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The quality and determination of so many of the scholarship students is shown by the following. Some students who were given
very small stipends by the Foundation have begun by working part time and taking a couple of courses and have subsequently
been sufficiently resourceful to earn masters degrees!!!!
In fact, the quality of the students generated through the scholarship selection process has exceeded the Board's highest
expectations. This is evidenced in the experiences of several students earning scholarships in the past as well as in recent
years:
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| A ribbon-cutting at Sunset High School |
Sample Awardees
The progress of Lucy Davila (1997) illustrates how very much an incentive scholarship can do for these bright, deserving students.
She used her initial award to begin to prepare to be a teacher, enrolling in Dallas County Community College in the fall,
1997. Some six months later, she notified the Board that she would not be expending the entire scholarship award of $1700
in the 1997-98 school year and requested that she be allowed to use the remainder in the 1998-99 school year. The Board unanimously
and wholeheartedly approved her request. Her progress was so good that she was given a second award as a student teacher,
which enabled her to graduate in 2002 from Texas Women's University to become a teacher in the Dallas Independent School district.
The obvious result is that the $1700 scholarship helped significantly as a springboard to her college education.
Silvia Alvarado (1998) indicated to the Board at the time of her award that she could afford to attend Dallas County Community
College "on her own" for the first part of her college education as a result of other scholarship awards. She requested
that the Board reserve her stipend for later use. The Board happily agreed. She later used the Foundation's award at St. Mary's
University, performing extremely well as a computer engineering major and graduating in 2004.
Veretta Jacobs (1999) used her initial $1,500 award to become a dance major at Ranger Junior College. The Board was sufficiently
impressed with her progress that it provided an additional $1,000 award for her second year.
Tracy Brown Veliz (2000), a highly articulate and confident student, used her $1,250 award to enroll in Stephen F. Austin
State University. Wisely realizing that away-from-home expenses could threaten her educational future, she returned to Dallas
to continue her academic work after completing the initial semester at Stephen F. Austin State University. She is attending
the University of Texas at Arlington.
Veronica Palos (2001) received a full paid scholarship to Florida State University (not by Sunset Foundation). Veronica
was Student Body President and a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society among many other
leadership roles at Sunset. Veronica's family had very little income to help support Veronica's dream of attending college.
The flexibility of the Sunset Foundation allowed Veronica to use her Foundation funds to purchase air travel, as she did not
have the necessary resources to attend orientation. Veronica is still at FSU and plans to graduate in 2005.
Sylvia Esparza (2001) attended Dallas County Community College for 60 hours, received her Associates Degree, and is presently
attending Texas A&M University at Commerce (Dallas campus) with an expected graduation Spring 2007.
Laura (Martinez) Garza (2001) attended Dallas County Community College for 60 hours, transferred to the University of
North Texas and is planning graduation Spring, 2006.
Jesse Urizar (2002) is attending the University of Texas at Dallas and is expected to graduate in 2006.
Melissa Castillo (2002) and Ms. Yadira Velazquez (2003) chose to attend Dallas County Community College with plans to
attend four-year institutions.
Tabitha Gutierrez (2003) is attending Austin College, where she participated in the
overseas program in Portugal during the Summer of 2004. She is expected to graduate in 2006.
Christina Puga (2003) chose to attend Harvard University and is expected to graduate in 2007.
Ana Lucero (2003) chose to attend Brigham Young University and is expected to graduate in 2007.
Ms. Michelle Lopez (2003) chose to attend the University of Texas, Pan American, and is expected to graduate in 2007.
Next: Recipients
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