To many people, the thought of talking to thousands of people every day as a news anchor is a terrifying thought, but to George Levesque ’96, it is something that comes very naturally. “As a theatre major at McMurry, being an anchor satisfies the ‘performance part’ of what I do. I get to have a voice, and I feel very grateful that I do.” George is the anchor for the number one rated 5:00 p.m. news show in Abilene, “KTXS Live at Five,” and he also serves as the News Director for the Abilene ABC affiliate.

George has always felt comfortable in the public eye. As a theatre major at McMurry, George starred in many campus productions. But he credits McMurry theatre professor, Charlie Hukill, for always mentoring him in a positive way. “He taught me the most by being tough on me.” In particular, George recalls a specific meeting after enjoying a very successful freshman year at McMurry. “I thought I was at the top of my game. I had been cast in leads and had a few good reviews written about me in the paper. Charlie brought me back down to earth. He told me my attitude had made me a sloppy actor. He also said that until I refocused on my craft, I wouldn’t be cast in any lead roles by him. It worked! I buckled down and worked harder than ever. I earned his respect, and became a better actor and a better person for it.” To this day, Charlie remains a mentor to George and they meet for lunch every week.

Much of what he learned at McMurry has influenced George in his current position. As a “West Texas boy” from Colorado City, he states, “My communications courses taught me to lose my West Texas accent.” In addition, George still relies on what he learned as a political science minor to help him advise political reporters at KTXS in their assignments. George also credits McMurry professor, Dr. Philip Craik, for convincing George to consider a career in television news. “He was my advisor and the person who convinced me that television news would be a good career for me. He suggested that my love of news and my interest in politics might make anchoring a good career choice.”

Looking back on his McMurry experience, George states that he “loved McMurry.” That was evident by his involvement in many activities. In addition to his involvement in theatre, George was active in Chanters and HEI men’s social club and was the Sweetheart for Gamma Sigma women’s social club. When asked if he has any advice for current students, George simply admonishes them to “soak in the experience. I know that all those activities I was involved in gave me skills that led me to where I am today.” He also encourages students and alumni of McMurry to stay involved. Despite his busy schedule, George and his wife, Sydney, stay involved with McMurry. In addition to attending theatre productions, they attend almost every home basketball game. Incidentally, if you ever attend a McMurry basketball game at Kimbrell Arena, the voice of the public address announcer is none other than George Levesque.