On April 17, 2018, Tarleton State Univeristy celebrated May Fete at Heritage Park. Throughout the event, a small court of students were screened by a panel of judges, in hopes to be chosen as Lord and Lady Tarleton. At the end, two students were chosen to represent Tarleton.

Junior Communication and Pre-Law major, Joseph David Kamin, was crowned as the 2018 Lord Tarleton.

“It’s a very humbling opportunity,” Kamin said. “It’s an experience not a lot of people get to have. I think its an honoring opportunity to be Lord Tarleton.”

Upon graduation, Kamin intends to attend Law school, with the intent on practicing law in the future.

“My main plan is to go to law school somewhere,” Kamin explained. “I’m not too sure what practice I want to go to yet, but I do know that I want to do it.”

In the event that practicing law doesn’t fit well, Kamin plans to work in the communications field.

“I have a big enough resume that where I feel like I can jump into the communications field and be ready to go,” Kamin said. “I would like to do something in the multimedia field, or kind of like what I’ve been doing for JTAC [News].”

Outside of the classroom, Kamin acts as the president for the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, works as the Editor-in-Chief for the JTAC News and leads the Tarleton Transition Mentors as a member of the Leadership Team.

“I’m very prideful of these organizations that I’m in and I’m very focused on the goals that they have,” Kamin states.

Through these leadership roles, Kamin has learned so much from them and has been able to give back to them.

“I do much enjoy and I am very much passionate about every organization that I’m in and I also understand that every organization that I’m in has some developmental areas for me,” Kamin explains. “Whether it is learning how to manage the people who work for me at JTAC [News], whether it is learning how to manage a fraternity and run an organization like that, or whether its some if the TTM stuff where I’m just planning and doing some of the leadership roles, I feel like its very beneficial and I want to help these organizations that I am involved in succeed. At the same time, I understand that after graduation these organizations are going to play a big part because they are helping me develop professionally, as an adult right now.

“I feel that I’ve left the organizations better than when I found them. I’ve helped turn around JTAC a little bit and I want to help leave it so that the next editor-in-chief already has a solid ground to start what they want to do. I want to leave my fraternity a bigger, better stronger fraternity than when I became President. I want to leave the TTM program as a better transitioning program than when I came in. I just want to be known as someone who helped the organization I’m involved in, who helped the organization achieve their goals, and who actually brought about change for the organization.

“Being Lord Tarleton is an exceptional opportunity, I think its an honor to be Lord Tarleton. At the same time, its kind of daunting. I’ve set the bar for me, if I already got Lord Tarleton for the things I did, I need to ensure that from now on, I’m improving what I was doing and improving my passion for Tarleton and my involvement for Tarleton, so now I have to improve on from who I was.”

The title of 2018 Lady Tarleton was awarded to Junior Social Work major, Clare McNiel.

“I feel extremely blessed to have been crowned Lady Tarleton,” McNiel said. “I am honored to represent Tarleton and my fellow students and to be a part of this tradition.”

While she does not yet know what she wished to do after graduation, she hopes to find it while interning with a social worker.

“I’m excited about my senior internship which will be working with a social worker in a junior high school” McNiel said. “Thankfully I still have a year to figure things out before I get out into the working world.”

Throughout het time at Tarleton, McNiel has been involved in Alpha Gamma Delta, Tarleton Transition Mentors, Tarleton Round-Up as an executive, Student Social Work Association, and the TexAnn Cross Country Team. It is because of her involvement in these organizations that her Tarleton experience was greatly impacted.

“I fell in love with Tarleton when I came to Duck Camp,” McNiel explained. “Getting involved on campus helped me feel like I was a part of the Tarleton experience. My school spirit and love for Tarleton got bigger and better. Each organization I have been involved in has given me new friendships, new strengths and new opportunities to serve others and give back.

“I have always said that I want to leave my footprint here.  Maybe that footprint is being a Momma Duck or organizing a fundraiser which raised over $10,000 or being chosen as Lady Tarleton.  Those footprints may not be important to anyone else, but to me, they are what has made my time here special.”

It is these footprints that McNiel feels is what she will leave behind upon graduating.

“I would love to thank John T himself,” McNiel said. “Without him, I wouldn’t be able to call this place home.  TSU is a special place.  I am very thankful for the friends, the memories and the opportunities that have come my way.  I am also thankful to represent my school as Lady Tarleton.”