Scholarships for Excellence
Seiry Torres
Expatriate Scholarship
Born in El Paso, Texas, but raised in Mexico until I was twelve, I then came here to the US seeking a higher education, but it was a sacrifice to me and my family since we had to separate--neither my parents nor my little brother can cross the border legally. Before coming to the US, I lived with my parents in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. My parents, who come from humble roots, receiving only basic education, are incredibly wise for life situations, working as hard as they can every day to keep me and my siblings in as many activities as possible. Thanks to my parents and older sister, I have always stood out academically and socially. They have always been strict, teaching me how important, how crucial it is to do well in school, to learn as much as I can, to be educated, to get involved, to show and share my abilities with others, and to work hard and to do my best in everything I do, even in the smallest actions. In Austin, I participated in many academic clubs, yearbook, sports, community service, and school pride activities.
It was all thanks to my family, friends, and teachers, but above all, I appreciate and thank God for everything I have.
I am working really hard to reach my goals, now that I graduated, I will be attending The University of Texas at Austin to study Petroleum Engineering.
Adriana Cruz
Miner Scholarship
Hello,
"Your only limit is yourself and you will accomplish anything you set your mind to"... those were my mothers' words my freshman year. My name is Adriana I. Cruz Lopez and I am a 2018-2019 graduate. Throughout my four years I joined skills USA, the Newspaper staff, played varsity soccer my four years, joined NHS and participated in many school functions, yet still managed to have academics be my priority and maintain a GPA above 4.0. My life throughout this journey has been difficult, but I, like many of my classmates. have proven that it is possible. Throughout high school having friends was tough for me due to the fact that I was forced to grow up much faster than others because of circumstances that life threw at me, but I had that small group that gave me support throughout and were my rock at school. I had teachers who became my parents at school and always motivated me to give the best in me. Making part of history at Austin was a priority to me and as a class we accomplished it. I am going to pursue a bachelors in creative writing at UTEP and going to pursue my J.D at UT Austin's Law School. It was always a great day to be a panther.
Dante Salcido
Miner Scholarship
Dante is a 2019 graduate from Austin High School with a passion for theatre, basketball, and academics.
Ethan Villa
Katherine Aguilar Memorial Scholarship
Hi my name is Ethan Villa, and i was born and raised in El Paso, TX. A lot of my family has attended Austin (20), and to be able to carry on the legacy of being a panther was truly a blessing. Being in athletics at Austin helped shaped who I am today with discipline, hard work, and having to make sacrifices that help better me or my team. My dream was to follow in my parents’ footsteps and become a teacher and a coach. This is my dream and goal because I want to teach the younger kids what I was taught as a kid. Now I get to work towards my dream and I am able to run track at UTEP while getting my degree to be a teacher. I would like to thank all the coaches, teachers, and staff at Austin who made this possible by always believing in me and helping me make my dream into a reality. Forever and always an Austin Panther! ETW!
Kryshna Magallanes
Stella Adams Memorial Scholarship
My name is Kryshna Magallanes, I came from Chihuahua to El Paso approximately seven years from now, although it was difficult for me it was a great experience. During my four years at Austin High School, I participated in many activities, soccer, dance, yearbook, the CDL classes, National Honor Society and
one of the most important for me the ESL Club where I had the opportunity to enroll since my freshman year, becoming the president my sophomore year. It was a great experience for me to get to help others the same way they helped me with one of the most difficult things, English. My family was my biggest motivation to always do my best, to work hard, ask for help if needed and help others. Making my parents proud will be always my goal. My plans are to attend college to get a four-year nursing degree and after that complete a two-year master’s physician assistant program. It will not be easy, but I know that at the end of the day it will be worth it.
Belen Renteria
Stella Adams Memorial Scholarship
I am a graduate of Stephen F. Austin High School (AHS), class of 2019. I ranked number eight in my graduating class and was a cadet from the Sandra Day O’Connor Law Enforcement Academy. During my four year tenure at AHS, I lettered twice academically, once for wrestling, and once for SkillsUSA. As an active participant in the community, I contributed by participating in school events involving the Salvation Army and Child Crisis Center. Moving forward, my goals are to become a child psychiatrist and working with troubled youth. With the help of the Austin Alumni Association Stella Adams Memorial Scholarship, I will continue my quest in learning Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Jeneka Gimenez
Stella Adams Memorial Scholarship
My name is Jeneka Gimenez. I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. I attended Austin for all 4 years, and during those four years, I participated in different organizations. During my sophomore year, I was a volleyball manager and also on the basketball team. During my junior year, I participated in track and field, and during my senior year, I was part of the yearbook staff. I also was in the Sandra Day O’Connor Academy all four years. During my first three years, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as far as a career, but once I joined yearbook and started doing photography and working on the literary magazine, I realized how much I enjoyed doing those activities. That helped me decide to pursue Journalism a major. I will now be attending New Mexico State University to study in Journalism and Media Studies. I am proud to say that I am from El Paso and that I attended Austin, because now, they are both considered my home.
Frank Ortiz
Stella Adams Memorial Scholarship
Francisco J. Ortiz Jr is one of the latest to receive Austin Alumni Association's: Stella Adams Memorial Scholarship. Throughout his academic career, Ortiz has dedicated himself to Law Enforcement and Public Safety in and out of Austin High School. In 2014, while in the 7th grade, Ortiz was recruited to the El Paso Police Department's Police Explorer Program, assigned to the Mission Valley Regional Command Center. As an Explorer, Ortiz learned first hand the skills needed to be a law enforcement officer, rising through the ranks. In the spring semester of his freshman year, Ortiz was recruited to Austin High's Sandra Day O'Connor Academy. It was in the academy where Ortiz toned his skills, winning numerous state and national titles in law enforcement competitions. Currently, Ortiz is the Commander of his Explorer Post, assisting to advise the next generation of Police Explorers. Ortiz will attend UTEP in the fall of 2019, majoring in Criminal Justice to pursue a career as an El Paso Police Officer.
Kameron Walker
Stella Adams Memorial Scholarship
I am an outgoing person who loves to play sports and get the job done. I was born in California and moved to El Paso in the summer of 2015.
Aaron Downing-Bold
Stella Adams Memorial Scholarship
I’ve never been the greatest student, athlete, or people person, but I have found that my ability to traverse across all three of these identities is what separates me from those around me. My story starts in a rural Southern Californian town with a thirtieth the population of El Paso. Given the opportunity to widen my horizons, I came to El Paso to experience a higher education and social atmosphere through my mother’s stationing in Fort Bliss. My whole family has some kind of law, law enforcement, or national security occupational experience, this being the environment I’m used to, this is now predictably what I want to do as well. So I successfully applied to UT Austin and will be pursuing my career there. I’ve had many people stick their necks out for me, and I feel it’s time to repay the favor.
