Transforming Together
Donors
Students
Odalys Almanza
The College of Health Affairs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is paving the way for an extraordinary future in health care. With your support, we can achieve even more.
Our students have access to 25 innovative educational programs. They are gaining valuable experience through labs that simulate real-life situations, and making important discoveries through their research. Students in our School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling are helping our disabled community lead full and rewarding lives.
We are creating promising opportunities for students like Odalys Almanza, a junior in the Rehabilitation Services and Counseling program. Odalys sees a bright future in partnering animals with the people who need them for therapy, such as children with autism or veterans with PTSD.
“I wanted to help people and I love animals. I found this amazing field that combines both of them together and I just fell in love with it.”- Odalys Almanza
Will you join our mission to grow leaders in health services, education and research? Your gift of any size will help our students, like Odalys, who are working hard to improve the quality of life for our friends and neighbors.
Odalys Almanza
College of Health Affairs
James Aranda
The College of Engineering and Computer Sciences at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley weaves compassion and community with advanced technology. It’s learning with an important purpose, to improve lives and encourage progress. With your support, our students will have an even greater impact on our region and our world.
Top faculty in the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences take students beyond the books, giving them real-life opportunities for learning. They have access to our extraordinary research centers, including the Nanotechnology Center of Excellence where students are exploring the development of polymeric and nanoparticle materials.
The College of Engineering and Computer Sciences is creating hands-on experiences for students like James Aranda, a mechanical engineering graduate student. He’s already using his engineering expertise as part of the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS).
“I work with the bearing health monitoring system. It detects if a bearing is bad and will tell you if you have to stop the train. It reduces the amount of train derailments. My work here has helped with my development as a future engineer in transportation design, my true passion.” -James Aranda
Will you join our mission to grow leaders in engineering and computer science? Your gift of any size will help students, like James, design tomorrow’s life-changing technology.
James Aranda
College of Engineering and Computer Sciences
Mayela Cantu
The College of Education and P-16 Integration at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is preparing future educators to be leaders and innovators in the classroom. With your support, our students will continue to empower our communities through education.
Students in the College of Education and P-16 Integration are going beyond the books with hands-on technology, research, internships, and community service experiences. Through the Step Up Program, they are inside classrooms, exploring the field of teaching before graduation.
We are creating promising opportunities for students like Mayela Cantu, a senior on her way to becoming a bilingual elementary school teacher. Through a Step Up partnership, Mayela is going from theory to practice in a second grade classroom.
“The second-graders I work with are starting to explore their independence. They’re curious and enthusiastic. As their teacher, I want to harness that enthusiasm and give them confidence in learning.”-Mayela Cantu
Will you join our mission to grow dedicated teachers, administrators, and counselors? Your gift of any size will help students, like Mayela, become the engaged and effective educators our communities need.
Mayela Cantu
College of Education and P-16 Integration
Gabriela Chapa
The College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley equips students with critical thinking skills to solve complex problems. With your support, our students will continue to use their diverse insight to change the world.
Students in the College of Liberal Arts are tomorrow’s innovators in communications, criminal justice, psychology, political science, and so much more. They are learning to think globally and are engaged in important research.
We are creating promising opportunities for students like Gabriela Chapa, a Liberal Arts sophomore. She sees a bright future in forensic anthropology.
“I want to work with law enforcement to help solve cases and identify bone remains. Bones tell a story. I really appreciate how bones can tell you what happened to someone and when. It can be sad. But, this also brings closure to families.”- Gabriela Chapa
Will you join our mission to grow leaders in the humanities and social sciences? Your gift of any size will help our students, like Gabriela, who want to contribute to their communities in a meaningful way.
Gabriela Chapa
College of Liberal Arts
Jared Eaves
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine believes in learning with a purpose. That’s why our students go beyond the books and in to our communities to see health care in action. With your generous support, UTRGV School of Medicine students will continue to improve access to health services in our region.
The School of Medicine creates hands-on learning experiences in the Simulation Hospital, equipped with the latest in medical simulation technology. Students shadow medical professionals in local hospitals and in a mobile health clinic that services impoverished areas.
First year medical student Jared Eaves organized a flu clinic in a low-income area. Jared says real-life outreach initiatives are key to his medical training.
“I want to be the voice for patients. As a physician, you are an advocate. You get this exclusive access to actually produce change. I think that’s what this area needs. We need advocates. We need doctors who want to improve health care.” –Jared Eaves
Will you join our mission to grow compassionate and skilled leaders in medicine and health care? Your gift of any size will help students, like Jared, make their communities healthier and stronger.
Jared Eaves
School of Medicine
Mia Infante
The College of Sciences at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is preparing future leaders in the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and more. With your support, we can have a greater impact on tomorrow’s scientific breakthroughs.
Students in the College of Sciences are learning in state-of-the-art facilities from top faculty. They have access to extraordinary research centers, including The Center for Advanced Radio Astronomy where they are getting hands-on experience developing technology for space exploration.
The College of Sciences is creating promising opportunities for students like Mia Infante, a senior in the School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences. Through a summer internship, Mia discovered her passion for oceanography.
“Our oceans are fragile. I want to bring awareness to this. I want to focus on the physics of oceanography, maintaining the temperature, salinity, and density of the water. When the ocean becomes acidic, that changes marine life.”-Mia Infante
Will you join our mission to grow leaders in science, space exploration, and mathematics? Your gift of any size will help students, like Mia, make a difference for our community and our planet.
Mia Infante
College of Sciences
Sara Stubbs
The Honors College at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley serves academically talented and ambitious students, pursuing various fields of study. With your support, we can continue to recruit the best and brightest students and foster a community that values learning.
Honors College students take rigorous courses that prepare them for the real-world challenges they will face in their careers. They have opportunities for internships, fellowships, networking, leadership roles, study abroad trips and much more.
The Honors College motivates students like Sara Stubbs, a pre-med senior, to harness their strengths and explore their abilities.
“I was always the type of student to push myself, challenge myself academically. I love being competitive inside the classroom. The Honors College gives me that great opportunity to keep challenging myself. I know I will be well prepared to enter medical school.”-Sara Stubbs
Will you join our mission to encourage gifted students to reach their highest potential? Your gift of any size will help students, like Sara, use their knowledge to improve our communities and our world.
Sara Stubbs
Honors College
Daniel Warner
The Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is preparing future leaders in the fields of Accounting, Economics, Finance, International Business, and more. With your support, our students will use their business skills to have a global impact.
Vackar students are landing top internships, presenting their work at national conferences and networking with business experts. Our exceptional faculty take students beyond the books, with real-world experiences that will help them succeed after graduation.
The Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship is creating promising opportunities for students like Daniel Warner, a senior marketing major. Last year, Daniel and his team were part of a national marketing competition that he describes as “life changing.”
“We went to New Orleans and presented our findings at a conference in front of representatives from the Hershey Company. I had never been to a conference like that. It helped me strengthen my skills and realize how much I enjoy all facets of marketing. The best part was we placed third, nationally!” -Daniel Warner
Daniel is now looking forward to a summer internship with Intel in Oregon.
Will you join our mission to grow tomorrow’s business professionals? Your gift of any size will help students, like Daniel, use their ideas and knowledge to expand business opportunities regionally and globally.
Daniel Warner
Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Alexandra Alaniz
Dear Friends,
I am a first generation college student and a woman in the competitive field of mechanical engineering. As a child, I dreamed of working for NASA. I still envision myself at NASA, or even SpaceX, sitting in mission control, counting down and leading a launch into space, or designing space vehicles. Your gift will help to transform my dreams into reality.
Engineering inspires me. I have challenged myself to learn and grow every day. Last year, I spent a semester in Huntsville, Alabama working on a deep space habitat that NASA will use for astronauts headed to Mars. Donors made it possible for me to work as a NASA intern, gaining hands-on experience and pushing boundaries. My time at UTRGV has been filled with transformative experiences that have changed how I see the world and my wish is for other students to have these same opportunities.
UTRGV is launching me toward my dream job, with innovative programs, rigorous academics and dedicated faculty. Every gift in support of scholarships, programs, research and student activities in the College of Engineering helps students like me to build a future and a better life for residents of the Rio Grande Valley.
Donors are critical to the success of students just like me. Your gift will increase opportunities for students who aspire to be engineers, architects and computer programmers who will transform the Rio Grande Valley and the world. The gift you make today will power transformative change and real-world opportunities for students in the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science. You can visit us online at give.utrgv.edu/donatenow to put your gift to work immediately.
Will you join UTRGV in changing lives and giving students like me the opportunity to reach for the stars?
Sincerely,
Alexandra Alaniz
UTRGV Class of 2017
Alexandra Alaniz
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Melissa Alatorre
Dear Friends,
As a child, my drawings won art contests, and now my creativity is opening doors for my future career. As a graphic design major in the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, my lifelong passion and love for art is giving me new opportunities in a thriving field, and I am excited to use art as a way to transform the world we live in.
Art is all around us. From your daily television viewing to advertisement, from hospice care to the clothes you wear, Art is the foundation of beauty.
The arts encompass a wide range of interests and professions, and I am inspired by the dedicated students I meet every day pursuing degrees in music, dance, theatre and writing. Our College provides a platform for us to develop new forms of expression and generous donors provide the support and resources we need to become tomorrow’s leaders in a dynamic industry.
Donors who support the College of Fine Arts are inspiring students like me every day. Thanks to private donations, I have access to the latest design programs and technology, including a 3D printer.
Students in the College of Fine Arts rely on your gifts to create, inspire and integrate the arts into daily life. The contribution you make today might inspire a future Georgia O’Keefe, Leonard Bernstein or William Shakespeare. When donors invest in students, the impact is powerful enough to transform the concepts into big, bold ideas.
As a student at UTRGV, I have had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy, the dream of a lifetime for an art enthusiast. I had an up close view of historic, world-changing art, including Michelangelo’s David. My study abroad was an experience that changed my life.
Will you join UTRGV’s mission to enhance student success? You can also visit give.utrgv.edu/donatenow to make a gift that will have an immediate impact on the lives of students.
With your generosity, the College of Fine Arts is changing lives and giving students like me the opportunity to turn our talents into careers. Together, we can transform the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.
Thank you,
Melissa Alatorre
UTRGV Class of 2017
Melissa Alatorre
College of Fine Arts
Soraya Cepeda
Dear Friends,
My parents worked hard and encouraged my sisters and me to achieve our dreams, but they did not have the money to send me to college. That’s where donors stepped in. My parents gave me encouragement and generous donors gave me options. By funding scholarships, study abroad, conferences and internship programs that give me hands-on experiences, donors are giving me a path to a fulfilling career and life. I am proud and thankful that donors like you believe in me.
As a marketing student in the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, I love learning about global markets. Thinking about how different cultures respond to marketing campaigns inspires me to imagine my future. I am currently experiencing this first-hand, thanks to a study abroad opportunity in Mexico that is challenging me to put knowledge gained in the classroom into practice.
Every day, people in the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship are investing in students--aspiring accountants, financial planners, business owners and managers. These students want to build lives, careers and futures that strengthen their families and communities.
When you support UTRGV’s programs, from scholarships to student success programs, you are preparing students like me to take our place in the global workforce. The impact will be felt in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. With your support and my passion to make a difference, we can transform corporations, non-profit organizations and family businesses and the way they do business.
Donors changed the course for future generations of my family. I am looking forward to graduation and to demonstrating the value of a UTRGV education. It has made my life better than I could have ever imagined. Will you contribute and show others that when we work together, we can transform our future?
The gift you make today will have an immediate impact on the lives of students. You can also visit us at give.utrgv.edu/donatenow to make your contribution. Every gift makes a difference.
Thank you,
Soraya Cepeda
UTRGV Class of 2018
Soraya Cepeda
Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Erica Gonzalez
Dear Friends,
I am an aspiring dental student in the College of Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and I want to transform lives, so that a healthy smile is a right, not a privilege for Rio Grande Valley residents. I chose to major in biology and focus in pre-dentistry because I want to help people who can’t afford care. I am from the Rio Grande Valley and there are pockets of poverty all along my border community. My goal is to run a mobile dental unit and make dental care accessible to everyone.
Donors to UTRGV are helping me and so many others accomplish our goals. By providing funding for scholarships, faculty recruitment and every day priorities such as equipment for labs, clinics and classrooms, donors are helping UTRGV to teach and train the dentists, marine biologists and chemists who will transform the Rio Grande Valley.
From an early age, I was inspired to help underprivileged communities as a dentist and create better options for Rio Grande Valley communities. Better health care is a goal that is shared by my fellow students, not just in my program, but in classrooms throughout the College of Sciences.
Every day, I am inspired by my biology professors. They are passionate and knowledgeable. They give students a solid base for the future and guidance on our educational journeys. Most importantly, they know my career goals and encourage me to fulfill my dreams.
You can transform the lives of Valley communities and students like me with a gift to the UTRGV College of Sciences. Visit us at give.utrgv.edu/donatenow to make a gift that will have an immediate impact.
Together, we will change lives and bring more smiles to the Rio Grande Valley.
Sincerely,
Erica Gonzalez
UTRGV Class of 2018
Erica Gonzalez
College of Sciences
Ji Won Kang
Dear Friends,
My family often tells me I’m just like grandmother. She was one of the first female doctors in South Korea and practiced medicine well past the age of 70. She is also my inspiration to become a physician. I am currently an undergraduate biology major enrolled in The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Honors College. My grandmother is proud that I am following in her path, and my family is grateful to the donors who are transforming my ambitions into a reality.
The Honors College provides support and motivation on my educational journey and gives me the edge I will need when I apply for medical school. With generous gifts from donors, our college offers scholarships, leadership trainings, research opportunities, study abroad trips and other programs. Our leadership envisions intellectually talented students who will make the Rio Grande Valley their home. Every gift makes that goal more achievable.
One day, I hope to be a missionary doctor, bringing quality health care to underserved communities. To hone my skills, I volunteer here at home. Community service is a cornerstone of the Honors College and I appreciate the opportunity to practice values that transform communities and change lives.
You can be an important partner in UTRGV’s efforts to attract intellectually gifted students to our university. Your gift to the Honors College will create an environment that pushes students like me to excel in academics, service and student leadership.
I am on a journey, destined to carry my grandmother’s legacy of excellence in medicine forward. UTRGV and the Honors College are striving to create a similar legacy of excellence for students. Donor support is a continuous reminder that people share my goal to transform our communities. UTRGV and our donors are transforming education together. Will you help us to realize our goal?
You can visit us at give.utrgv.edu/donatenow to make a gift that will have an immediate impact.
Please make your gift today.
Thank you,
Ji Won Kang
UTRGV Class of 2017
Ji Won Kang
Honors College
Lawrence Pabalinas
Dear Friends,
As a child, I was separated from my parents for three years. My mother moved to the United States to become a teacher while my father worked on a ship and spent months abroad. I stayed in the Philippines with my aunt. The experience of being separated from them changed my life and motivated me to help other families. We eventually reunited in the Rio Grande Valley. I’m thankful this is where we settled because I found my way to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
UTRGV has provided me with valuable opportunities that will help me launch a career as a physical therapist. Many of the programs I participate in are funded by generous donors. As an undergraduate in the College of Health Affairs, I have conducted diabetes research and shared my work with others who are hoping to make breakthroughs in diabetes treatments. Donors who fund research, scholarships and student-faculty collaborations are not just investing in students- they are partners in our efforts to transform the Rio Grande Valley.
Donor generosity touches students’ lives in so many ways. When I think about my friendships with my Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity brothers, my membership in the Filipino Students’ Association and the program that allows me to mentor incoming freshmen, the impact of this generosity stands out. I will soon be applying for physical therapy programs and I know I will return to the Rio Grande Valley to serve the community I call home.
UTRGV donors have been an important part of my journey. Will you join UTRGV’s mission to enhance student success? Please visit give.utrgv.edu/donatenow to make a gift that will have a transformative impact on UTRGV’s future.
Together, we will transform the Rio Grande Valley.
Thank you,
Lawrence Pabalinas
UTRGV Class of 2017
Lawrence Pabalinas
College of Health Affairs
Maurine Ramirez
Dear Friends,
I will never forget the life-changing moment I learned I was one of 55 medical students accepted into the School of Medicine’s first class at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It was proof I had not let my circumstances limit me. I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley in a low-income, high-crime neighborhood in an area known as a colonia. I watched many good people go down the wrong path, but I persevered. I am now a proud scholarship recipient on my way to becoming a doctor.
Family encouragement and support from generous donors have made a difference in my life. Now, I want to transform lives in my community by being a role model and a champion for health and well-being.
Recently, I assisted with health screenings at Operation Lone Star, a program that provides medical and dental care for impoverished families. It was during this time that my community became my classroom. It was my second day as a medical student in The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. Since that day, I have only become more inspired by our dedicated medical school faculty and UTRGV’s dedication to eliminating gaps in health care access. When you give to the School of Medicine, you will play a transformative role in students’ lives while also becoming a partner in changing health care throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
You can support students like me and join UTRGV in providing a world-class medical education in the Rio Grande Valley with a gift to the School of Medicine. Your gifts not only provide scholarships, but fund innovative programs, vital research and contribute to the recruitment of top faculty.
You can also visit give.utrgv.edu/donatenow to make a gift that will have a lasting impact.
Our work in the community is just beginning. One day, I may just end up in my old neighborhood, helping families who I know and love. Donors are at the core of our medical programs and community initiatives. Will you join the School of Medicine in improving lives and transforming the health of our communities?
Sincerely,
Maurine Ramirez
UTRGV Class of 2020
Maurine Ramirez
School of Medicine
Felicia Rodriguez
Dear Friends,
Education is the foundation to solving community and global challenges. As a student in the College of Education and P-16 Integration UTEACH Program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, I am inspired to teach high school students. I believe they can challenge stereotypes, pursue their dreams and transform the future.
I grew up in a migrant family. While other students enjoyed their summers, I worked in the fields. My grandparents often pulled me out of school to help with the harvest. That was my way of life through elementary and middle school. If I had believed in the stereotypes surrounding migrant families, I would still be doing that today. Instead, I am surrounded by opportunities to play a transformative part in education.
Gifts to UTRGV funded my research collaboration with UTRGV graduate students and a faculty mentor. We examined school-age children’s perceptions of men and women in STEM fields to learn what factors affected students’ awareness of their own career possibilities. As a result of the opportunities I had in the classroom, I was able to join my colleagues and faculty mentor at a national conference in Baltimore. Our research team’s presentation at the conference was just the beginning for us. Now we hope to develop a plan to eliminate stereotypes in classrooms across the United States.
Donors are funding research, scholarships and classroom experiences that will change lives–starting with my own. Donors who support us are UTRGV’s partners, helping to open minds throughout the College of Education and P-16 Integration.
Contribute today to the UTRGV College of Education, and you will provide vital opportunities for students like me. You can put your gift to work immediately with a donation made through give.utrgv.edu/donatenow. Every gift plays an important role in UTRGV’s efforts.
Will you join our mission to help students succeed? You can help to transform lives.
Thank you,
Felicia Rodriguez
UTRGV Class of 2017
Felicia Rodriguez
College of Education and P-16 Integration
Alejandro Sánchez
Dear Friends,
As a student in The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley College of Liberal Arts, I am encouraged to engage in critical thinking, use my imagination and dream big. As a Mexican American Studies major, I have immersed myself in research about life on the border, allowing me to grasp the complexities and challenges that humans face in this region. My professors stimulate me and my classmates to look beyond the surface.
After one of the most trying experiences of my life, I don’t take any opportunity for granted. Last year, I was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow disorder. My treatment forced me to take the fall semester off to recover. At the height of my illness, thoughts of finishing school motivated me. I was strong enough to return to classes in the spring, and while my recovery is ongoing, I value my education and the doors that have been opened for me thanks to the generosity of others. UTRGV gave me a reason to renew my commitment to my studies and I am forever grateful to the donors who give students like me a chance to excel in spite of adversity.
I am now on track to graduate this fall, and then pursue a career teaching in higher education.
In the College of Liberal Arts, we are aspiring authors, psychologists, civic leaders, educators, attorneys, journalists and so much more. Our college supports a wide range of students with diverse interests and career goals. Generous donors fund scholarships and many important programs that open minds. Together, we are transforming perspectives and changing worldviews.
Liberal arts students are transforming the world by asking important questions, researching social issues and applying what we learn in our communities. Will you make a gift that supports the dreams of students like me? You can also visit give.utrgv.edu/donatenow to make a gift that will have an immediate impact on the lives of students.
Thank you,
Alejandro Sánchez
UTRGV Class of 2017
Alejandro Sánchez
College of Liberal Arts
Ramiro Tovar
When I was 8 years old, my aunt suffered an aneurysm. The surgeons who saved her life became my heroes and inspired me to want to become a doctor. Today, as a member of the first class of medical students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, I am gaining the hands-on experience and knowledge I need to become a hero to families and my community. Partnering with me on my journey are the many donors who are helping to transform lives through their philanthropy.
Imagine…the power to change lives with a gift.
By funding scholarships, innovative programs, research and faculty recruitment, people like you are positioning UTRGV to focus on student success and exceptional educational opportunities. UTRGV is expanding access to health care and our researchers are making breakthroughs on important issues affecting our region. Because of the generosity of donors, our work here has a far-reaching impact. When you invest in UTRGV, you are contributing to the advancement and progress of South Texas and beyond.
We value your support and invite you to join UTRGV’S mission of providing a world-class education in the Rio Grande Valley. Gifts made through give.utrgv.edu/donatenow will also have an immediate and lasting impact on our students and programs.
UTRGV is shaping tomorrow’s leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, engineers, artists and doctors. With the knowledge I gain here, I will fulfill the dreams of that 8-year-old boy who saw his aunt get a second chance at life. I will become a champion for health care and serve my community with compassion. Your contributions empower students like me to reach our goals.
UTRGV and our donors are transforming education and transforming lives throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Will you help us build the future?
Thank you,
Ramiro Tovar
UTRGV Class of 2020
Ramiro Tovar
School of Medicine