When South Texas resident Gloria Lopez passed away last year, seven years after her husband Hector, she left behind a very generous gift. As they had no children, the couple left their entire fortune to the Hector and Gloria López Foundation.
The foundation was established to provide educational opportunities to Latino students in San Antonio and throughout South Texas. And this week, it was announced that the foundation had awarded $2.1 million to Texas A&M San Antonio to benefit 15 students who will be known as López Scholars.
Each Lopez Scholar will have their costs for tuition, fees, mentoring, tutoring, paid internships, leadership development, and much more covered for up to five years. In addition, the scholars will be chosen randomly, "meaning there is no application, minimum GPA, and no SAT/ACT score requirements."
“It’s so important that young Latinos see themselves at institutions of higher education and find a network of support that gets them across the stage with a degree that will boost their economic opportunities,” López Foundation president and CEO Sergio Rodríguez, the nephew of Hector and Gloria López.
The Lopez Foundation notes that there needs to be a focus on Latino education as "by 2030, Texas’ young workforce population (25-34) is expected to be 52% Latino. And yet, of Latino high school graduates, only 37% were confirmed to have enrolled in higher education in 2020, compared to 41% of all high school graduates."
Readers, what do you think of the work of the Lopez Foundation and the generosity of Hector and Gloria Lopez? What other support should be given to the Latino community in San Antonio and South Texas?
Please leave your comments below.
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