A guide created by four students in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business has been adopted by the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce as its official resource for helping local small businesses with internal and external communications. Pictured, from left, are Ava Hoffpauir, junior from Beaumont; Gisselle Rivera, junior from Houston; Madeline Rivers, junior from Baytown; and Chloe Adams, senior from Houston. The students received $500 from the Rusche College of Business for their winning entry.

Stephen F. Austin State University named Dr. Kent L. Willis the inaugural senior vice president for enrollment and student engagement. A 2008 graduate of SFA, Willis brings a wealth of experience in student affairs and enrollment management, most recently serving as vice president of student affairs and enrollment management at California State University, Fresno.

More than two dozen Stephen F. Austin State University students majoring in a variety of subjects spent the semester exploring local businesses to learn about the challenges owners faced on their paths to success. One stop was SuSu’s Popcorn & Candy Café in downtown Nacogdoches, where they learned how Alan and Susan Sowards enlisted family members to help launch the business in March 2023.