The Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) awarded 11 scholarships, each worth $1,000, through its Project SHARE Program to local graduating high school students attending an accredited university this fall.
The funds for these scholarships come from Project SHARE, a program created in 1985 to assist families in paying their utility bills. BPUB began a scholarship program in 2005 for students living in BPUB-serviced homes and has since been providing financial assistance toward students’ college education.
“We are very proud of the recipients of this year’s Project SHARE Scholarship,” General Manager & CEO Marilyn Gilbert said. “I hope the scholarship helps alleviate some financial burden for the students’ first semester in college. BPUB wishes them the best!”
Winners were required to fill out an application that listed things like grades and extracurricular activities in addition to the 500-word essay. All winners are required to reside in a household that receives any of BPUB’s three utilities services: electric, water or wastewater.
In recent years, partnerships from generators have assisted BPUB in funding these scholarships through agreements that affirm their commitment to give back to our community.
This year’s winners are:
| Jada Ashford | Los Fresnos High School | University of the Incarnate Word |
| Angela Gomez-Cepeda | Lopez Early College High School | Texas A&M University |
| Ashley Lumbreras | Rivera Early College High School | The University of Texas at Austin |
| Allayna Martinez | Veterans Memorial Early College High School | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
| Karyme A. Leija | Rivera Early College High School | Texas A&M University |
| Dyllan Lozano-Lomeli | Pace Early College High School | Rice University |
| Yvannia Mata | Hanna Early College High School | The University of Texas at Austin |
| Alessandra Vasquez | Brownsville Early College High School | The University of Texas at Austin |
| Carlos Montes | Hanna Early College High School | The University of Texas at Austin |
| Mirella Rodriguez | Rivera Early College High School | Texas A&M University |
| Derek Browne | Veterans Memorial Early College High School | The University of Texas at Austin |
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Names from left to right: Karyme A. Leija, Yvannia Mata, Dyllan Lozano-Lomeli, Carlos Montes, Alessandra Vasquez, Jada Ashford, Allayna Martinez, Ashley Lumbreras. Not pictured: Derek Browne, Mirella Rodriguez, and Angela Gomez-Cepeda.