Originally published April 24, 2015
By Nadia M. Whitehead
UTEP News Service
Fifteen outstanding high school seniors are all set for their first semester at The University of Texas at El Paso.
The group represents the University’s first class of Terry Scholars who each will receive full coverage of tuition, fees, books and living expenses.
“As soon as I read the news [in an email], I screamed and started crying,” said 18-year-old Terry Scholar Mariah Alvarez. “I called my mom and grandparents; it was all so exciting.”
The scholarships are thanks to a generous contribution from the Terry Foundation, whose goal is to improve and develop the State of Texas by supporting students to attend the state’s finest public universities.
The recipients, chosen from more than 700 applicants, are a dynamic group of students with top academic standings and accomplishments.
Alvarez, who graduates from Valle Verde Early College High School in May 2015, will enroll at UTEP with an associate degree already under her belt and jump straight into upper level courses. With the hope of earning an M.D. and Ph.D. in the future, Alvarez plans to pursue a bachelor’s in microbiology.
One of her greatest achievements as a high schooler was organizing El Paso’s Dancing with the Therapist with her mom.
“Instead of dancing with the stars, we started an event where children with disabilities dance with their psychiatrist, speech therapist or other specialist,” she said. “It’s a way to prove that children with disabilities can dance, perform and be in the spotlight, too.”
Alvarez also is a recipient of UTEP’s BUILDing Scholars scholarship, which trains incoming students to become future scientists.
Cross-country runner Carlos Diaz, who is ranked eighth in a class of more than 300 at El Paso High School, is another recipient of the Terry Scholarship.
As a young boy, Diaz experienced a difficult family situation when his father became hospitalized and paralyzed after breaking his neck. After watching his dad in a motorized wheelchair for the last few years, Diaz’s goal is to receive a degree in mechanical engineering.
“I know that I want to build things that could better peoples’ lives,” he said confidently.
One of Diaz’s biggest accomplishments thus far was being nominated by a Texas state senator for NASA’s High School Aerospace Scholars class in 2014. In the summer program at Johnson Space Center, he helped design a mission to Mars project under the direction of NASA engineers.
Diaz currently interns at a local engineering and architecture firm, where he assists with the design of a solar-powered farm that could provide electricity to the El Paso International Airport.
“Something that I’m really looking forward to is that the Terry Scholarship gives us the option of spending one semester of study abroad,” Diaz said. “I plan to take full advantage of that opportunity.”
Montwood High School senior Andrea Arizpe has her own set of talents.
Arizpe is fluent in French, Turkish, Spanish and English. She ranks 10th out of a class of 660 students and is the captain of the school’s varsity swimming team; she’s also a member of Mathletes.
With the aim of becoming a veterinarian, Arizpe plans to pursue a bachelor’s in biology or biochemistry at the University. The young woman already has experience in animal care. She has volunteered at a local vet office and will soon be trained and considered a veterinary technician.
Besides her clear academic success, Arizpe frequently volunteers at the animal shelter Pet Guardian Angel and helps her church plan bazaars and youth retreats.
“My tour of UTEP got me really excited to be a part of the great research that takes place there,” she said. “Researchers are studying things like cancer and I’m excited to get hands-on experience.”
She added, “UTEP is really an oasis in the desert.”
The other recipients of the Terry Scholarship are Joselyn Contreras, Yessica Delgado, Alejandro Diaz, Daniel Garcia, Marcel Gilley, Fernanda Guerra, Elizabeth Martinez, Melissa Murillo-Sanchez, Victoria Nevarez, Rebecca Ortiz, Leanna Peru and Angel Rodriguez.