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Connor Frankhouser: Building Bonds

September 18, 2014

Connor Frankhouser is happiest when he is forming relationships.

He just enjoys having connections with people that benefit both himself and the others involved. That type of relationship actually influenced him to choose Angelo State for his higher education.

“I came here for the Carr Scholarship and the Honors Program,” Frankhouser said, “but I also came here because of my grandparents. They run a cattle ranch near Ballinger and I knew they needed help.”

A Lubbock native, Frankhouser started making new connections at ASU right away, first by joining the Pi Kappa Alpha (Pikes) fraternity.

“I will always advocate for the students because the students are the reason for being.”

Connor Frankhouser

“That had a snowball effect,” he said. “Being involved made me proud, made me want to get involved with campus tours, become an orientation leader and get involved in the Student Government Association (SGA).”

To be an orientation leader, he had to connect with Heather Valle Brown, assistant director of student life, who heads the university’s orientation programs.

“Orientation leaders are some of the first student role models that incoming first-year students connect with,” Brown said. “Mr. Frankhouser served as an orientation leader for three summers, and as a registration assistant. I have had the privilege to watch him grow and mature over the last three years.”

By also joining SGA, Frankhouser formed a relationship with the entire ASU student body, which elected him vice president for 2013-14. In that role, he helped launch an “Adopt-A-Hallway” program in campus buildings. Student groups can now adopt areas to collect paper and plastic for recycling.

“The Pikes have an Adopt-A-Highway stretch on U.S. 67 near Sam’s Club,” Frankhouser said. “I thought about how we Pikes pick up trash on the highway every six months for recognition. We set up the Adopt-A-Hallway program with that same recognition for student groups.”

Frankhouser also has a special bond with ASU basketball fans. It stems from a “White Out” basketball game he organized in February where students could trade their T-shirts for white ASU replacements.

“I hated seeing students wearing other school’s gear here at ASU, so I came up with the idea of a T-shirt exchange,” Frankhouser said. “Growing up in Lubbock with the Red Raiders, I wanted to recreate that same passion on our campus that their student body has. We had great student turnout, and I still see the White Out T-shirts on campus.”

Now a senior, Frankhouser has even changed his career path as the result of a campus connection. During a study abroad trip, he developed a friendship with Dr. Tom Badgett, chair of Management and Marketing Department. He has since redirected his studies from physical therapy to business administration with plans to pursue a doctorate and become a professor.

“I would love to teach at a business department at a regional university like ASU, where students are a priority,” Frankhouser said. “My ultimate goal is to get involved in administration and to become a university president. I will always advocate for the students because the students are the reason for being.”

In the mean time, he advises all students to do what he did—get connected.

“ASU gives you the opportunities to develop yourself as a young person, as a professional,” Frankhouser said. “ASU is the place to get a top-flight education.”

“I’ve been floored by my experience here,” he added. “I think a university should turn a good student into a great person, and I hope that’s been the case for me.”