Outstanding business students plan to use knowledge to educate others
When Liza Lybolt first came to the University of Houston-Victoria to earn her undergraduate degree in accounting, other students kept thinking she was a teacher.
That rekindled an interest in teaching that Lybolt had set aside because of difficult circumstances after she graduated from high school. Now, she has earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UHV and plans to obtain a doctorate so she can teach accounting at the university level.
Lybolt, a Conroe resident, is the spring outstanding graduate student in the UHV School of Business Administration, and Alicia Zillig of Goliad is the school’s outstanding undergraduate student. Lybolt previously was named the spring 2015 outstanding undergraduate student.
“Liza and Alicia are exceptional students who have a unique focus for their futures,” said Farhang Niroomand, dean of the UHV School of Business Administration. “Their dedication to excellence and building up others through education is exciting to see, and I wish them well as they move forward.”
Each semester, professors from UHV’s three schools select outstanding graduates to be honored during commencement. UHV will hold two spring graduation ceremonies on May 13 at Faith Family Church, 2002 E. Mockingbird Lane. The 9 a.m. ceremony will be for graduates of the schools of Arts & Sciences and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. The 1 p.m. ceremony will be for graduates of the School of Business Administration. A live streaming broadcast of the ceremonies can be seen at www.uhv.edu/graduation.
Zillig will receive her Bachelor of Business Administration in management as well as her teaching certification in business education in May. She is finishing her student teaching at Victoria West High School.
“I loved being in school, and I especially love being able to help students realize their potential,” she said. “It’s exciting to see them develop skills that help them better themselves.”
Once she receives her degree, Zillig wants to stay in the Crossroads and help grow the community through helping her students.
“There’s a real need here for good teachers and business professionals,” she said. “UHV has helped me become both of those things. When I look back at who I was as a freshman and who I am now, I see how much more aware I am of the business world and how education is an important part of building skills for the workforce.”
Lybolt, who will earn her Master of Business Administration in accounting, said receiving the outstanding student recognition twice is an incredible honor. As she applies to doctorate programs and prepares to move forward, she also is looking back on her time at UHV with pride.
“I really enjoyed my time at UHV,” she said. “I've grown personally and professionally because of the experiences and opportunities I received throughout my academic journey at UHV. I’m better prepared for the future thanks to the knowledge and abilities honed through the program. I’ll always be grateful for the support and assistance I received from the faculty and staff here.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
