The impact of the Lone Star College-CyFair experience was felt most when life-altering events occurred in the families of Nancy Ortega and Adrian Zepeda.
Attendees at the recent Chancellor’s Donor Appreciation Luncheon (formally known as the Chancellor’s Breakfast) heard several recipients, including Zepeda, share their inspiring stories as 14 scholarship students total from across the system were recognized in the LSC Foundation’s 27th student essay contest.
Zepeda, who felt left behind and envious as his friends went off to four-year universities, discovered on Sept. 9, 2019, the reason he was meant to attend LSC-CyFair. His younger brother was hit by a drunk driver in a car accident that required two cranial surgeries and left him in a coma for three weeks. Zepeda was grateful to be able to drive to the hospital every day and watch after the house every night while his parents remained at his brother’s side.
“Had I not attended Lone Star (which offered a welcoming environment as well as advising and tutoring resources), I likely would not have had such a flexible schedule that allowed me the opportunity to both be with my family in a way I have never needed so badly before,” he said. “I have the utmost gratitude for the opportunity to attend an institution, which not only fostered a flourishing academic environment for me, but also allowed me to tend to my family in the hours in which it was needed the most without having to sacrifice academics.”
Ortega, her 5-year-old daughter and her fiancée left their families in California when they moved 1,500 miles away to Katy, Texas about a year ago. This 24-year-old mother was only a month into her first semester at LSC-CyFair when her own mother had to have her uterus surgically removed the same week in which three of her five classes had exams. Ortega was hesitant to ask about rescheduling the exams, however the professors not only worked with her, all five professors asked about her mother upon her return.
“A little detail like that can mean so much to someone, and in that moment in time, I felt cared for. They all had the right to not let me take those tests, but they were so understanding. And, for the first time in one year of living here, my heart felt warm,” said Ortega. “Lone Star College will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve learned that beyond the education, there stands a college that sincerely wants you to succeed in life.”
Both Zepeda and Ortega plan to transfer to the University of Houston to pursue a business management degree and a criminal justice with a specialization in psychology, respectively.
In addition to Zepeda and Ortega from LSC-CyFair, the other scholarship essay winners include: Eric Garcia and Jonathan Monterosa from LSC-Houston North; Raul Peralta and Karina Pina from LSC-Kingwood; Adrian Aguirre and Prisca Mongare from LSC-Montgomery; Jesse Alvarez and Martha Rabadan from LSC-North Harris; Angus Penland and Dejah Serna from LSC-Tomball; and Dylan Garcia and Thomeka Ramirez from LSC-University Park.
Each of the essay winners received $1,000 scholarships made possible thanks to the generosity of LSC Foundation donors and supporters. From a $20,000 donation at inception, the LSC Foundation’s assets have grown to more than $30 million at the end of 2019. In 2018-2019, the LSC Foundation awarded $1.5 million in scholarships to nearly 1,500 students.
For information on other foundation events, go to LoneStarCollegeFoundation.org. For information on LSC-CyFair, go to LoneStar.edu/Cyfair.