The Chamber of Commerce awards TXST Round Rock Campus as “Business of the Year”

By Ezekiel Ramirez

News Reporter 

Texas State University’s Round Rock Campus was named “Business of the Year” by the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce. The recognition came during the chamber’s 56 Annual Business Awards celebration on Feb. 7 at Kalahari Resort and Conventions.

The Annual Business Awards celebrate and recognize the individuals and businesses making big contributions to the organization and the community. President and CEO of the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, Jordan Robinson, believes the Round Rock Campus was the correct choice for the award.“We were very excited at the chamber to have the opportunity to recognize them and show our gratitude and thanks for their contributions and future contributions as they grow their campus in Round Rock,” Robinson said.

Multiple categories go into consideration when choosing a winner for this award. One of the category considerations is how involved the organization is with the community and the economic contributions, so how this business impacts the overall economy of Round Rock and central Texas.“It’s [the Annual Business Awards] kind of our one time a year to really celebrate and recognize those organizations for their support of our community,” Robinson said.

This year marks the first time Round Rock was nominated for this award and won. Vice president of Texas State Round Rock Campus, Dr. Julie Lessiter, was in disbelief when the award was for her and her team.“This is a testament to all the hard work that we’ve put in in the last six months to really raise the profile of what’s happening here at Texas State Round Rock,” Lessiter said.

For Dr. Lessiter, education is one of the sturdiest instruments to have, unlocking potential and enriching a student’s perception of the world.“For me, education gives people options and opportunities,” Lessiter said. “And that’s creating that environment where people can reach their potential.”

TXST’s Round Rock Campus is going to have new academic programs coming later this Fall. These programs will act as an opportunity for students in the region to be able to begin or finish their college careers. “There’s a lot of people here and a lot of people in San Marcos who have really stepped up and helped us and been able to bring new academic programs here,” Lessiter said. “Be able to, you know, elevate what we’re doing within this community and in Williamson County.” 

Faculty and staff at Texas State for both campuses are here to assist students in need and will do what needs to be done to guide students in the right direction.“It’s [TXST faculty and staff] our goal to get you to meet your goals and anything we can do to help facilitate that we’re all about that and anything we can do to elevate a student’s success, we’re all about that as well,” Lessiter said. 

To learn more about the opportunities the Round Rock Campus offers, visit the Texas State website.