The Houston Hispanic Architects & Engineers association on Thursday awarded $14,000 in scholarships to four seniors graduating from Carnegie Vanguard, Lamar, Bellaire, and Booker T. Washington high schools.
From left: HISD seniors Michael Ortiz, Bianca Rubio, and David Valerio. Not pictured: Jasper Gregory.
The students, who all will be majoring in engineering and architecture, expressed a desire to make a difference in their communities and give back when they enter their chosen career fields. Each student had the opportunity to address the nearly 80 attendees at the association’s luncheon.
“I want to pursue aerospace engineering, and I feel like that major will help me reach my ultimate goal, which is to be able to benefit people,” said Michael Ortiz, who attends Washington High School and will go to Texas A&M University in the fall. “I think engineering will help me achieve that, and this scholarship will definitely help.”
HISD Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla, along with former Harris County Sheriff and Houston mayoral candidate Adrian Garcia, helped present the scholarships to the seniors. Bobadilla highlighted the district’s efforts to build 21st century schools that are flexible and support modern teaching techniques and technology.
HISD Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla
“We know that as students prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, employers are looking for different skill sets, so we have to provide facilities that support that type of learning,” Bobadilla said. “I’m very excited to say that since the 2012 bond passed, we have nearly half a billion dollars’ worth of work underway throughout the district to rebuild many of our high schools.”
Other students who received scholarships were:
- David Valerio, Carnegie Vanguard High School, majoring in Engineering at Texas A&M
- Jasper Gregory, Lamar High School, majoring in Architecture at Texas A&M
- Bianca Rubio, Bellaire High School, majoring in Engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy