We launched the SOAR Scholarship, providing $100K in annual scholarships, to help open doors for ‘first females’. SOAR selects twenty high achievers each year to receive $5K scholarships in support of young women who are the first in their family to pursue higher education or who have overcome significant challenges. The scholarship program goes beyond financial resources by giving access to professional development and mentoring resources for these women as they go through school.

Meet the 2023 SOAR Scholars

  • Arielle Allen - UT Law

    Arielle is a third-year law student at the University of Texas School of Law with a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Maryland. Before entering law school, Arielle worked as an ABA therapist with children with developmental disabilities and completed a program year of AmeriCorps service. During her first year of law school, Arielle volunteered as a Lovebox Leader with Austin Angels, a program designed to support the foster care community in central Texas. She also assumed the role of program coordinator for the Explore Law program, which focused on empowering diverse pre-law students by providing them with a strong foundation and a robust network. Through her involvement in legal clinics, Arielle has gained hands-on experience in disability rights and children's rights work. Driven by her fervor for litigation, Arielle aspires to become an unwavering advocate for individuals in pursuit of justice. Linked In

  • Lisa Lozano - Texas A&M PhD

    Lisa will begin her second year in Counseling Psychology PhD program in the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University in the fall. Lisa graduated with her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and she also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her career goal is to become a psychologist in a university setting so she can provide psychotherapy, research the intersection of college student mental health and academic persistence, and develop and promote campus interventions that cultivate systemic change for at-risk students. Linked In

  • Tran Le Abraham - UT Law

    Tran will be continuing her studies as a third-year student at University of Texas Law School in pursuit of her Juris Doctor degree. Tran holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Yale University and a Master’s in Education Policy Studies from George Washington University. Her career goal is to become an education lawyer, working in federal or state government to help enforce all students’ civil rights and ensure they are receiving the quality of education to which they are entitled. Linked In

  • Karla Galvan Cabrera - UT RGV PhD

    Karla is a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Texas Rio Grand Valley and a first-generation college graduate. She attained her B.A. in Criminology, Law, and Society and Psychological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. Her research interests center on childhood trauma, psychological resilience, parent-adolescent relationships, and juvenile justice. Karla aims to become a bilingual licensed psychologist and utilize her education and skills to help bridge the gap between the justice system and the academic community. Her ultimate goal is to improve the well-being and quality of life for justice-involved youth through her program's impact and beyond.

  • Maria Isabel Ramos Martinez - UT RGV PhD

    Maria Isabel Ramos Martinez is first-generation alumni from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She worked in California’s Central Valley as a Support Counselor & Youth Specialist for two non-profit organizations. She is currently a second year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Spanish bilingual program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her commitment as a helping professional is motivated by the need for more Spanish-speaking professionals that understand experiences in the community such as, immigration, domestic violence, sexual assault, trauma and resilience, and racial discrimination as a start while engaging in cultural humility that is much needed in the field. Linked In

  • Madison Ang - UT

    Madison will be continuing her studies as a senior at the University of Texas at Austin in pursuit of her B.S. degree in Honors in Advanced Nutritional Sciences. She graduated from Dulles High School located in Sugar Land, Texas, and currently works as a cancer research assistant at Dell Pediatrics. Her career goal is to attend dental school and utilize her background in nutritional sciences to combat health disparities and work as an advocate for oral health and wellness.

  • Alejandra De La O - UT

    Alejandra will be a senior at the University of Texas pursuing her degree in Public Relations. As part of her development as a well-rounded student, Alejandra has chosen to study abroad in Dublin, Ireland, and study for a semester in New York City. While maintaining an active schedule and a high GPA, she continues to give back to the Austin and San Antonio communities despite being a full-time student. Alejandra is a proud second-generation American and native of the Southside of San Antonio. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she plans on pursuing a graduate or law degree with a career goal of helping open doors for other Latinas and Latinos in higher education. Linked In

  • Anjali Ganesh Iyer - UT

    Anjali will begin her studies as a freshman at University of Texas at Austin and will obtain a dual degree studying in the Computer Science and Business Honors Program. Ultimately, she wants to pursue a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience and venture into the corporate world working within a tech company -- working towards a high level, management position that combines technical knowledge and entrepreneurship. She has been active with programs (Girls Who Code, DigiGirlz, AWS DeepRacer and the Governor’s Science and Technology Champions Academy); internships (UT Southwestern’s STARS internship program in Computational Biology where she won the Thomas and Libby Mathai Scholarship for Women in STEM and Stanford’s Harris Internship in Computational Neuroscience); and related clubs (Girls in STEM, Environmental Club and Science Fair). She has a passion for teaching Computer Science to girls and ultimately wants to spread her knowledge to girls from her family's city of origin, Chennai, encouraging them to venture into the world of STEM and business. See Linked In Bio.

  • Ugonna Chidi-Ubani - UT

    Crystal will begin her studies as a freshman at University of Texas and will pursue dual degree of a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Plan II Honors. She attends Carl Wunsche Sr. High School where she will graduate in top 10% of her class and Associates Degree of Science with Lone Star College. Her accomplishments include being the President of the Wunsche Pre-Law pathway, Campus Ambassador across the Spring ISD district in elementary to middle-school visits, and Texas State Title award winner in the Texas Public Safety Association “Closing Argument” events. She was also awarded the National African American Recognition Award from College Board. Crystal has had a passion for both the law and medicine since she was a child, and she has a future focus on developing a healthier future for ethnic communities where she hopes to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Health and advance innovative advocacy policies for disadvantaged communities. Linked In

  • Amelia Simmons - Baylor

    Amelia will begin her studies as a freshman at Baylor University and will study Health Sciences while on the Pre-Physician Assistant Professional Track. Amelia will be graduating from Richardson High School with a 4.0 and in the Top 2% of her class. Some of her accomplishments include being named the Drum Major of her school’s band for 2 years, a Texas All-State Band member, and the 2023 Richardson Rotary Club’s Helping Hands Service Award recipient all while she teaches in the Kids Ministry at her church in Dallas. Linked In

  • Vanessa Noyola - Baylor

    Vanessa will continue her studies as a rising junior at Baylor University, pursuing her Bachelor of Business in Finance. After completing her undergraduate degree, Vanessa is interested in pursuing her Law Degree at Baylor University Law School. Her primary goal is to end the student loan debt crisis by becoming a Financial Advisor and Estate Planning lawyer, working to develop a non-profit financial literacy program to assist the upcoming generations with ways to finance higher education and retirement planning. Linked In

  • Valeria Morales - UT

    Valeria will continue her studies as a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a career in Physical Therapy in the fall. Valeria graduated from Castleberry High School in Fort Worth, Texas in the Top 5% of her class. Her career goal is to become a physical therapist where she can answer her call to help through rehabilitation and close connections with her patients.

  • Alondra Salinas - Texas A&M

    Alondra will begin her studies as a freshman at Texas A&M University and will pursue a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. She will be graduating from Ball High School in the top 10% of her class as well as with an Associate’s Degree in General Studies. Alondra has been a leader as president of the Band, Captain in her Hispanic Dance team and Secretary in the National Honor Society. Her plans for the future include pursuing her law degree to tackle complex political and legal issues surrounding immigration reform.

  • Vicky Nguyen - UT

    Vicky will be a freshman at University of Texas with a major in Biochemistry and minoring in global studies hoping to one day become a physician scientist. She is graduating from Clear Brook High School in Friendswood, Texas where she is expected to graduate number 5 in her class. Among her many volunteer activities included co-founding a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Strive2Thrive Edu that reached 5,000+ students in 35 countries and culminated 600+ volunteers. She looks forward to further researching how different proteins can be modified through CRISPR and CAR constructs, as part of cancer immunotherapy treatments. She would like to advance cancer immunotherapy, making treatment more accessible to all cancer patients, especially those from marginalized communities. Linked In

  • Victoria Bowman - Texas A&M

    Victoria will be a freshman at Texas A&M University with a major in Biochemistry, and planning on double majoring in Genetics as well. She is graduating from Oak Ridge High School in Conroe, Texas where she is expected to graduate in the top 10% of her class. Her ultimate goal is to achieve a PhD heavily inspired by the Golden Rice Project, she wants to research and develop the genetic modification of plants to combat malnutrition. She will be as involved as possible in undergraduate research at Texas A&M, and is very excited to make a positive change in the world.

  • Sabrina Ye - UT

    Sabrina will be a freshman at the University of Texas with a major in English. She is graduating from Prosper High School in the top 10% of her class. She speaks 3 languages and found English was a bridge across her different communities, fueling her interest in pursuing a career as an English teacher. Motivated to help those around her from an early age, she launched her own tutoring program called “Above and Beyond” which offers free virtual tutoring to elementary, middle, and high school students. At UT Austin, she is looking forward to joining Texas Sweethearts to continue her mission of service. Among her many goals, she also wants to be an author. Sabrina believes that the written word can convey themes such as finding one's identity and coming of age.

  • Sarah Wilburn - Baylor

    Sarah will begin her studies as a freshman at Baylor University pursuing a Bachelor in Business Administration. Sarah will be graduating from Mansfield Lake Ridge High School with a 98.75/100 GPA. Among her many accomplishments and activities was being named Captain of the Dynasty Step Team, Supply and Logistics Officer of the Junior ROTC, Captain of the Taskforce Unarmed Drill Team, National African American Recognition Award (College Board) 2022, Teacher’s Choice Award(2) 2021/2022, National Honor Society member, and The Potter’s House Debutante (2023). Sarah is interested in pursuing her Law Degree and a career in corporate or family law.

  • Camaryn Williams - Texas A&M

    Camaryn will begin her studies as a freshman at Texas A&M University and will pursue a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Camaryn will be graduating from Mabank High School in the top 10% of her class. Camaryn's passion for healthcare led her toward becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, and a CPR certification while in High School.

  • Caroline Helsel - UNT

    Caroline will begin her studies as a freshman at University of North Texas and will pursue a Bachelor of Business. Caroline will be graduating from Lebanon Trail High School. Caroline became part of the first girls doubles tennis team from her school to reach state. She has navigated her years of education with severe hearing impairment as well as arthritis. Caroline would like to leverage her passion for art, business and sign language to help inspire others to reach and lift those in need.

  • Briana Davis - Texas A&M

    Briana will be a freshman at Texas A&M University and will be a part of the Forensic and Investigative Science program. She is graduating from Dekaney High School in Houston, Texas where she is expected to graduate number 12 in her class. She is a member of the City of Houston Youth Police Advisory Committee where she was able to develop practical experience in her area of interest. Briana has always felt a pull to help others and developed an interest in the complexities of criminal behavior, from the psychology of criminals to the history of crime. She wants to use her education at Texas A&M to pursue a career in Criminal Justice to make a difference for her community.

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2022 SOAR Scholars

  • Tran Le

    Tran will be continuing her studies as a second-year student at University of Texas Law School in pursuit of her Juris Doctor degree. Tran holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Yale University and a Master’s in Education Policy Studies from George Washington University. Her career goal is to become an education lawyer, working in federal or state government to help enforce all students’ civil rights and ensure they are receiving the quality of education to which they are entitled.

  • Lisa Lozano

    Lisa will begin the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program in the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University in the fall. Lisa will graduate this summer with her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and she also holds a bachelor's degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her career goal is to become a psychologist in a university setting so she can provide psychotherapy, research the intersection of college student mental health and academic persistence, and develop and promote campus interventions that cultivate systemic change for at-risk students.

  • Sydney Hannah

    Sydney will be continuing her studies in the fall as a first year student at the University of Texas Law School. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's in Sociology and a minor in general business. Sydney aspires to use her law degree with a potential focus on Health Law or Corporate Law.

  • Arielle Dutton

    Arielle will be continuing her studies as a second-year student at University of Texas Law School. Arielle earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Diversity Awareness from the University of Maryland. Prior to law school, was certified as a Registered Behavior Technician providing applied behavioral analysis services to children with developmental disabilities. Her goal is to have a career in legal advocacy to offer services to disadvantaged groups.

  • Mylah Childress

    Mylah will be continuing her studies as a 1st year student at Baylor University Law School. Mylah graduated with a Bachelor’s in Applied Behavioral Analysis with a minor in Criminal Justice and a Legal Studies Certificate from the University of North Texas. She is a UNT Terry Scholar and also served as Secretary of her undergraduate chapter of the National Black Law Student Association. Her career goal is to use her law degree to make positive changes in our communities with a potential focus on Juvenile Justice or Intellectual Property. Linked In

  • Madison Ang

    Madison will be continuing her studies as a rising junior at the University of Texas at Austin in pursuit of her B.S. degree in Honors in Advanced Nutritional Sciences. She graduated from Dulles High School located in Sugar Land, Texas, and currently works as a cancer research assistant at Dell Pediatrics. Her career goal is to attend dental school and utilize her background in nutritional sciences to combat health disparities and work as an advocate for oral health and wellness.

  • Marionne Valles

    Marionne is a third-year student at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a double major in Sociology and Psychology with a minor in Social Work and Business Spanish Certificate. Marionne graduated high school from Cypress Ridge High School in Houston, TX. Currently Marionne works at Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP as she completes her studies. In addition she is dedicated to serving and helping fellow students as a Transition and Success Coach at The University of Texas at Austin. Her career goal is to attend law school to become an Immigration Attorney. Her goal is to give other immigrant families an opportunity to not live in the shadows of others and fulfill the American Dream they came to pursue in this country. Linked In

  • Arlene Ramirez

    Arlene will begin her studies as a freshman at the University of Texas and will pursue a degree in Sports Management. Arlene is expected to graduate from Mesquite High School in Mesquite, Texas where she is ranked 3rd in her class. Her career goal is to work in the finance and marketing sides of the sports industry. Linked In

  • Valeria Morales

    Valeria will begin her studies as a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a career in Physical Therapy in the fall. Valeria will be graduating from Castleberry High School in Fort Worth, Texas where she is expected to graduate in the Top 5% of her class. Her career goal is to become a physical therapist where she can answer her call to help through rehabilitation and close connections with her patients.

  • Kimberly Guerra

    Kimberly will begin her studies as a freshman at Texas A&M University in the fall with a plan to major in Civil Engineering. Kimberly will be graduating from James Pace High School in Brownsville, Texas where she is expected to graduate in the top 5% of her class. Her career goal is to own a construction business where she could use her skills and knowledge to construct affordable and sustainable housing for lower income families.