Congratulations to Irving High School seniors Sheila Rodriguez and Selena Martinez for being named Dell Scholars. They are among only 500 students from across the country to be awarded the prestigious recognition.
Through the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, each scholar will receive a $20,000 scholarship, laptop and money for books from the program, which recognizes and assists an underserved population – students in the middle academically who are often among the first in their families to attend college.
In addition to the monetary award, the Dell Scholars program provides key resources including a support network to help scholars succeed; confidential counseling services; and financial-aid coaching.
Sheila plans to study nursing at Texas Woman’s University.
“Being a Dell Scholar means that I have been given the opportunity to persevere and work toward accomplishing each goal I’ve set for myself,” says Sheila. “It means that, despite economic hardships and other obstacles, I have the desire to continue to move forward and enrich myself both academically and emotionally.”
Selena plans to pursue a double major in business/accounting and finance from the University of Texas at Arlington.
“The scholarship gives me a greater opportunity to pursue my dreams of becoming a professional in finance,” she says. “The money will help pay for the classes for a double major.”
