By Amanda Alaniz

RIO GRANDE VALLY, TEXAS – DEC. 19, 2024 – Five UTRGV students were selected as the new cohort of Kemper Scholars from more than 50 applications this semester.

The scholars’ program is designated by the Kemper Corporation’s philanthropic arm, the Kemper Foundation, to continue its efforts in empowering future business leaders.

The new scholars are:

• Erik Lopez, sophomore information systems major, from McAllen.
• Santiago Castillo, senior information systems major, from Weslaco.
• Victor Aguirre, senior finance major, from Edinburg.
• Sophia Muro, junior accounting major, from McAllen.
• Gabriela Alvarez, senior accounting major, from Brownsville.

Overseen by Dr. Jorge Vidal, assistant professor of practice in finance for the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship, and Maria Leonard, assistant professor of practice in management, the program is part of a $4.5 million partnership with the Kemper Foundation.

The foundation will award 650 scholarships over the next five years to high-achieving, college students at 10 partnering Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In addition, students are offered an opportunity to apply for an internship with the Kemper Corporation.

Since 2022, this is the fourth cohort of Kemper Scholars with a total of 17 UTRGV students being awarded the recognition.

GROWING OPPORTUNITIES AND BEYOND

The new cohort of students share a singular ambition: to cultivate their confidence and emerge as exceptional leaders.

Lopez, who is interested in a career in cybersecurity and is currently applying for internships, said the scholarship affirmed his dedication and efforts to his studies. Fellow information systems major, Castillo, also applying for internships, expressed his gratitude for being chosen as one of the five students.

“It’s great to see UTRGV go above and beyond for its students with this scholarship opportunity,” Castillo said. “It really shows how much UTRGV cares for its students and wants to see them grow.”

For Alvarez, who graduates in May and is currently involved with Teach for America, being a Kemper Scholar is one step closer to reaching her career goal of becoming a forensic accountant.

“It’s going to aid in my professional and academic journey, and it’s going to push forth what I would like to do,” she said.

In disbelief when he learned about the award, Aguirre said he called his mom to share the good news.

“What they’re giving me takes a lot of weight off your shoulders,” Aguirre said. “It will help me pay my student loans and I get to represent the school. I also get to put myself out there as a professional.”

For Muro, applying for the scholarship came at an opportune time as she needed financial support.

“Being a scholar means everything to me,” she said. “It’s not just what I’m going to do now, it’s what I could do in the future.”

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

• Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Be in an academic field related to financial services or insurance, such as finance, data analytics, actuarial science and business.
• Be eligible for a Pell Grant or demonstrate financial need.

For more information on the UTRGV Kemper Scholars Program, email maria.leonard@utrgv.edu or jorge.vidal@utrgv.edu.