As she walked down the hall, Tyler High School senior, Adriana Higuera, saw a lot of fanfare in the school’s lobby and wondered what all the hype was about. As she got closer, her counselor revealed the hype was for her! Adriana quickly realized what the excitement was all about. Adriana joins three Tyler ISD seniors from Legacy High School in earning Presidential Fellow Scholarships from The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler). The Presidential Fellow Scholarship covers full tuition, fees, books, room, and board for each student.
Currently ranked second in her class, Adriana is very active in campus organizations and is a member of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. Now, she will become a first-generation college student. The emotional embrace she received from her father showed the pride he felt for his daughter’s accomplishment.
Adriana says she is excited about staying close to her family and her hometown. “UT Tyler has an excellent pharmacy program; it is one of the top schools here in Texas. And, my sister went there (UT Tyler) too, so I know it is a great school.”
Graduating from Tyler ISD’s health sciences program at the Career and Technology Center, Adriana will soon test for her Pharmacy Technician certification. It’s the first step on her journey to major in Biology and ultimately earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
“Through the CTC program, we are preparing for the Pharmacy Technician certification test in April,” Adriana said. “This class is what made me believe that pharmacy is for me. We also get to shadow pharmacists, and I am at Brickstreet Pharmacy now. I like being there, I like the environment, and I like the people, so I know pharmacy is for me.”
Legacy High School seniors Henry Jones, Maria Kellermann-Jimenez, and Christopher Whitmore were also surprised with the scholarship honors in front of their immediate family members and Legacy administrators.
Henry and Maria are very familiar with the UT Tyler campus. Henry’s cousin was on the school’s national championship baseball team, and Maria’s older sister is a UT Tyler graduate and is currently working on her doctorate there. Christopher aspires to be an engineer and is excited about the various engineering fields he could explore.
To be considered for the scholarship, students must earn a minimum score of ACT 29 or SAT 1350, hold a 3.00 or higher GPA, submit scholarship and FAFSA applications, and complete an interview.
For the scholarship to renew each year over the four years, students must complete 15 credit hours at UT Tyler for the semester(s) awarded, maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA at UT Tyler, and participate in the Presidential Fellow student service program, and remain in good standing.
For more information or background on a specific Presidential Fellow student, contact Jennifer Hines at 903-262-1064.
