Scholar Stories: Alumni: Arturo Frausto

Arturo Frausto is a HSC Scholar Alumni from Austin, TX. He graduated from Texas State University with a Spanish Major and a International Studies Minor in 2013. He is currently employed as a New Construction Manager at KB Homes.

"HSC has helped gain confidence in my abilities to grow as a leader and a person. HSC has made me believe with personal effort and vision goals can be accomplished through actions, not just dreaming."

Arturo shares his current goals and his personal and educational plans for the future.
"My goal is to do my job well and strive as a construction manager to build rapport with vendors in the construction industry.In my personal life I strive to grow in virtues such as discipline, courage, decision making. In my academic career I have given a thought to go to Graduate School but I have not come across a career that interests me that would move me to apply."

Arturo shares some key advice that he learned from his time at Texas State University.
"My advice to college students would be strive to get your work done between 9 and 4 each day. If you do so, you’ll have time to get involved in different organization that will help you grow and meet new people. Go to your career services and build up your resume. Life gets real and reach out if you need it. Remember, you have to “make moves, make something happen, take action, do a little digging (find information about a topic) ask, ask ask!” You shouldn’t wait to be handed everything. (Advice from my career field).

To help create more leaders like Arturo, please donate here.

Scholar Stories: Alumni: Krysta Atkinson

Krysta Atkinson is an HSC Alumni who graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work  in 2012. She is a native of Killeen, TX and is currently employed as a Administrative/Scholarship Program Coordinator at UT-Austin.


"As a first generation student I was so thankful for the financial support from HSC. Decreasing the financial burden took a huge weight off my mother's shoulders and my own. Getting my bachelor's degree was such a great accomplishment for me and for my family. It was something my mother had always wanted for me. HSC contributed greatly to my professional development by teaching me how to interact/network with other professionals and excel in an interview situation. I can say that this knowledge helped me to gain the knowledge and skills I needed to be a working professional."

Krysta plans to continue with her education and earn a PhD as well as work with non-profit organizations.
"I would like to continue my education in a Master's program, and later a PhD program. I would like to work in the non-profit or government sector to contribute to public policy changes and funding for education and assisting low income families. I would continue to enjoy working with under represented students and supporting them with academic resources and mentoring."

"HSC, the staff and board members have a wealth of knowledge and experience - do not hesitate to use your resources.

Time management is probably one of the biggest skills I benefited from as a student - balancing my time well truly helped me to succeed."

To help fund student's dream of reaching their educational goals, donate here.

Scholar Stories: Nathaniel Buescher

Nathaniel is a recipient of the Hispanic Chamber Foundation Scholarship funded by Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. He attends Stanford University pursuing a Civil Engineering major and has been in the HSC Scholar program since 2013. Nathaniel is a native of Austin, TX.

"For many first-generation Hispanic students, applying to college is just half the battle. Finding ways to fund a college education and then beginning a journey that your family cannot relate to can prove to be an even more daunting task. However, when I thought I was alone to begin my college career, HSC was there to provide the network of support that I needed to become a successful student at Stanford University. Through professional development workshops, regular one-on-one advising sessions, internship/networking/research opportunities, and bi-annual leadership conferences for its scholars, HSC provides more than just financial aid. They provide the tools and resources that not only ensure that Hispanics are going to college, but that they graduate to become high achieving individuals in whatever they choose to do. HSC has given me the confidence to thrive throughout my first year at Stanford University!"

This past summer, Nathaniel had the opportunity to volunteer in Quito, Ecuador through Stanford's Volunteers in Latin America (VILA) program. He spent two months with other volunteers to organize and implement summer programs for street children in the city. Additionally, Nathaniel returned to Austin and volunteered at HSC's Junior Texas Leadership Pipeline Conference. At the conference, Nathaniel shared his experiences as a first-generation college student and how he holds many leadership roles on-campus as a freshman.

Nathaniel is currently pursing a B.S in Civil Engineering in order to prepare him for work in water resourcing for developing communities where water is scarce. He also plans to stay involved in helping other first-generation, low-income students overcome the obstacles that they face during their journey to higher education.

To help other scholars like Nathaniel, please donate here.

Scholar Stories: Edilberto Alvarez

Edilberto is the recipient of the Roberto T. Chapa Sr. Memorial Scholarship sponsored by Fiesta de Independencia. He is studying Kinesiology at the University of Texas-At San Antonio. Edilberto is the first in his family to go to college. 


"HSC has helped me achieve my goals by not only providing me with financial support through scholarships, but also with the guidance they have given me in accomplishing my goal of being able to succeed in college. HSC staff have been great mentors to every single one of us scholars. Hearing their success stories and providing us with tips on how to succeed in and after college has been really helpful in pushing me to achieve my goals." 

Edilberto has not let the obstacle of being a 1st generation college student stop him in his goal of graduating in 2016. Last year, he worked multiple jobs while maintaining his schoolwork and involvement in the Psychology Club at UTSA. Edilberto shows great perseverance through his studies and HSC is proud of all of his accomplishments!

Student Stories: Daisy Aguirre

Daisy has been in the HSC Scholar program since 2012. She is a recipient of the Dr. Janis Guerrero Thompson Memorial Scholarship. She currently pursuing a degree in Bilingual Elementary Education at the The University of Texas at Austin. 


"HSC has motivated me to keep my grades up and give to the community. HSC enforces community service and has motivated me to volunteer and get experience. I have volunteered at schools, helping the students with their work. It has helped me prepare for my future as a teacher."

Daisy credits HSC for her hard-work and perseverance throughout school. "HSC requires a strong GPA in order to maintain our scholarships. I study in advance, as well as do my homework ahead of time, which has helped me be a better student." Daisy is preparing to graduate May of 2016. After graduation, Daisy hopes to become Bilingual Elementary teacher in Austin.