We recently sat down with Travis Walker, Texas State ’16, after he was named to the 40 Under 40 list by the Southeast Texas Young Professionals Organization, the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, and the Beaumont Enterprise. Each year, the recognition honors the region’s top young professionals for their academic achievements, professional success, and community involvement.

Today, Travis teaches and coaches in Southeast Texas, a role that reflects both his passion for education and his commitment to developing the next generation of leaders. His career path, however, has been anything but linear.

“I started my career as a teacher in 2019, and in that 2019–2020 school year, COVID happened and ruined everything,” he said with a laugh. “Being a teacher at that time was really hard, and I didn’t really enjoy it the first time around. I love it this time around. I’m having a wonderful time as a teacher.”

Travis’s journey back to education came after several career pivots. When he and his wife learned they were expecting twins, they decided to return to his hometown, where the cost of living was lower and family support was close. That move led him to a private school role focused on creating non-tuition revenue.

“The school wanted to decrease its dependency on tuition, so my job was to create other revenue streams,” he explained. “We did that through a lot of different things, but the most successful one was actually summer camp. We took a program that was making $70,000, and the last summer I was involved, it grossed $250,000.”

After later working in fundraising, Travis realized his true passion was still in the education. “That experience taught me that my heart is in education. I love pouring my heart and soul into the next generation, which is probably why I loved the Fraternity so much. We were building something that poured into other people.”

Lessons in Leadership

Travis’s path to teaching began long before he stepped into a classroom as an adult. Growing up, he watched his mother dedicate herself to her students. “My mom has been a teacher my entire life. I went to the elementary school where she taught,” he said. “Then in high school, I had a fantastic history teacher who just rocked my world. He let us challenge ideas and really think for ourselves. That sealed the deal for me.”

Though his degree is in public relations with a minor in history, Travis eventually earned his teaching certification and embraced education fully. Early on, he had a moment that shaped his confidence as a professional: he returned from a national training with High Tech High in California and led project-based learning workshops for veteran teachers.

“That moment was really humbling,” he recalled. “I was this scrappy second-year teacher giving presentations to people who had been teaching for 20 or 30 years. It made me get over the imposter syndrome we all have and realize I have value and can share what I know with confidence.”

Those experiences helped Travis define what leadership means to him: clear communication, confident decision-making, and genuine engagement with the community. “If you’re an effective communicator, you immediately stand out,” he said. “Confidence comes from conviction. If you know what’s right and wrong, what you like and what you don’t like, it’s easy to make decisions quickly. That swiftness makes you seem confident, and confidence inspires trust.”

Travis also emphasizes the importance of giving back. “As young professionals, we might not have the money to give, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give back. You give what you can, whether that’s time, energy, or effort,” he said. For him, leadership isn’t just about professional success—it’s about leaving a positive impact on the people and communities around him.

The Delta Sig Difference

Travis’s experience founding the Theta Eta Chapter at Texas State continues to shape his leadership today. “When I got to Texas State, I saw Greek life and didn’t want to be a part of it,” he said. “Then I got approached to help start a chapter of a fraternity that was expanding to Texas State. I was like, yeah, we can build it into what it should be.”

He became the chapter’s first vice president, later served as president, and even joined Delta Sigma Phi’s Grand Council as an undergraduate. “I really milked every opportunity that I could out of Delta Sig. There was so much valuable experience that came from it. I still talk about it today in interviews because it was so valuable.”

That experience helped shape what Travis calls his “all-in mindset.” “As an undergraduate leader, I was a full-time student and a full-time Delta Sig,” he said. “It taught me to plan things, get them done, and not be afraid to try new things. Even if you fail, it’s going to be okay.”

For Travis, being “all in” wasn’t just about commitment—it was about learning how to lead through uncertainty. Founding a chapter meant stepping into uncharted territory, building a culture from scratch, and convincing others to believe in something that didn’t yet exist. “We were writing the playbook as we went,” he recalled. “It forced me to think strategically, communicate clearly, and build buy-in from people who weren’t always on the same page. That’s leadership in the real world.”

That mindset carried into his professional life, where he approaches every project with the same sense of ownership and purpose. “When I take something on, I want to see it through. That comes straight from Delta Sig,” he said. “You learn that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about being the person willing to step up and do the work.”

Today, Travis channels that same energy into his continued involvement with the Fraternity. He serves on his chapter’s Chapter Advisory Board and is helping plan its upcoming 10-year celebration—a milestone that reminds him how far the group has come. “Every time I see something from Delta Sig, it just reinvigorates me,” he said. “It reminds me of the passion behind pouring into people and helping them feel like they belong. That sense of belonging is what made Delta Sig special then, and it’s what still drives me now.”

When asked what advice he would share with today’s undergraduates, Travis offered two lessons that have guided him since those early days. “Do the thing that you’re scared to do but feel pulled toward,” he said. “And talk about your Delta Sig experience like it’s a business. You’re running budgets, leading people, managing projects—it’s real leadership experience that prepares you for life after college.”

For Travis, being named to the 40 Under 40 list feels like more than a personal honor. “It’s a big deal, especially being a teacher,” he said. “It’s an example that teachers are not forgotten. People in education and nonprofits are incredibly skilled and doing incredible work in their communities.”

Looking ahead, Travis is focused on continuing to grow as a leader and figuring out the impact he wants to have in education. “What’s next for me is continuing on with pursuing more leadership and just pushing what I think is possible,” he said. “I want to figure out what it looks like for me to lead within a school—does that come with a title or without a title? Either way, it’s about being a man of action and putting a plan into motion.”