SMU will welcome 'Stars on the Rise' among Fall 2010 students

DALLAS (SMU) – Among Southern Methodist University’s entering and returning students for Fall 2010 will be recipients of scholarships from The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GDHCC).

Representatives of The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce present a check for $1.9 million at the Dallas ISD Administrative Offices. Also see The Dallas Morning News story on the scholarships.

The chamber will award some $1.9 million in college scholarships to 172 Dallas-area students at its 27th Annual Stars on the Rise Scholarship Banquet at 7 p.m. June 11 in the International Ballroom of the Fairmont Hotel.

The record amount of scholarship money will be awarded to freshman and continuing college students in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $180,000.

The banquet’s presenting sponsor is AETNA, and its gold-level sponsor is University Crossroads, a partnership of North Texas colleges and universities of which SMU is a member. The organization’s mission is “to promote college readiness, access, and success through outreach initiatives and collaborative partnerships.”

“This is a very exciting day for me … because through the efforts of many individuals and corporations, we are removing a big obstacle in these students’ pursuit of college and their dreams,” said Maria Mendez, chair of the Stars on the Rise banquet. “I am very honored to chair this important event and be there to meet these very deserving winners and their families.”

Students receiving the scholarships have an average SAT score of 1220 and have taken an average of 12 Advanced Placement (AP) courses each. Eight of the recipients are valedictorians, and another six are salutatorians.

In addition to SMU, the scholarship recipients will attend colleges and universities including Harvard University, Georgia Tech, Columbia University, Duke, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, The University of Texas System Schools, Texas A&M University System Schools, Texas Tech University, Texas Woman’s University, Northwood University, Tarleton State University, the University of North Texas System Schools, Midwestern State University, and the Dallas County Community College District, among others.

“By providing scholarships to these promising students and helping them realize their dreams we are truly making our community better. We are building for the future and ensuring that we will have well prepared workforce ready to take the reins of business, government and civic organizations for generations to come. I can’t think of anything that would be more meaningful and have a greater impact,” said Rick Ortiz, chairman of the board of the GDHCC.

Corporate and community donors for Stars on the Rise include: The Society of 100; the Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation; the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association; Texas Instruments; Verizon; LogistiCorp, LLC; Kroger; ExxonMobil; Avant-Garde Marketing Solutions, Inc.; Dallas County Schools; Kessler Women’s Healthcare; Mike Maslank; GDHCC Past Chairs; Dallas Hispanic Fire Fighters Association; AT&T; FedEx Office; Domingo Garcia; Aetna; Gloria Campos; and the Phillips May Corporation.

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A private university located in the heart of Dallas, SMU enrolls nearly 11,000 students from across the United States and around the globe through seven degree-granting schools. SMU’s School of Engineering, founded in 1925, is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest. In 2008 the school was named in honor of Dallas business leader and SMU alumnus Bobby B. Lyle. The school offers eight undergraduate and 29 graduate programs, including both master’s and doctoral degrees.