Scholar Stories: Angelica Ruvalcaba

Angelica Ruvalcaba is a recipient of the David Andrew Ramirez Memorial Scholarship sponsored by Austin Capital Area CLC. She is a native of Round Rock, TX and is majoring in Sociology at Texas A&M University- College Station. She is expecting to graduate in May of 2017.

"HSC has pushed me to become more independent, responsible, and outspoken. They have given me the skills and opportunities to become the leader I am today. This has enabled me to participate in multiple organizations,conferences, and events in which I was able to create a network with incredible peers and professors across the state of Texas."

As a first generation college student, Angelica faced unknown obstacles. With perseverance, she was able to face obstacles and continue her path of success.
"HSC has always been available for assistance. The staff has been a reliable resource for any college related question that I have had. HSC has also assisted me in networking with professionals in my future career; therefore allowing me to envision a bigger and brighter future than I had ever imagined that I would be able to reach."

At Texas A&M, Angelica is highly involved on campus. She is involved in an organization called "Council for Minority Student Affairs" that is focused on creating awareness about political and social issues that affect the minority community. "We inform and encourage youth in our community to continue their education. We are very active on campus in order to create positive impacts."

Angelica, along with some colleagues, was able to make a big impact on Latino studies and the Texas A&M curriculum. "We saw that Texas A&M was not properly offering courses that taught the impacts on Latinos in the United States, and therefore worked on getting signatures from students and faculty stating that they wanted a Latino and Mexican American Studies minor."

After months of working on the "Mexican American Studies" project, Angelica and her group was able to make an impact on campus. Starting Spring 2015, Texas A&M University was able to offer the Mexican American Studies minor.

In the future, Angelica wishes to travel as much as possible and prepare for her career as a Social Worker. "I believe that the more cultures I experience, the more tolerant and understanding I will become of those who differ from me. I would then like to take these experiences and apply it to my career. "

To donate to hard-working and deserving scholars like Angelica, please click here.

Scholar Stories: Gracia Arellano Manzanares

Gracia, a recipient of the Ben M. Sifuentes family scholarship, is pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin. She is majoring in English Literature and minoring in Latin American Studies.

As a first generation Latina college student, Gracia is excited to be graduating in May 2016. Although her undergraduate journey has not been without challenge, she has continued to persevere and work towards achieving her educational goals. Gracia’s undergraduate journey began at Williams College in the Fall 2011. Through the rigorous academics of the college and the emphasis on writing, Gracia learned to challenge herself and think analytically. At Williams, she also gained valuable leadership skills that shaped her character and motivated her to think about the impact individuals can make in a community. She was the Events Coordinator and Community Organizer of Vista, a Latino/a organization, for two years.

In March 2014, Gracia became a mother to a lovely and energetic baby boy who filled her life with new meaning and purpose. After taking a short semester break from school to enjoy the newborn months of her son, she resumed her studies in the Fall 2014 at The University of Texas at Austin. Balancing motherhood and full time studies has not been ideal at times, but Gracia has learned to manage her time to excel in her studies and spend time with her family.

After graduation, Gracia wants to start a career in education as an English Literature teacher. She hopes to inspire young minds to appreciate the power of words and the importance of writing. Gracia also wants to give back to her community by helping college bound students through the college application process. In her spare time, Gracia enjoys going on walks with her little family and writing lyrics and poems.

To donate to hard-working scholars like Gracia, please click here.

JTLPP: Winter Summit Re-Cap

WINTER SUMMIT: JANUARY 24,2015

After postponing the Winter Summit (the second session of the JTLPP) in early January due to inclement weather, the re-scheduled second session was held on Saturday, January 24th, 2015. The focus of the summit was on leadership, and ways to get students involved in their community. Another topic that was covered was overcoming the obstacles that could get in students’ way, especially for many that are future first generation college students.

During the session, students worked with an array of professionals in different workshops to understand the different ways they could grow as leaders. The speakers conducting the workshop sessions discussed how to turn student’s talents into strengths, how to identify the values that help shape who they are, and what obstacles may occur while trying to attain a higher education. Towards the end of the workshop, the high school students got the opportunity to sit with HSC scholars and interns to ask any questions they had about college. Many of the students stated that they were happy that they got the chance talk one-on-one with current university students about their experiences.

When asked about how the summit enriched their lives, a tenth grade student said that “leadership is not just something that you need to put on college or career applications but it is something you need to do in life” while another stated that these sessions were important to their future “because where I come, from I’m not expected to go to college”.

The next conference will be on March 28th, 2015 at the ACC Eastview Campus. For more information on the JTLPP go here.