Austin Thompson

When Austin Thompson left Victoria for a remote training ground tucked into the hills outside Hamilton, Texas, he stepped away from a life of spreadsheets and office walls, and into a life of open sky, rugged terrain and the responsibility of safeguarding Texas wildlife.

On May 29, the Texas A&M University-Victoria accounting graduate completed that transformation at the Texas State Capital, receiving his badge as a Texas Game Warden to formally join the ranks of one of the state’s most selective law enforcement agencies.

Johnny Thompson

“Austin has always been a determined individual,” said his father, Johnny Thompson. “Always setting the bar high. He is a true inspiration to all of us.”

Thompson’s early plans were shaped by his father, who also earned an accounting degree from A&M-Victoria and built a stable career in the field. Following that example, Thompson dove into accounting while he was a student, took on office jobs and worked for a local attorney while in school. The job was ideal on paper with its flexible hours, a supportive employer and hands-on exposure to business and accounting concepts, he said.

“The attorney I worked for was very accommodating with my hours because I was a student, and he would bring me into his office and teach me a lot of general accounting and business concepts,” Thompson said. “I am very thankful to him for all of that.”

But the deeper he went into office work, it became clear that wasn’t where he wanted to spend his career, Thompson said. The outdoors had always been his real home.

Thompson’s love for the outdoors is rooted in his family and his childhood. Both sides of his family embraced hunting, fishing, farming and ranching, and those experiences shaped how he saw the world. At a young age, his father would take him fishing in Port O’Connor, as well as taught him how to duck hunt and be comfortable with the water. On his mother’s side, family land provided another kind of classroom.

“They’re farmers and ranchers, so we’ll go out there and hunt deer, hogs and duck,” Thompson said. “Between the two sides of the family, I get a lot of hunting and fishing in.”

Additionally, family trips across the country to hike and explore different landscapes only deepened his appreciation for being outdoors.

When Thompson later did ride-along sessions with the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office, he found a way to connect that love of the outdoors with public service and law enforcement. That combination pointed him toward a singular point, Thompson said. He was going to set out to become a Texas Game Warden.

He applied in fall 2024 and began the long, intensive process that included an initial application, a physical readiness test, interviews and an extensive background check. The moment he found out he had been accepted to the academy came in the form of a phone call from the Game Warden Training Center.

The acceptance brought both excitement and relief, Thompson said, especially since it came during his final semester at A&M-Victoria when he was already thinking about what would come after graduation. 

Thompson entered the academy in October of last year for what would be an eight-month, in-person training experience near Hamilton. A typical day at the academy started with an early morning physical training session, followed by breakfast and a morning flag ceremony, where cadets raised the U.S. and Texas flags in front of the administration building, he said. The rest of the day blended classroom instruction with intensive hands-on training.

“All the training we received from the academy was top-notch,” Thompson said. “They really do prepare us very well to set us up to succeed once we get out.”

Trainings would include mock scenarios in hunting, fishing license checks, hunting camp inspections, use-of-force and other real-world situations led by experienced field wardens brought in for their expertise.

In the classroom, cadets studied the basic peace officer course, including penal, transportation, health and safety codes alongside the Parks and Wildlife Code, which governs hunting and fishing regulations in Texas. The academy was demanding physically, mentally and emotionally, especially with Thompson living about four hours from home. It also tested each cadet’s commitment. They began with 40 cadets, and in the end, only 28 made it to graduation.

“It’s definitely been a humbling experience,” Thompson said. “You go into the academy and realize really quick that you don’t know as much as you thought you know. Even though I’ve been hunting and fishing my entire life, there’s a lot more to it than I ever thought.”

After he was sworn in as a Texas Game Warden, Thompson and the others were given a list of open counties and asked to rank their top four preferences. Today, he serves as a game warden based in El Paso.

“It’s a completely different environment than back home,” Thompson said. “Even the animals are different. Out here, we’ve got mountains and desert, whereas back home it’s flat and has a lot more trees.”

Even though he has left accounting for law enforcement and conservation, he still relies on skills he developed as a business student at A&M-Victoria, especially attention to detail. From reports to court cases, small errors can have huge consequences, he said.

Looking ahead, Thompson hopes to build trust and familiarity in the community he serves. He also wants residents to know they can call him for more than just hunting and fishing questions. As a state law enforcement officer, he assists with traffic stops and other criminal matters alongside local and state agencies. At the same time, he sees education as a central part of the job.

“It doesn’t have to be about just writing citations. For some people, it’s their first time fishing, and maybe they don’t quite understand the bag limits or length limits, so it’s important to educate and be understanding with them,” Thompson said. “The main thing is to have good relationships with the landowners and the people here, so they can see I’m not just somebody with a badge and gun.”

Texas A&M University-Victoria recently renamed the lobby of its University South building in recognition of a generous donation from Brent and Terri Lynn Dornburg.

The space was renamed the Brent and Terri Lynn Dornburg Lobby to recognize the Dornburg family’s support of the university’s College of Natural & Applied Science.

Jennifer Ortiz-Garza

“Brent and Terri Lynn are extremely successful criminal defense attorneys and have been generous donors to many causes in the Victoria community,” said Jennifer Ortiz Garza, A&M-Victoria director of development. “They understand the importance of higher education, and this gift demonstrates the passion they have for the community and their support for our institution’s growth and development.”

The Dornburgs began thinking about making the donation in fall 2025 when the university was in the process of transitioning into The Texas A&M University System. They chose to donate toward an area of the university that would support science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs. Both Brent and Terri Lynn are alumni of Texas A&M University, and they were excited to see the system coming to their region, Brent said.

“Over the years, we’ve seen every small regional university they’ve taken in grow and become top-notch institutions,” he said. “The new programs being added in aviation, agribusiness and engineering are exciting. We see the potential for lots of opportunities for local young people to pursue degrees in these fields without having to leave their hometown.”

The new programs all connect to the interests of the Dornburgs. Brent earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and worked as a design engineer before ultimately pursuing a career in criminal law. Brent and Terri Lynn are both licensed private pilots, and they own and operate Dornburg Livestock, a registered Brangus cattle ranch in the Goliad area.

“As Texas A&M former students, Brent and I are passionate about ensuring current and future students at Texas A&M University-Victoria have the same meaningful, high-quality college experience we were fortunate to enjoy,” said Terri Lynn. “We are proud to be part of the A&M-Victoria community and are deeply invested in the university’s mission, growth, and future success.”

Amber Countis

This donation is one of the first major naming gifts for the College of Natural & Applied Science. The funds will be used to support the college’s programs and its students.

“We appreciate the Dornburg family’s generosity and patience through the process of choosing and viewing available areas on campus for their support,” said Amber Countis, vice president for advancement and external relations. “This is a meaningful investment for the university, and our students will benefit greatly from their generosity.”

Others who would like to explore ways to support the university can contact A&M-Victoria University Advancement at 361-570-4829 or countisa@tamuv.edu for more information.

When Kendra Blake walked across the stage last December to receive her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management, it marked a journey that began long before graduate school. A journey shaped by loss, grit and a determination to finish what she started.

A Port Lavaca native, Blake is also a first-generation striver in many ways. Raised by a single mother after her father died when she was six months old, she learned early on in her childhood that education could be her pathway forward.

“I was told, if you want to go to college, you better make the grades, and you better be the best you can,” Blake said. “You better get a scholarship because there’s no funding for you.”

After high school, she enrolled at Victoria College. But without a car and living in Port Lavaca at the time, the logistics of getting to campus became overwhelming, she said. She took a hiatus from school and found work at Formosa Plastics, where she would stay for 23 years, building a reputation as someone who could handle increasing responsibility.

Rhiannon Smith

"Kendra exemplifies the perseverance and purpose we hope to instill in our students," said Rhiannon Smith, A&M-Victoria assistant dean in the College of Business. "Her story of turning setbacks into leadership and advocacy for others is exactly the kind of real-world impact the College of Business is proud of celebrating."

But there was a ceiling Blake couldn’t break through. Despite being told she was capable of doing the work, she was passed over for promotions. At 34 years old, she made a decision: she was going back to school. While working full-time and raising children involved in multiple extracurriculars, she earned her associate degree from Victoria College in 2017 and immediately enrolled at Texas A&M University-Victoria to pursue her bachelor's degree.

In November of 2019, she had her fourth child, just as the COVID-19 Pandemic began to reshape higher education and daily life. Two courses in human resources stood between her and her undergraduate degree. She tried to push through but took a short break to care for her baby. Because the human resources course was only offered in the spring, Blake waited until Spring 2021 to complete her degree. That Spring, Blake earned her bachelor's degree in management and human resources from A&M-Victoria.

Currently, Blake works as a business sales executive for Sparklight, selling business fiber internet in Victoria and surrounding markets. Her days are filled with calls and visits to local businesses, asking tough but necessary questions about their current providers, costs and service reliability. The biggest challenge is convincing potential customers to leave their long-standing providers, some of which they have been with for decades, she said.

“People have a hard time leaving their comfort zone, what they know and what they’re accustomed to," Blake said.” “For $50, I’ll put up with it, that’s what they tell me.”

For her work, she draws heavily on her management and economics coursework she learned at A&M-Victoria to understand consumer behavior and market dynamics and to get a glimpse into why customers stay with familiar brands and how price-sensitive they are in a market where internet behaves like a utility but is priced like a discretionary service, Blake said.

To differentiate Sparklight, she leans into a local presence and community investment. Sparklight, formerly known as Cable One, has reoriented its business toward smaller markets like Victoria, Port Lavaca, Edna, Kingsville and Bay City. Places where fiber infrastructure is a significant capital investment and a differentiator, Blake said.

The company backs that strategy with community grants and partnerships, funding local nonprofits such as the Salvation Army and the food banks in town, she said. One of the most memorable efforts for her was a back-to-school clothing initiative at Walmart where the company partnered with the Salvation Army to provide shopping budgets for children.

“We were simply asked to pair with a child, and they had $70 to spend on clothing or shoes,” Blake said. “It was a very humbling experience.”

Beyond her day job, Blake serves as a Victoria Chamber ambassador and volunteers with organizations such as Keep Victoria Beautiful, Christ’s Kitchen, Victoria Christian Assistance Ministry and Restoration House. She often brings her children along to these volunteer efforts, turning service into a family affair and a lesson in civic responsibility.

“If we are not teaching our children in our community, then who is going to do it when we are gone?” Blake said.

For Blake, looking over the course of her journey, the core lesson is simple but hard-won: Keep going, even when the path is longer, messier and more complicated than you planned.