Two 2023 Scholarship Recipients Awarded Four Years of College Tution Plus Living Expenses

Alondra Garcia, Westbury High School, Houston, TX
Texas A&M University Class of 2027

Living with her parents and younger sister in Houston, Texas, Alondra has worked hard to achieve her dreams of attending college. Her parents supported her academic dreams, while working hard to raise a young family and send money to family members living in Honduras. This year, Alondra will begin the next step in her journey to becoming a NICU Nurse when she joins the class of 2027 at Texas A&M University. To achieve her career dreams of providing around-the-clock care to Texas’ smallest babies, she’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing and pass the state’s neonatal certificate exam.

Hard work isn’t new to Alondra, who started working at a fast food establishment as a high school student, putting in more than 40 hours per week in the summer months. She moved up quickly to trainer and then manager at the age of 16 in her first job, showing her commitment to working hard and saving money for college. Her commitment to continuing her education also includes participation in college prep programs Ignite and EMERGE while attending Westbury High School in Houston, TX.

"I am so close to achieving my academic goals, but my financial situation prevents me from being able to afford the education necessary to make my dreams a reality. My selection by the Doug Miller and Don Sanders Scholarship Fund is essential to reaching my career goals."
– Alondra Garcia, 2023 Recipient of the Doug Miller and Don Sanders Scholarship

Sarahi Gomez, Sharpstown High School, Houston, TX
Texas Woman’s University Class of 2027

While living with her older sister and finishing high school in Houston, Sarahi Gomez is far away from her parents living in Mexico. Raised in Texas until the age of 10, Sarahi moved with her parents to Mexico, where she faced poor educational opportunities in their small rural town. After five years, Sarahi moved back to Houston to live with her sister, just in time for high school. Journaling has helped her share her feelings and focus on her goals, while growing up fast. While holding two part time jobs to help relieve financial pressures as she and her sister lived paycheck-to-paycheck, Sarahi continued to excel in her studies at Sharpstown High School.

This year, Sarahi will attend Texas Woman’s University, starting the next step in her educational career. She hopes to be the first member of her family to finish college and plans to become a dental hygienist. Before getting braces herself, Sarahi was insecure about her appearance and even tried to hide her smile. Researching dental care and orthodontics options at a young age sparked her interest in dentistry as a career. "I want to be able to help others maintain healthy teeth, have a great smile, and be confident in themselves. I have been working hard to save up for college, but part time jobs are not enough. This scholarship will allow me to focus on my studies at Texas Woman’s University and get involved in the school community."
– Sarahi Gomez, 2023 Recipient of the Doug Miller and Don Sanders Scholarship