June 26, 2018 | UHCL Staff
Four years ago, University of Houston-Clear Lake added freshmen and sophomores to its student population, which since its inception in 1974 had included only upperclassmen, graduate and doctoral students. Baytown resident Makayla Ellis was among those who enrolled in UH-Clear Lake’s first freshman class, and although college wasn’t what she thought it would be at first, she found her way and happily accepted her bachelor’s degree in business management on May 20, becoming a member of UHCL’s first graduating freshman class.
“I had an aunt who worked at UHCL for a long time and she raved about it,” Ellis said. “I did a tour of the campus and fell in love with it. Everyone was incredibly nice and they have an excellent scholarship program here.”
In the beginning, Ellis said, she admits to having a bit of a “’90s movies” impression of what college would be. “My dad had a traditional college experience and I had a narrow idea of what it would be like to be in college,” she said. “I thought you lived in dorms and joined a group and made best friends the first day.”
It wasn’t exactly like that. “My first year was spent going to class and not joining anything,” she said. “I hadn’t found my major yet and I felt a little lost and stressed.”
That’s when she learned her first big lesson on how to succeed in college, and it had nothing to do with books. “I learned that I would have to try to find my place by myself, and the only way to do that was to put myself out there and let myself have new experiences,” she said.
That summer, Ellis joined the Hawk Spirit and Traditions Council on campus. “That’s where I met my current boss, (Assistant Director of Student Life) Patrick Cardenas. And everything turned around for me, it completely changed my college experience,” she said. “I came out of my shell and became more confident. It was really a turning point.”
It was an important learning experience to find that niche, she said. “You make so many decisions on you own – who you associate with, what new things you’ll try. You have to take that leap of faith or you’ll never know.”
She found more than a niche and a group of friends. She found her major. “I started out in psychology, then moved to accounting, but I was really stressing because it’s wasn’t what I wanted to do,” she said. “Through talking to Patrick, (Director of Student Life) Andrew Reitberger and my friends, I figured out that I belonged in business management. And I graduated within four years.”
Ellis said she got what she wanted out of her experience at UHCL and so much more. “I found myself as a person,” she said. “I had great coworkers in Student Life, joined the Music Club and make good friends who were all going through the same things,” she said. “I also had great professors. (Professor of Humanities) Mary Lobbs gave me great books to read and a wonderful, open class setting. I learned a lot about religion and life.”
And that, Ellis, said, was another great lesson she learned that wasn’t from a book. “I found out that a lot of the classes that weren’t specific to my major were some of the best ones that forced me to think about things differently,” she said. “(Assistant Professor of Psychology) Christine Walthers wasn’t even my professor and she turned out to be a great support system for me,” Ellis said. “I met her randomly, but she was a big part of my life. There are so many supportive professors here.”
She credits Professor of Management Kevin Wooten with sharing his professional experiences with her and helping her grow in her major courses. “So many professors here have had life and professional experiences you wouldn’t even believe,” she said. “Dr. Wooten is one of those. He gave me so many resources and such great practical advice.”
As a member of UHCL’s first graduating freshman class, Ellis said she looks forward to beginning her new career in business management. “I am starting a position with GHA Capstone, an oil and gas company located in the Galleria area, as a human resources assistant,” she said. “I start on July 2 and I feel well prepared for my job. I feel blessed and excited to know I was part of the first freshman class. I think that’s a very special thing.”
UHCL offers more than 80 degree programs. Learn more at www.uhcl.edu/admissions.
