroll in a master’s program focusing on biomedical sciences. She has a passion for helping others, especially minorities, and plans to become a rural family doctor with the ability to practice obstetrics and gynecology.
About Zoleda Davila
Zoleda Davila is a Kingsville native graduating from Texas A&M-Kingsville, where she majored in computer science and double minored in mathematics and business administration. She is the daughter of Julian and Tonya Davila, and she has a younger sister, Zoraya.
She has received the Provost’s Scholarship every year and has been on the President’s List. Other scholarships she has received include the Gas Processors Association Scholarship, the Electrical Engineering/Computer Science Scholarship, the Edwin DeMouche Memorial Scholarship, the J.T. Nicholson Memorial Scholarship, the Korges/Guinn Scholarship, the Academic Excellence Award and the Javelina Alumni Association Scholarship.
Davila has worked as a tutor for the Mathematics Department in the JavAlab and has been a mentor for Mathematics professor, Dr. Simona Hodis for the last two years.
During her time at Texas A&M-Kingsville, she has joined numerous clubs and organizations, including the Association of Computing Machinery, Alpha Lambda Delta, Phi Kappa Phi, and the TAMUK Math Club.
After graduation, Davila plans to attend Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida along with her sister to receive a bachelor’s in game development. After she attends Full Sail, she hopes to become a game developer. After working for a few years, Davila plans to enroll in graduate school to work on her master’s degree.