4 HBAA Law School Student Scholars to Watch

About HBAA

HBAA (The Hispanic Bar Association of Austin) is "an organization of Latino lawyers who volunteer their time and energy towards the betterment of the Hispanic community in central Texas." It is an affiliate of the Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas as well as the Hispanic National Bar Association. Prior to being founded as HBAA in 1995, the organization was the Capital Area Mexican-American Lawyers (CAMAL). The organization is made up of members of the legal profession, which includes law students, local attorneys, government officials, law professors, legislators, judges, and lobbyists. Other members of the legal profession are also welcomed to join the organization. HBAA's mission statement is:

"To foster and encourage the involvement and interest of the Hispanic-American legal professional community in civic, professional, social, educational, charitable, governmental, and non-partisan political issues with a goal toward the betterment and enhancement of all members of the organization and the Austin area Hispanic community."

The Scholars 

The following are four law school students awarded scholarships by HBAA Foundation. Additionally, the HBAA Foundation awarded scholarships to 3 undergraduate students.

Lucie Arvallo

Lucie is in her third year of law school at St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. Throughout her law school experience, Lucie has succeeded academically and has proved her hard work in order to achieve her goals. In addition to her hard academic work, she has volunteered with her university to help feed the homeless at the St. Mary's Wellness Resource Outreach center.

Trevor Vega 

Trevor is in his third year of law school at the University of Texas School of Law, where he has proved to be an outstanding student. His first year he finished in the top 25% of his class, and he continued that trend by finishing his second year with a high GPA. In the summer, Trevor volunteered with Woolson Real Estate, helping families that still needed assistance after the horrible effects of Hurricane Harvey by cleaning yards and providing families with clothes and other items.

Nathan Salazar

Nathan is in his third year of law school at the Michigan State College of Law, where he has been working diligently to earn high marks. In the last school year, Nathan mentored and assisted a high school student regarding his college applications at Sidney Lanier High School in San Antonio, Texas.

Liz Moreno

Liz is in her third year of law school at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where she has been able to volunteer and thrive academically. During the spring semester, she volunteered once a week at Talcott Elementary by reading to 3rd graders. On campus at the School of Law, she is participating in the Juvenile Justice Clinic, serving as a 3L representative in the Student Bar Association.

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We cannot wait to see these bright students graduate in May 2019.

2015 HSC Summer Leadership Conference

Participants visit Charles Schwab  photo by Gabrielle A. Bernard

     HSC’s Summer Leadership Conference came to a close last Friday; here is a small recap of events for those who were not able to attend. The two day conference was held from July 30-31 at Austin Community College - Eastview Campus. Participating in the conference were current scholars, applicants for the coming fall, and current AISD high school students.  The two day conference was packed with sessions from speakers, alumni and Austin professional panels, and a special guest appearance.

Participants visit Applied Materials photo by Clara Neri

   

     The Summer Conference was formatted to accommodate scholars and applicants into a college track separate from AISD students who were placed into a high school track. These different tracks allowed for the scheduling of speakers, workshops, and events specific to these groups. College track students participated in sessions that covered a wide range of topics including self-awareness, empowerment, Latino identity, financial literacy, and ended with site visits.

Vince Young and applicant Michaela photo by Stephen Spillman

During the same time, high school track students participated in sessions including advice on college entrance exams, a panel by local industry professionals, a mini-mentoring sessions with HSC Scholars, and ended with a tour of St. Edward’s University. In addition to all the

speakers and events, HSC was also honored to host special guest, speaker and former NFL football quarterback, Vince Young. Overall, the conference was deemed a success with scholars, applicants, and AISD students walking away with positive feelings about their time spent.

Had an amazing day with @HispanicScholar 💛

— Avery (@avery3005) July 31, 2015

#hsclead15 I am moments away from SEALing my fate pic.twitter.com/VoO9875bn4

— Em (@Emily_Calderon4) July 31, 2015

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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.