May 4, 2005

Five University of Texas-Pan American student-athletes were recognized for their achievements in the classroom and community at the 26th-Annual UTPA Awards and Recognition Convocation held at the Student Union Theatre.

Aaron Castro (McAllen, TX/McAllen Memorial H.S.) and Jeremy Salvo (Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada/Centennial S.S.) were each honored by the College of Business Administration with Academic Deans' Outstanding Service Awards presented by Dr. John Emery.

Castro, a member of the UTPA track and field/cross country teams, garnered Dean's List first honors in the fall of 2004. He is the President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Vice President of the Forum on International Relations and Business Affairs. The Broncs' senior was also cited with a selection to the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

Salvo was recently honored with the Lou Hassell Award at the annual UTPA Athletic Banquet, which is given to the male student-athlete with the highest grade point average. A captain on the men's tennis team, Salvo has garnered Dean's List honors for six consecutive semesters.

Nikki Boychuk (Conroe, TX/Willis H.S.), Stacey Gooden (Houston, TX/J. Frank Dobie H.S.) and Stephanie Redd (Seguin, TX/Seguin H.S.) were also honored as members of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

Boychuk, a member of the women's golf team, has received Dean's List honors four times as well as the All-American Scholars Award. She volunteers her time with the Valley Fellowship Church Adventure Kids Program along with the Adopt-A-School Program at Travis Elementary School. She is majoring in journalism.

Gooden has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average in psychology during her tenure at UTPA. A junior on the women's basketball team, she is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and a UTPA student ambassador.

Redd, a member of the women's volleyball team, is a UTPA ambassador and has received scholarships from the Seguin Rotary, The Association of Texas Professional Educators and the Seguin Citizens' Scholarship Association. A team captain with the Lady Broncs, Redd volunteers her time with the American Redd Cross, Escandon Elementary School and local nursing homes. She is majoring in nursing.

UTPA Sports Information