Alumni Profiles
Explore stories from our diverse community of alumni who have been featured in Hillviews magazine and the Texas State Newsroom.
Ann Defee, 67', '75
Ann Defee has been keeping busy at her home in Virginia during the COVID pandemic- she just released her 15th book, A Summer Place (Bellastoria Press, 2020).
Cyril Adkins, ’99
Before playing football at Texas State, Cyril Adkins played wide receiver for the Smithville Tigers more than 25 years ago. In 2014, he was named athletic director, becoming the first African American to hold that position in Smithville ISD.
Branndon Bargo, '99
The summer, as households across the nation search for their next binge-worthy TV show, local PBS stations will air the first season of The Highpointers with the Bargo Brothers, a travel show created by and starring Texas State alumnus Branndon Bargo (B.A 1999) and his brother, Greg Bargo.
Richard Z. Santos, '13
Richard Z. Santos' first novel Trust Me (Arte Público Press, 2019) made its debut at the end of March just as the nation shut down over the coronavirus pandemic.
Bill and Loma Hobson, '64
William “Bill” Hobson (B.S ‘64) and Loma Chance Hobson (B.A ’64) have always been Bobcats and steadfast supporters of the university. In 1998, they established the William and Loma Hobson Endowed Scholarship for high school students from Bill's hometown.
Mark Estrada, '06, '10
Lockhart ISD Superintendent Mark Estrada began spring break this year thinking his students and staff would return the following week. Instead, developments surrounding COVID-19 began moving quickly and what began as a week of cancelled classes turned into a remote learning plan for the remainder of the school year.
Luke ('17), Dane ('14), and Spencer ('15) Adamson
The Adamson brothers began Adamson Brothers Design in San Marcos when they were still students at Texas State. When coronavirus began to change the way small businesses operate, they decided to start constructing protective screens for Texas Businesses.
Jon David “J.D” Perez, '05
After graduating from Texas State, Jon David “J.D” Perez thought he would end up working with someone like Michael Dell- being a “cool computer guy” in Austin. He never dreamed that a part-time job at an outlet mall would lead to climb a different corporate ladder.
Cody Taylor, '09
On a busy day at one of his restaurants, Cody Taylor is just as likely to be busing tables or washing dishes as he is working at the front of the house. That work ethic, and the desire to make people happy, is what this turned Texas State University graduate into a successful restaurateur.
Leslie Fossler, '76
Interior designer Leslie Fossler (B.S. ‘76) often feels misunderstood. Most people don’t grasp the complexity of her profession says Fossler, who launched her Austin firm in 1982.
Isaac Garza, '17
Garza (B.A '17) is the writer behind “Pepito,” an award winning short film that HBO designated for distribution on multiple platforms, including HBO Latino.
Massod Vadiee, '91
“A pandemic took me to Europe- and another brought me back home- to Texas!” Massod Vadiee (M.D, PhD.) Three remarkable decades of a transdisciplinary career in medicine and public health.
Ann Stevens, ’72
Ann Stevens is leading BioMed SA into the future with a newly developed action plan to continue growing one of San Antonio’s largest industries, building on the community’s role as the “home of military medicine,” as well as five key disease areas in which San Antonio’s biomedical sector has unique assets and recognized strengths.
Dalinda Gonzales-Alcantar, ’04
Rise and grind. It’s more than a motto — it’s a lifestyle for Dalinda Gonzalez-Alcantar, who put the empowering slogan on a T-shirt she sells on her boutique site, alablanca.co. It shows the playful side of this educator, entrepreneur, and mother of two.
Mark Gimenez, ’76
Mark Gimenez credits Texas State University with pointing him in two different yet successful career directions — law and creative writing. Now the author of 10 novels, he’s received critical acclaim around the world.
Roger Estrada, ’85
Roger Estrada has worked for several entertainment industry giants, including Sesame Workshop, DreamWorks Animation, Nickelodeon, and NBCUniversal. Most recently, he was a senior vice president in the creative department of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Yolanda Wilkerson, ’97, ’00
Yolanda Wilkerson earned two bachelor’s degrees from Texas State – one in criminal justice, and another in business administration. She is currently an enterprise data marketplace supervisor with ExxonMobil in Houston.