聚焦系列:Ellen Galindo

帕洛阿尔托学院's annual scholarship fundraiser, ¡Una Nueva Celebración!, 筹得超过$1,000,000 in committed funds to directly support students, 教师, 员工继续接受教育. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) gave five full-ride scholarships (tuition, 房间, board) for 帕洛阿尔托学院 students to attend UTRGV upon completing their associate degrees. Ellen Galindo was selected as one of the scholarship recipients.

Just a few credits shy of earning her associate degree from 帕洛阿尔托学院, Ellen Galindo wasn't sure what her next step was going to be. She dreamed of becoming an occupational therapist, but she was having trouble identifying an affordable four-year university where she could continue to 工作 toward that dream.

Galindo learned about the UTRGV information session from her supervisor at 帕洛阿尔托学院's Ray Ellison Family Center, 她在那里做兼职. She decided to attend to learn more about the university and for the chance of receiving one of five full-ride scholarships they were awarding on-the-spot. Galindo said that she really liked what she learned about UTRGV, she would have considered attending even without the scholarship. But much to her surprise, she was one of the five students selected.

“这意味着很多. It's always been a struggle to try and figure out how we were going to be able to pay for me going to university,加林多说. "I really went into the [information session] not expecting to get anything... [Being chosen] was a big surprise and a big weight off my mom's shoulders and mine."

Galindo is the first in her family to attend college, though her mother always encouraged her to get whatever education she needed to achieve her dreams and make a better life for herself.

"My mom's support and encouragement and everything she knows I'm capable of is another reason why education is important to me,加林多说. “我想让她感到骄傲."

Even with the support at home, Galindo's college experience was not without its own trials. 当她刚上大学的时候, she split her time between being a full-time college student, 兼职工作, 还要照顾年迈的祖父母, 谁已经去世了.

"I want to create a future for myself that [my grandparents] would be proud of. The accomplishments I've had and the opportunity to receive this scholarship are things that I wish I could tell them,加林多说. “在杂耍学校一直是一个挑战, 工作, caring for them–and also dealing with the loss of both of them during my time here at PAC; but having the opportunity to take care of them only made me appreciate everything more and grow as a person."

Galindo said it will be hard to leave her family behind in 圣安东尼奥, 但她只有几个小时的路程. She is looking forward to living on campus and all of the learning that comes with it.

"The more you know and the experience opens opportunities and doors,加林多说. "It will be a good chance to test myself and the responsibility I think I have."

UTRGV承诺815美元,000 in total to support the five full-ride UTRGV scholarships for graduating PAC students ——艾伦·加林多 泰勒男妓, 艾米丽·哈蒙, 乔纳森•吉恩, Gabino Olalde –  while also committing 150 scholarships for employees to use toward their master's and doctoral degrees from UTRGV, 资助五名研究助理, 再加25美元,000 donation to the general PAC Scholarship Fund to support students currently attending 帕洛阿尔托学院.

Funding provided through valuable partnerships, 比如UTRGV, provides scholarships to help 帕洛阿尔托学院 students attain their educational goals. The 阿拉莫大学 Foundation facilitates over 40 scholarship opportunities, which students attending 帕洛阿尔托学院 or anywhere in the 澳门新葡京博彩区 can apply for with a single application. The 2019 scholarship application will open on Jan. 7, 2019. 要了解更多，请访问阿拉莫.edu/pac/scholarships.