When my husband and I moved to Brownwood we were apprehensive at first because the population was bigger than what we were used to. We were from a small town where the population was only about 4,000 people. I was worried Brownwood wouldn’t have the sense of the small town community we had come to know and love. We were nervous but we knew God had called us to Brownwood for a reason.
Once we got settled I was able to get out in the community more. And the more I was able to do that, the more I realized Brownwood did have that small town feel and as an added bonus, they have the convenience of a Walmart!
I started working at KOXE radio and I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of people that serve in our community. At first, once again, I was intimidated by some of the people that were coming in. But as I got to know them better I was pretty relieved to learn that many of the leaders in our community, where they are immensely devoted to their work and their passion to lead Brown County in a positive direction, they are also just extraordinarily normal people with 8-5 jobs, laundry hampers overflowing at home, with kids that keep them awake all hours of the night. I had the thought that Brown County and the people that have stepped up within our community to lead aren’t actually intimidating. The intimidating thoughts were coming from me and how I viewed the definition of a “leader.” I thought surely others must feel this way too because at some point we have all encountered a leader that used their “power” and position for something other than the intended use. I have come to find that we have some of the best, most humble leaders right here in Brown County.
I set out to find the leaders in our community that wouldn’t mind sharing their lives with us so, as a community, we could better get to know them. I was not surprised to realize I didn’t have to look very far to create a list. My first stop was Howard Payne University where I met with the new Dean of Students, Tammy Arreola.
I already knew Tammy prior to writing this about her but when I came up with the idea of this, “Local Leaders Spotlight,” I first thought of her. If you ask me, there are some people who are born to lead and Tammy is one of those. Her commitment to the things she loves is shown through her family and her work. Tammy has been married to her husband, Manuel for 35 years. Together they have 6 wonderful children, a son in law, daughter in law, and 5 grandchildren. Tammy and Manuel have been foster parents for 17 years and if you ask Tammy she says the road of fostering children has definitely prepared her for where she is now.
First you need to know that Tammy never imaged she would be the dean of students. As a matter of fact if you ask Tammy her life at Howard Payne leading up to her new position was anything but traditional. She says she was even a “non-traditional” student when she was taking classes at HPU. She explained how she got started at HPU, “My oldest daughter Ashley was a student at HPU and she came home one day telling me about a job opening in the business office and she encouraged me to apply. After praying about it I applied and was lucky enough to get the job.” That was in September of 2008. Tammy shared the moment she realized HPU was her home. She said, “During my first week at work an employee came in and I overheard them tell Bill Fishback, who was the VP of Human Resources at the time, that they needed to pray with them about something and he immediately invited them in to pray.” She went on to say it was easy to settle into her job after witnessing that. After that interaction and with a little more encouragement from her daughter, Tammy began taking classes at HPU in the spring of 2009.
Her love for fitness and her interest in behavior change led her to pursuit of a degree in Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with in a minor in psychology. Tammy received her degree from HPU in May of 2017 and she continued to find ways to get involved at HPU. Tammy took the necessary steps to be able to lead yoga for the students. This is where she found her passion for instructing the students but more importantly she found her love for interacting with and getting to know the students on campus at HPU.
Soon she was given the opportunity to become the Career Services Coordinator at HPU. Tammy didn’t want to stop there though. She expressed that she had a desire to teach, so she obtained her Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2018.
Tammy explained, “After receiving my masters, I continued serving as the Career Services Coordinator but I was able to serve as an adjunct instructor in a couple of classes and I became an academic advisor which afforded me the opportunity to become ‘mom’ on campus to many students. There were times when students would come into my office for career advising or academic advising and I would find myself giving motherly advice, encouragement, or just holding them accountable to fulfill the potential that I could see in them.”
What Tammy said next is a true example of why she is an extraordinary leader. She said “The students I once was intimidated by have become my calling. I love seeing them grow, learn, mature, and celebrate every success no matter how small.”
Tammy expects to obtain her PHD in Leadership in Health and Human Performance by 2023. Her commitment to growth so she can better serve her students is inspiring. Did I mention she has juggled the responsibilities that come with being a wife, a mother, and a foster mother (and so much more) through all of this? Tammy wears many hats in this life and she is proud of all of them. Recently I watched as Tammy and Manuel said goodbye to children they had been fostering. The girls found their forever homes and were moving on. I had the opportunity to get to know the girls through church and although saying goodbye was a good thing for the girls, it was so hard. But Tammy and Manuel have done this many times, further proving that Tammy has a heart to serve, lead, and uplift no matter the cost to her.
I asked Tammy how her calling to be Dean of Students came about and she said it started one morning while she was on the elliptical in the fitness center. She was in prayer and she said, “That particular morning, I felt God nudging me about the VP/Dean position. I didn’t really want to listen but when God comes after you with something, He can be persistent, even when we aren’t so sure of ourselves. Many prayers and conversations followed.”
Tammy continued, “Eventually Dr. Hines, the President of HPU, called me in one rainy morning in July and ultimately offered me the position of Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator. Over the 4-5 weeks of prayer and waiting, God kind of whispered to me that the VP of Student Life and Dean of Students position should be separated into two positions. I had not divulged that information to Dr. Hines so when he indicated that the position would no longer be combined but two separate positions, which was one more confirmation for me.”
Since then, Tammy has been navigating the waters of her unforeseen calling. I asked Tammy what some of her goals were as Dean of Students and her list was impressive. Tammy continued to share her heart for leadership with me as she explained to me one of her goals as dean of students.
Her face illuminated when she shared with me the following, “I am currently in the process of restructuring the handling of conduct violations, moving from a punitive to a restorative approach. Punitive Discipline interventions are focused on making the behaviors stop, using increasingly restrictive and/or exclusionary consequences, often causing shame. Restorative discipline interventions aim to understand root causes of the behavior and offer relational support for positive changes while emphasizing responsibility, accountability, and exploring ways to learn and grow from the experience. This approach empowers students and contributes to them becoming a better person which in turn, enables them to help others as well.”
Tammy said although she never imaged she would be the dean of students, “When God has a plan for your life (and by the way, he does), He will open doors you couldn’t possibly imagine when you walk in his will.”
I asked Tammy for some life advice, what she would tell those that come after her, and she said, “I don’t really have any profound words of wisdom. I mean, life really isn’t all that complicated, it may get difficult sometimes but that’s ok. Put God first in all things. Serve others without any expectation of repayment. Forgive. Don’t be afraid to put in the work. Don’t be too selfish. It’s never too late to pursue your dreams. It’s always the right time to do the right thing. Never stop learning. Always be willing to invest in others. No one is perfect. Gods grace is sufficient.”
See? Nothing intimidating here, just a hardworking, vision driven, motivated individual who wants the best for the people she serves. Tammy’s life and her climb to her success are so inspiring when you realize she asked for opportunities and pursued them. People like Tammy are pioneering and making a way for generations both present and future. They’re making changes while staying true to the foundation of what has existed for years and that is exactly how growth happens. Our community is lucky to have leaders like Tammy Arreola.
Tammy would like to give a special thanks to Dr. McNeeley who has served as a mentor and an encourager helping to guide her every step of the way.
Check in here at Brownwoodnews.com next month to see who we will get to know next!
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Local Leaders Spotlight, written by Miranda Windham, will appear monthly at BrownwoodNews.com