There are 11 finalists for Mr. and Ms. TCU because of a tie for Ms. TCU. The finalists were announced Monday during a lunch on the Sadler Hall lawn.
Students can vote online at my.tcu.edu or at the Programming Council Homecoming tent until 2 p.m. Thursday.
The winners will be revealed at Saturday’s football game as a part of the Homecoming festivities.
All 11 people are involved in numerous campus activities. While they all share a dedication to the campus and willingness to get involved, each one has a distinct personality and unique experiences.
Mr. TCU Finalists:
Nate Arnold
Year: Senior
Majors: Business Information Systems and Marketing
Hometown: Edmond, Okla.
Biggest Strength: His ability to relate to and understand people.
Biggest Weakness: Being so passionate about his beliefs can sometimes get him into trouble, Arnold said.
Motto: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Arnold, a three-year member of SGA, served as the Student Body Treasurer during 2007. He is a member of the Business Information Systems Association, Neeley Fellows and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Arnold volunteered for Sister Cities International and the Henry House Foundation.
He described himself as being easy-going and having a good sense of humor. Arnold enjoys going to football games and concerts; his favorite band is Wilco.
Arnold attributed his desire to get involved on campus to the student body.
“The student body has a similar attitude about service. They have an enthusiasm for improving their surroundings,” Arnold said.
James Gleaton
Year: Senior
Majors: Biology, Chemistry and Math
Hometown: Early
Biggest Strength: His faith in people and in God.
Biggest Weakness: “Stubbornness; if it is not applied in the right ways it can be of concern,” Gleaton said.
Motto: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
Gleaton plays on the football team and is the president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also participates in several other organizations including the Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Med Society and Beta Upsilon Chi fraternity.
He has devoted much of his time this semester to researching the Hepatitis C virus in the College of Science and Engineering. He is also a member of the Frogs for Christ campus ministry at Southside Church of Christ.
This triple major, a self-proclaimed goofball, enjoys playing video games and watching movies. “Dumb and Dumber” is his favorite movie and is often played out in his own life, Gleaton said.
“What I love most [about TCU] are the people. Everybody is dedicated to seeing us grow as students. I believe because of the people that this school meets its mission statement,” Gleaton said.
Gleaton will study abroad next semester in New Zealand.
Joey Parr
Year: Senior
Majors: Radio-TV-Film and Political Science
Hometown: Fort Worth
Biggest Strength: Communicating with people.
Biggest Weakness: He can be stubborn and outspoken about his opinions, Parr said.
Motto: “My greatest fear in life is that no one will remember me when I am dead.” – Some Dead Guy
Parr is the president of the Student Filmmakers Association and the SGA Elections and Regulations Committee Chair. His other involvements include Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, Mortar Board and Order of Omega.
Parr also works as a freelance videographer and cinematographer. He recently worked on promotions for a new restaurant opening this fall.
The RTVF and political science double major likes to keep up with politics and current events, watch movies and listen to music. His favorite music artist is Ray LaMontagne.
Parr said he is passionate and driven. He hopes to work for Teach for America after graduation.
“TCU is the type of place that really creates positive change in people. And it teaches you to create positive change around you. It has changed me a lot for the better,” Parr said.
Clayton Simons
Year: Senior
Majors: Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing
Hometown: San Antonio
Biggest Strength: Being open-minded.
Biggest Weakness: Taking on too much and getting overwhelmed.
Motto: “Life is not about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
Simons is the current Interfraternity Council President. He served as the president of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity last year. Being an Orientation Student Director is among his other campus activities.
Positive and enthusiastic are words he used to describe his personality. Simons enjoys participating in triathlons in his spare time. He has competed in Texas and New Mexico.
He hopes to find a job in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that has room for creativity, Simons said.
When asked what aspects of TCU motivated him to get involved, Simons said, “The people, of course!”
Jason Wallace
Year: Senior
Major: Advertising/Public Relations
Hometown: Fort Worth
Biggest Strength: Being able to adapt and getting along with everyone he meets.
Biggest Weakness: Being passionate about things from football to more serious subjects.
Motto: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
Wallace is a Community Scholar and Connections Mentor. He is also involved with several other organizations including Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the Black Student Association.
Wallace has a laid back and jovial personality. He volunteers with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and is a mentor at Glencrest 6th Grade School in Fort Worth. He also works at CarMax as a business office associate.
He enjoys writing and listening to music and can play several instruments, including the keyboard.
The university’s atmosphere is what prompted him to get involved, Wallace said.
“TCU is very inclusive. It gives opportunity for everyone to be a leader. It pushed me to become a leader,” Wallace said.
Ms. TCU Finalists
Mary Nell Boyd
Year: Senior
Major: Early Childhood Education with Special Education emphasis
Hometown: San Antonio
Biggest Strength: Encouraging people and finding their strengths.
Biggest Weakness: Knowing when to say “No.”
Motto: Her mom always said, “Kindness is the highest wisdom,” when Boyd was growing up.
Boyd is the Mortar Board Secretary, a Connections Mentor and a senior mentor in the College of Education. She also participates in other organizations, including Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.
A domestic hobby junkie, she enjoys cooking and reading. John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” is her favorite novel. Her part-time jobs include baby-sitting and working at Bath & Body Works.
“It does not take much to get me excited,” Boyd said in reference to her enthusiastic personality. “I love how close a community we have. You are guaranteed to see people you know walking around campus. We are connected at TCU.”
Boyd enjoys working with freshmen to help them find their niche.
Alexis Branaman
Year: Junior
Major: International Communications with an Advertising/Public Relations emphasis
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Biggest Strength: Being a communicator.
Biggest Weakness: Knowing when to say “No.”
Motto: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” – Chinese Proverb
Among her many activities, Branaman is the Director of Correspondence for TCU Ambassadors and the president of the TCU chapter of Amnesty International.
Branaman has a high-energy, bubbly personality. She enjoys traveling, reading and watching movies. Her favorite movies include “Fight Club,” “Good Will Hunting,” and anything with Cary Grant.
She participated in Frog Camp Alpine last summer where she went white water rafting for the first time. She was also a camp counselor at Crystalaire Adventures in her home state of Michigan.
The First Year Experience program allowed her as an out-of-state student to become a part of campus she said.
“The TCU community is different than any other university,” Branaman said. “There is lots of energy given back.”
Courtney Casey
Year: Senior
Major: Movement Science
Hometown: Coppell
Biggest Strength: Being optimistic.
Biggest Weakness: Focusing too much on the details.
Motto: “To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment”
Casey is the president of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and the Frogs for Our Future Director of Marketing along with several other activities.
Casey described herself as passion-driven and a motivator. She enjoys working with children and has been a swim coach in Coppell for four years.
She spends her time off campus as an ambassador for the Family Legacy Missions International organization. She traveled to Zambia in Southern Africa with the organization last summer to assist AIDS orphans, Casey said.
Her willingness to participate on campus comes from her appreciation of the administration’s involvement, she said.
“The administration is as willing to make the students successful as the students are willing to make TCU successful,” Casey said.
Meredith Montgomery
Year: Senior
Major: Middle School Math Education
Hometown: Olney
Biggest Strength: Listening to and getting along with people.
Biggest Weakness: Over comitting herself.
Motto: “Don’t be afraid to take chances. Live each day like it is your last,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery is the president of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and is a member of Order of Omega. She also works as a media relations intern for the athletics department. She works as a liaison between the volleyball, baseball and basketball teams and the media.
This sports enthusiast describes herself as laid-back and sarcastic. Her favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys. She also enjoys reading.
It is the community aspect of the university that Montgomery said enticed her to become a part of her organizations.
“We’re big, but small,” Montgomery said. “TCU has such a friendly campus feel.”
Caroline Nixon
Year: Senior
Major: Communication Studies with Art History and Psychology of Leadership minors
Hometown: Highland Park
Biggest Strength: Her commitment.
Biggest Weakness: Over-programming herself
Motto: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” – Nelson Mandela
Nixon is the Panhellenic Association President and the student representative for the Clark Society. She is also a member of the Chi Omega sorority.
Nixon described herself as positive and loyal. She likes to visit museums and botanical gardens. The Impressionist exhibit at the Kimble Art Museum is one of her favorites.
Following her sophomore year, Nixon participated in a program that allowed her to work with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in Washington. Last year, she was a leader for the K-Life ministry, which is associated with Kanakuk Kamps.
The genuine care the university has for the students is what prompted her to become a part of her organizations, Nixon said.
“When the whole university is on the same team, it is easier to be your own person,” Nixon said.
Brooke Relyea
Year: Senior
Major: Finance with an Accounting minor
Hometown: Houston
Biggest Strength: Being reliable and dedicated.
Biggest Weakness: Taking on too many things.
Motto: Her dad always said, “Blue skies,” to remind her to stay positive.
Relyea is a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. Relyea is also a founding member of The TCU Real Estate Club, which was established during the fall semester of 2007. She was elected as the Vice President of Events for the club for the spring 2008 semester and now serves as the club’s president.
While she was in charge of events for the club, Relyea was responsible for bringing Ross Perot Jr. as a guest speaker as well as many other professionals.
Her adventurous personality has driven Relyea to travel around the world. A few of her trips include studying abroad in Europe and going on a safari in South Africa.
She enjoys being outdoors, riding horses and playing with her family’s many pets.
The faculty and staff at the university’s welcoming and helpful attitude is why she enjoys being involved, Relyea said.
“I take leadership positions as much as I can to give back to them what they have given to me,” Relyea said.