Around the State: HPU students carry Spain into fall semester

Five Howard Payne University students are beginning the fall 2026 semester with a fresh perspective on life and academics after participating in the Spain Summer Immersion Program through HPU’s Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies. Students spent a month in Seville, Spain, learning about the region’s culture and history while being totally immersed in the Spanish language and society. Students lived with host families and communicated with them entirely in Spanish, earned HPU credit hours through the University of Seville, participated in multiple agricultural and business visits, and attended church services in Spanish. Danny Brunette-López, HPU professor of Spanish and department chair, said the students were wonderful representatives of Howard Payne. “I am so proud of how these students exemplified HPU’s core values halfway across the world, and how they followed the footsteps of Jesus on a daily basis to learn about Spain’s beautiful and unique culture and the Spanish language,” he said.

Baylor University and Texas Baptists leaders celebrated the opening of a new Baptist Student Ministry building on Baylor’s campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “God is raising up disciples within Baylor BSM who are passionate and dedicated to living out the Great Commandment and Great Commission on their campus, in their state, and beyond,” a Texas Baptists Facebook post read. “We are thankful for Texas BSM, Baylor University, Texas Baptist Missions Foundation, Texas Baptists, and the many donors and prayer partners who made this possible,” Julio Guarneri, Texas Baptists executive director, said in a Facebook post.

East Texas Baptist University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program has earned accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program prepares competent community counselors through an approach that integrates faith and counseling principles. CACREP accreditation is widely recognized as a premier standard for counseling education programs and reflects a program’s commitment to academic preparation, qualified faculty, assessment, and student and program outcomes. ETBU’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program underwent an extensive accreditation process requiring evidence that the program met more than 100 CACREP standards and involved administrators, faculty, students, alumni, and site supervisors.

Hardin-Simmons University’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program has received full accreditation from the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, marking a major milestone for the university’s graduate program. The accreditation recognizes the program’s compliance with national standards for curriculum, faculty qualifications, clinical education, student outcomes, and continuous improvement. University officials said the achievement reflects years of work by faculty, students, clinical partners, and administrators to prepare graduates to serve people with communication and swallowing disorders in health care and educational settings. The accreditation will allow the program to expand clinical opportunities and support for student clinicians, Program Director Christine Sanchez said. Faculty plan to strengthen training as demand grows for qualified speech-language pathologists in Texas and beyond. Christine Sanchez, assistant professor of Speech-Language Pathology, said the field of study is all about compassionate service to others. “As speech-language pathologists, we have the privilege of bringing a voice to individuals who may not have access to communication, and this allows them to connect and build relationships with others. Through their clinical experiences, our students grow in their compassionate leadership as they realize the gift of their calling. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ At HSU, we believe that we can serve Christ Jesus through our service of others who need an advocate and a voice.”