Scholar Stories: Alumni: Angie M. Bautista-Chavez

Just two years ago Angie M. Bautista-Chavez was a senior at Rice University graduating with Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Policy Studies. Now, she is in her third year as a Ford Foundation Fellow in the Department of Government at Harvard University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D in American Politics with a focus on race, ethnicity, immigration, and minority representation. As an undergraduate, Angie was not only a HSC Scholar, but also received the American Political Science Association Minority Fellowship, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, and the 2012 Motty Rich Scholarship for Outstanding Service.

As impressive as all her accomplishments are, she was once just a regular high school senior with fears and anxiety about college. Angie is a first generation college student in her Mexican immigrant family. Even now as a Ph.D. student she remembers too well the struggles of applying and graduating from college during her undergraduate years. Angie still recalls the friction between her dreams of college and pressures from her family, “I think a lot of first generation children of immigrants feel pressure from their family. My parents at first didn’t want me to go because they were scared of me moving away.” Angie remembers the anxiety of making the decision to go to college, but she says with the encouragement of her high school teachers and the assistance from HSC she was able to overcome it. She says, “A big moment for me was when I got into HSC and one of the first things you do is go to your first leadership conference. This was really big for me because it was the first time I had seen a room full of Latino(a) leaders. It was the first time I felt proud of being Latina.”

Angie also believes that her passion for community outreach was strongly influenced by her time in the HSC Scholars Program. “I’m just really glad that I was a part of HSC at the beginning of my undergrad. It really shaped those four years. HSC’s mission to not only provide financial support but create leaders in the community really stuck with me.” As an undergraduate, Angie was a part of several community impact and outreach programs including DREAM-Achievement through Mentorship, a Rice University mentoring program that pairs University students studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) majors with small groups of high school students. There she managed and led the program’s logistics and mentoring teams at Chavez High School in Houston, TX, and administered physics lessons herself as head-mentor. She was also president of a program that focused on teaching adults English.

Angie’s passions have now translated into her career choice. After receiving her Ph.D, Angie plans to continue as a researcher and become a professor at a top university. Angie is constantly checking back in with HSC to see how she can help support HSC scholars even though she lives halfway across the country. She has provided resume tips and checklists for applying to graduate school. Angie is a model of the HSC Scholars Program mission and we are so proud to have her as part of the family.

Junior Texas Leadership Pipeline Program Re-Cap

In collaboration with Austin ISD, City of Austin and Austin Energy, Jr Texas Leadership Pipeline Program,a year long program,brings high school students from across the district for quarterly sessions focused on identity, college and career readiness, service, academic success and leadership.

The first session of the Junior Texas Leadership Pipeline Program was held on Saturday November 22, 2014. The focus for the first session was for the students to learn more about different colleges around the area and to start thinking about other college-related topics such as majors and financial aid.

During the session, students collaborated together to understand the meaning of leadership. Through hands-on and group activities, students discovered new ways that they could grow as leaders in their lives, classrooms and communities. Service was another concept that was focused on during the conference. As a group, students brainstormed ideas on ways that they could engage with their community.
The next conference will be held on January 10th, 2015 during HSC's Winter Summit. High school students will have a chance to network with current HSC scholars and will also have the opportunity to tour the ACC Eastview campus.  

For more information on the Jr. Texas Leadership Pipeline Program, click here.   
                                                               

 "My vision for the future: become a good person who helps others. have a great job that really makes me feel complete, and have a family." -Diana, 10th Grade

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Scholar Stories: Nathan Salazar

Nathan Salazar is a current HSC Scholar from Lubbock, TX. He is pursuing a Master of Arts in Political Science at Texas State University. His expected graduation rate is May 2015. He is a recepient of the "State Representative Irma Rangel Memorial Scholarship."

"HSC and the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin have and continue to play an integral part in my pursuit of higher education.Both, HSC and the HBAA, understand the importance of taking the time to listen to their members; thus allowing them to enlist future leaders from a diverse set of backgrounds. This time investment has been crucial to my success because it has allowed me to tell my story, as a Texan with Mexican roots, from a low-income community."


Regardless of being a first generation college student, Nathan overcame many obstacles in order to achieve successfully. 

"For the most part, I have faced many obstacles as a first generation college student. For me, a major issue I have overcame is the awareness of the numberless resources available to students. From emotional guidance to financial aid advice, students must make themselves aware of how the hidden and inner workings of higher education operate. Doing so, has allowed me to adapt and use education as a tool. A tool that I have learned to use at its upmost effectiveness to achieve my duty as a productive, pro-active member of my community."


Other than being a full-time student, Nathan stays actively involved at Texas State University by completing internships, serving as a writing tutor, and staying involved with Leadership programs. "Currently, I am involved in Texas State’s Leadership Capstone Program, which is geared towards exploring the complexities of leadership.Thus far, the program has allowed me to refine my leadership skills in preparing myself for future leadership roles and has given me the opportunity to continue service to others."


In the future, Nathan hopes to go to Law School and study international law and Human Rights to become a practicing lawyer. After Law school, Nathan hopes to go back to school and attain a PhD in Political Science.

To help fund Nathan's dream of going to Law School, please 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: Adrianne Waddell

Adrianne is a third-year law student at the University of Texas School of Law with an interest in Oil and Gas Law, Environmental Law, and Intellectual Property Law. She received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Rice University in 2012. Adrianne has been an HSC Scholar since 2008. As an undergraduate student, she received the Hispanic Chamber Foundation Scholarship through the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Upon entering law school, she was awarded the State Representative Irma Rangel Memorial Scholarship funded by the Hispanic Bar Association- Austin. 

Adrianne at Rice graduation.

"HSC has supported my goals throughout my undergraduate and graduate career. HSC has enabled me to achieve these goals through it's leadership programming, support, and amazing network of professionals and resources.  My success as a student, leader, and professional are in part due to my experience as an HSC Scholar."

While in law school, Adrianne has served as President of the Chicano Hispanic Law Students’ Association and is currently Development Editor of the Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal. Adrianne has clerked for the Travis County District Courts and Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody in Austin, TX. Prior to her third year, she will be working as a legal intern for Pioneer Natural Resources in Irving and Fletcher Yoder in Houston.

Adrianne was recently selected to be a Ms.JD Fellow! Ms.JD, a national organization, selected Adrianne based on her academic performance, leadership, and dedication to advancing the status of women in the profession of law.  Adrianne also gives back to HSC by serving on the HSC Alumni Association Executive Board. She is a great example of leadership and academic excellence that HSC embodies. We could not be more proud of Adrianne and all of her accomplishments.