WT releases May 2026 graduate list
15 local students receive degrees
By Chip Chandler
Special to the Dalhart Texan
CANYON, Texas — The final tally is 1,220 graduates for West Texas A&M University’s Class of May 2026.
Overall, the University awarded 927 baccalaureate degrees, 279 master’s degrees and 14 doctoral degrees to spring graduates at the May 15 and 16 commencement ceremonies, following procedural confirmation from the University’s seven deans.
A total of 15 students from either Dallam County or Hartley County were included on the list. (There may be others who also graduated from a local school but changed the name of their hometown with WT.) Students from Dalhart included Savannah Ball, who received an Associate’s of Science (AS) in Business; Andrew Berngen, who received a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Agribusiness and Economics; Bethany Berngen, who received a Master’s of Science (MS) in Communication Disorders; Nelson Flores, who received a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance; Snow Lopez, who received a BS in Ag Media and Communications; Madison Stady, who received a BSN in Nursing; Caleb Stegall, who received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication Studies; and J.B. Stegall, who received a BS in Agriculture.
Students from Hartley included Gabriela Robles, who received a Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) and graduated Cum Laude and Margarita Ruiz, who received a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT.) Students from Texline included Misty Luther, who received a Master’s of Education (MED) in School Counseling; Will Luther, who received a BGS; and Gracie Spinar, who received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Students from Channing included Mollie Dahl, who received a MED in School Counseling and David Wall, who received a BGS.
The oldest graduate was 63, and the youngest was 19. The graduating class includes 118 with a perfect 4.0 GPA and 30 veterans; 48 percent of the undergraduates are the first in their family to earn a college degree. Students from 36 states in the nation and 21 different countries graduated.
Graduates include those on the Dean’s List (overall grade point average of 3.50 to 3.99) and on the President’s List (a 4.0). The three levels of honor recognition are Summa Cum Laude (3.90-4.00), Magna Cum Laude (3.75-3.89) and Cum Laude (3.50-3.74).
A student-centered approach of recruiting and retaining the very best is part of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.
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