PLAINVIEW — Patrick Aland, who earned a Master of Arts in Counseling from Wayland in 2009, will be honored Friday, Feb. 9 with Wayland Baptist University’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
The presentation takes place during Wayland’s annual Blue and Gold Awards Banquet, which is slated for 6 p.m., as part of Wayland’s 2024 Homecoming weekend. Tickets for the banquet are $15 and may be reserved by calling the Office of Alumni Relations at 806-291-3600.
Also receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award is Dr. Vernon Stokes, a 1959 graduate. JR Dunn, a 2013 graduate, is scheduled to receive the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. Ben and Bertha Mieth will be recognized with the Distinguished Benefactor Award, while Freda Provence and Libby Cleveland will be honored with Distinguished Lifetime Service Awards.
A U.S. Army veteran, Aland was “safe, warm and comfortable” working as a technician for Bell and Howell when God called him to become a mental health counselor. After earning a bachelor’s degree at Texas Tech University, he choose Wayland for his Master of Art in Counseling degree. Upon graduation, he served as a counselor at Lubbock Veterans Counseling Center, working with hundreds of combat veterans and their family members to help them deal with depression, PTSD, minimal brain injuries, and more sustained in service to the nation. He has initiated outreach to older veterans in care facilities and used a therapy dog to comfort many.
Having retired in 2020 to care for his wife, Aland volunteers with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and serves other veteran service organizations as well as his church, participating in several mission trips to Central America and Vietnam.
For additional information or to order tickets, please call the Office of Alumni Relations at 806-291-3600.
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