UTEP Announces 2019 Distinguished Alumni
Andrea C. Gates-Ingle earned a Bachelors of Art in Special Education in 1999. Stephen Ingle earned his Bachelors of Art in Graphic Design in 2003.
Every year, The University of Texas at El Paso and the UTEP Alumni Association honor a group of men and women whose achievements stand out as monuments to dedication, integrity and hard work - they are the UTEP Distinguished Alumni.
“This year’s Distinguished Alumni honorees exemplify the talent and drive that was cultivated here at UTEP,” Maribel Villalva, assistant vice president for alumni relations, said. “Each of these individuals, whether it was on their own or as part of a dedicated team, has gone on to represent UTEP at the highest levels and they each credit UTEP for giving them the foundation and the opportunities to be successful.”
Villalva said that national and international organizations in the fields of art, science, government and technology have recognized the work of each awardee. Together, they show future generations of students that dreams, coupled with opportunity and a great education, can make anything possible.
“These honorees represent the University as a whole and they join a long list of previous Distinguished Alumni who continue to elevate UTEP’s reputation as an institution that produces greatness,” Villalva said.
The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest recognition bestowed upon alumni of the University.
UTEP’s College of Education 2019 Distinguished Alumni is Andrea C. Gates-Ingles who along with her husband, Stephen Ingle, co-founded Creative Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a high-quality youth development program utilizing the visual arts to empower youth.
Creative Kids, a nonprofit organization established 20 years ago, began as a labor of love for Stephen Ingle and his then girlfriend, now wife, Andrea C. Gates-Ingle who met while attending UTEP.
Creative Kids has grown since then. The nonprofit has earned national recognition for providing a high-quality creative youth development program that utilizes the visual arts to empower children with cognitive or physical disabilities, children battling illness, underserved children or just those with an artistic knack.
As for receiving the UTEP Distinguished Alumni Award, the pair said they were humbled and proud of the recognition.
"It is amazing for someone to see what we've done and recognize it," Ingle said. "This is something that we will really cherish and carry as an accomplishment. We have won awards from the city and other recognitions, but this award is from our school, where we learned to do what we do. Getting this award makes it all worth it and we are proud to be part of the UTEP legacy."
