Presidential Scholar, cross country athlete set to speak at graduation

By Celia Beagels
Ranger Reporter

Mallory Moore, 7 p.m. commencement speaker at Amarillo college’s graduation ceremony on May 15th, 2026, will take the stage after her peer, Racheal Garcia, at 3 p.m. 

Mallory Moore is a General Studies major at Amarillo College who will continue her education at West Texas A&M University in the fall and hopes to eventually pursue a career in health and wellness, majoring in Kinesiology. 

“I chose this path because I’ve always loved encouraging people and helping them become the healthiest version of themselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually,” Moore says. 

Honors Program Coordinator Lesley Ingham says Mallory shines a bright light. “Her smile, kindness towards others, team player mentality and highly skilled public speaking abilities made her an obvious choice for nomination for commencement speaker.” 

Moore has been a dedicated cross-country athlete for Amarillo College for two years, in addition to being an AC Presidential Scholar. She has been able to balance her work schedule, workouts and volunteer and trace work while still maintaining excellent grades. She states that some of her biggest influences have been her coaches, professors, parents and mentors who believed in her and gave her opportunities to grow. 

          “Completing as a cross-country athlete has also taught me discipline, resilience, and confidence in who I am.” When asked about what being a commencement speaker meant to her, she mentioned that the opportunity to speak for Amarillo College meant the world to her, and that the college has “…played such a pivotal role in my personal and academic growth, so it is an honor to represent my class in this way.” 

Given her positive attitude and go-getter mentality, Moore wants to remind fellow graduates that your path forward does not have to be perfect to be meaningful. “I hope graduates take away the reminder that they do not need to have everything figured out right now, that our stories are unique from one another for a reason, and often the next right step is all we need to focus on.”