Celebrating Islander Impact at the 2026 Homecoming Honors Banquet

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Their journeys began in different places and unfolded in different ways, but each has left an indelible mark on Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a lasting Islander Impact on the communities they serve.

John Baker ’64, Moses Mostaghasi ’06, and Callie Walker ’19 will be honored at this year’s Homecoming Honors Banquet during Islander Homecoming Week 2026. Their accolades, which extend far beyond personal success, reflect a lifelong connection to the Island University and its mission. Each will be honored at the 2026 Homecoming Honors Banquet on Friday, Feb. 27, in the University Center. Tickets can be purchased online through the Islander Alumni Association.

John Baker ’64

Distinguished Alumnus

About 30 miles northwest of Austin sits Sunrise Ranch in Liberty Hill, where championship steers have been born and raised for more than 50 years under the careful eyes of John T. Baker ’64. Before he called Central Texas home, Baker was a student at the University of Corpus Christi (UCC), now Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Baker attended UCC on a full football scholarship and graduated in 1964 with a degree in business.

“Playing football at UCC was such a wonderful experience for me,” Baker remembers fondly. “I made lifelong memories on that campus. I even met my best friend for life, Charlie Hancock, who was one of my teammates. He and his wife Dixie were a major part of my life.”

After graduation Baker married his wife Betty, and they were blessed with a son, John T. Baker, II. Following five years as an aviator in the U.S. Navy, he combined his love of aviation with his business education and purchased a Piper Aircraft Dealership in Austin — launching a successful career in aviation.

Baker would eventually turn his focus to livestock, a decision that would define his legacy. Over the course of his career, he raised more than 100 champion Texas Longhorn cattle and served as president of the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America and the Austin Livestock and Rodeo.

Along the way, he also became responsible for the most famous longhorn in the country — Bevo, the mascot for the University of Texas. The last three incarnations — Bevo XIII, Bevo XIV, and the current Bevo XV — have all come from Baker’s Sunrise Ranch.

Despite his close association with one of the University of Texas’ most storied traditions, Baker has remained deeply connected to the Island University. He and Betty established the John T. and Betty Baker Endowed Scholarship for Athletics, which has provided years of scholarship support to student-athletes. 

“With a long life and many opportunities along the trail, it is a privilege and honor to give back to the university’s endowed scholarship for athletics,” Baker said. “I gained so many valuable lessons through the program and hope that some athletes might experience the same.”

Moses Mostaghasi ’06

Outstanding Alumnus

Never one to wait for opportunity to arrive, Moses Mostaghasi ’06 has always been willing to create his own.

While pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Mostaghasi balanced coursework with construction sites, managing his own home-building projects long before graduation. A Corpus Christi native, he originally planned a career in law before discovering a passion for building which would reshape his career path.

What began as a single home project grew into more than two decades of steady expansion. Over the years, Mostaghasi built more than 1,200 homes, becoming the largest custom home builder in Corpus Christi before shifting his focus to land development. Today, his company, Coastal Bend Lots, is the region’s largest land developer, with more than 3,000 lots developed.

“I was planning on going to law school, but I started off by building a house for my parents and kind of fell in love with the process,” Mostaghasi said. “I took everything I learned at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and applied it to my business and just kept growing from there.”

Mostaghasi remains closely connected to the Island University, belonging to President’s Circle and serving on the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council. He is also an active supporter of the Corpus Christi community, recently donating land to help expand a local fire station, with additional contributions planned in southwest Nueces County to support public safety services.

“At the end of the day, I want to give back to the school that gave me an opportunity to be successful,” Mostaghasi said. “Being born and raised here, it’s important to me to take the success I’ve had and give it back to the community that helped shape me.”

Callie Walker ’19

Young Alumnus

From higher education to global industry, Callie Walker’s career has been shaped by a commitment to building connections and strengthening communities across South Texas.

A Corpus Christi native raised in Orange Grove, Walker currently serves as Public and Government Affairs manager for ExxonMobil’s Gulf Coast Growth Ventures facility, a joint venture between ExxonMobil and SABIC. In this role, she oversees charitable contributions, media relations, government affairs, and a wide range of community outreach initiatives supporting the site and surrounding region.

“Working in this field has opened my mind to the complexities that exist around us,” Walker said. “A big part of what I do is highlighting the great things that the people I work with are doing in the community and the great things that are happening at this site.”

Before joining ExxonMobil, Walker served as Executive Director of External Relations at the Island University, where she managed a portfolio of relationships with more than 120 corporate, foundation, and government partners; she also oversaw the university’s Event Services department.

Walker holds a Master of Arts in English from TAMU-CC in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication and Public Relations from Texas State University, and a Master of Arts in Technical Communication from Texas Tech University.

Walker has been a consistent supporter of the arts at TAMU-CC. Among her gifts to the university is the establishment of the Lori Claudette Walker Practice Room in the soon-to-be completed Arts and Media Building. Her support of the arts is also reflected in her serving on boards for the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi Education Foundation, and Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra.

“The relationships I built at the Island University created opportunities that helped me grow and build confidence,” Walker said. “Staying involved is a way to support the same kind of experience for future Islanders.”

This year’s Islanders Athletics Hall of Honor inductee will be revealed at the Feb. 27 banquet.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program and dinner begin at 7 p.m. The event includes heavy hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and a cash bar. Individual tickets or tables of eight can be purchased here.