Fifteen SAISD seniors have been selected to become part of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s 2020 Dell Scholars cohort. Highlands High School’s Kalisha Jones along with Travis Early College High School’s Daisy Almanza, Yasmin Banuelos, Jeremiah Carmona, Marco Escamilla, Abcde Espinoza, Laysha Garcia, Ashley Pennix, Cuauhtemoc Rodriguez, Holanda Saldivar, Yadira Silva, Luis Torres, and Laura Vazquez and Young Women’s Leadership Academy’s Lola Sanchez and Maria Garcia have been selected for this life-changing opportunity.
“This is such an inspiring celebration for our students and our community. I am beyond proud that our students earned 15 of only 500 Dell Scholarship awards in the entire nation!” said Dr. Eduardo “Lalo” Sesatty, director, SAISD Postsecondary Initiatives. “I am also grateful to the Dell Scholars organization for sharing our strong belief in our students’ ability and potential. Congratulations to the Dell Scholars from the Class of 2020. We cannot wait to see you change the world!”
The Dell Scholars program targets low-income, highly-motivated students who demonstrate the drive to succeed despite personal obstacles. Students must be a part of a college prep program such as AVID to qualify to apply for this $20,000 award package. Through the AVID elective, teachers, counselors and college bound advisors work with seniors to apply for this scholarship and share their personal journeys of perseverance on their path to college.
“The Dell Scholars Program continues AVID’s work by not only providing financial assistance but also establishing a network of support for students through college and beyond,” said Cynthia Martinez, SAISD AVID coordinator. “AVID Dell Scholars are an inspiration because they embody the heart of AVID: the power of personal commitment and persistence and we are proud to recognize the accomplishments of these hard-working students!”
According to the Dell website, unlike other scholarship providers, Dell scholars have much more flexibility to better leverage these funds along with other financial aid they may receive. For example, if a student receives another scholarship that only covers tuition and fees, the Dell Scholars award money can be used to pay for different expenses, like textbooks. Sometimes a student will receive more than one scholarship. But if all awards are restricted for tuition only, that student must choose a scholarship and potentially lose much-needed funds for college life. The flexibility of Dell Scholar funds is meant to address this issue—called “award displacement.”
Additionally, Dell funds can be used for summer school, when financial aid such as the Pell Grant isn’t available. Students can use their Dell Scholars award for study abroad programs and internship stipends, so they can start to build a résumé in their college years.
Not only does the financial portion of the award help students with various education expenses but Dell Scholars are also provided with key supports to help them obtain a college degree including confidential counseling, financial aid coaching, work-life solutions, and support staff with similar experiences.
Since starting the program in 2004, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has supported 5,000 scholars, including more than 2,000 college graduates. Dell Scholars are 25 percent more likely to earn their bachelor’s degrees within four to six years of high school graduation compared to students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
Below is where the SAISD Dell Scholars plan to attend college.
Highlands High School
Kalisha Jones - UT Austin
Travis Early College High School
Daisy Almanza - UTSA
Yasmin Banuelos - Texas Tech University
Jeremiah Carmona - UTSA
Marco Escamilla - Texas Tech University
Abcde Espinoza - Texas Tech University
Laysha Garcia - UT Austin
Ashley Pennix - Texas Tech University
Cuauhtemoc Rodriguez - UTSA
Holanda Saldivar - UTSA
Yadira Silva - The Art Institute: Chicago
Luis Torres - University of Houston: Victoria
Laura Vazquez - University of the Incarnate Word
Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Lola Sanchez - Loyola University - New Orleans
Maria Garcia - Massachusetts Institute of Technology