Senior Success Series

CONGRATULATIONS! We are so excited that you are about to graduate from Â鶹ÊÓƵ! Before you finish the semester, we wanted to share some important information with you from some of our alumni. Each year Student Life and Alumni Engagement partner to present our Senior Success Series, and this year we are going digital. Make sure you explore all of the links and videos to get as much information as you can. Don’t forget to check out our Senior Success Giveaways or Zoom Q&A.

Senior Success Series

The Senior Success Series was developed at the request of the senior class to have a way to network with alumni while obtaining a crash course of information to help them transition from college student to college graduate. The information in this series is provided by alumni who want to make themselves available to students while sharing a piece of their expertise.


Budgeting After College - Part 1

Melanie McCarthy 1998

Melanie is a 1998 graduate with a degree in Accounting and is married to Mike, a 1999 graduate with a degree in Religion. She currently works as a CPA and Partner at Patillo, Brown and Hill in Temple. She and Mike have two sons, Liam and Noah, and live in Belton.

Contact Melanie

Salary - Part 2

Student Loans - Part 3


Real Estate 101: Renting vs Buying

Dave Covington 2007

Dave is a 2007 graduate with a degree in Christian studies and is married to Stephanie, a 2007 graduate with a degree in Business Marketing. He currently works as a realtor and broker at Covington Real Estate. Dave and Stephanie live in Belton with their two sons, Levi and Andy.

Contact Dave

Market Yourself

Ashley Smith 2003

Ashley is a 2003 graduate with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism and is married to Chad, a 2001 graduate with a degree in Economics. She currently serves as a PR professional. Ashley and Chad live in The Woodlands with their two children, Cooper and Cambelle.

Contact Ashley

Get Involved

Cristal Conner 2015

Cristal is a 2015 graduate with a degree in Music Education. She currently serves a Choir Director at Ranier Middle School in Killeen, Texas.

Contact Cristal

Why Serve?

Colton White 2011

Colton is a 2011 graduate with a degree in Christian Studies. He currently serves as Campus and Church Partnership Mobilizer with GoCorps and is the Associate Pastor of Renewal Church in Temple. Colton and his wife Katy live in Belton, Texas.

Contact Colton

Importance of Mental Health and Communication

Alisha Thielepape 2007, Chad Thielepape 2011

Alisha is a 2007 graduate with a degree in Communication. Chad graduated with a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Christian Counseling from Â鶹ÊÓƵ in 2011. He is the owner of Pathways Group Counseling Center and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and she is a travel agent. Alisha and Chad live in Temple with their three children Hattie, Ella, and Baker.

Contact Alisha Contact Chad

Advice from a Recent Grad

Deja Talford 2019

Deja is a 2019 graduate with a degree in Sports Management and Business Administration. Deja was the recipient of the 2019 Loyalty Cup. She is currently on staff at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center.

Contact Deja

Giving Back

Jake Fralicks 2015, Chloe Fralicks 2013

Jake is a 2015 graduate with a degree in Sport Management. Chloe is a 2013 graduate with a degree in Nursing. Jake is an assistant director of development at Â鶹ÊÓƵ and Chloe is an L&D nurse at Baylor Scott and White in Temple. They live in Temple with their daughter Caroline.

Contact Jake Get Involved

Career Services After Graduation

Don Owens 1972

Don is a 1972 graduate with a degree in Business Administration in Business. He is the Director of Career Services, but has a background in banking, public relations, recruiting, and community development. He and his wife Judy live in Belton.

Contact Don

Staying Connected

As you graduate, we want to help you stay connected to Â鶹ÊÓƵ, and the best way to do that is to follow us on social media. To be entered in a chance to win even more alumni swag, craft a creative Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter post about Â鶹ÊÓƵ. Make sure to tag @umhbalumni and #Â鶹ÊÓƵAlumni.