This spring, the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s signature scholarship program reached several milestones.
The Jindal Young Scholars Program, a partnership between the Jindal School and the Dallas Independent School District, announced its largest student cohort to date. The following week, four members of JYSP’s inaugural 2018 cohort graduated.
A Signing Day celebration was held May 6 at the Davidson Auditorium and the adjoining atrium to announce the fifth cohort, which consists of 11 students – the largest cohort to date, which includes a sibling of JYSP’s second cohort, also a first.
The fifth cohort is record-breaking in other ways, too; not only is it the largest cohort thus far, but it also includes the first scholarship recipient from Roosevelt High School, representing all five participating DISD schools for the first time. Out of the 11 scholarship recipients, eight are first-generation college students.
“Graduating the first cohort of scholarship recipients is a testament to the hard work and excellence exhibited by each graduate,” said Program Director Billy Schewee. “It serves as both a symbol of the progress the program has made thus far and as a precursor of what is yet to come.”
The five DISD schools are Moisés E. Molina High School, Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, H. Grady Spruce High School, W.T. White High School and the Marvin E. Robinson School of Business and Management at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center.
Hundreds of students at the five high schools participate in various activities designed to support the academic, social and emotional development of the students and increase their chances of postsecondary readiness for collegiate and career success. To qualify for the scholarship, students must participate in the Jindal Young Scholars program throughout high school, maintain a high GPA and be admitted to The University of Texas at Dallas in a management program at the Jindal School.
The members of the fifth cohort and their intended majors are:
- Ross Adkins, W. T. White High School – Finance
- Evelyn Contreras, W. T. White High School – Accounting
- Andrew Dominguez, SBM at Townview – Information Technology and Systems
- Melany Flores, SBM at Townview – Global Business
- Maria Fuentes, SBM at Townview – Business Administration
- Noah Gipson, SBM at Townview – Finance
- Karina Gonzalez, SBM at Townview – Finance
- Caitlin Gutierrez, Roosevelt High School – Healthcare Management
- Amatista Licea, SBM at Townview – Business Administration
- Lizeth Lopez, H. Grady Spruce High School – Healthcare Management
- Daniel Montero, SBM at Townview – Information Technology and Systems
The fifth cohort also includes some familiar faces. Chris Adkins, a junior in the Information Technology and Systems Area and member of the second JYSP cohort, welcomed his brother Ross Adkins to the fifth cohort. This is the program’s first set of siblings. “We are just over the moon … to have both of our sons now in the Jindal [School] with full scholarships,” said Mrs. Adkins, Chris and Ross’s mother. “It is truly a blessing and we know they will continue to make us all proud.” Chris adds, “It makes it even better to be in the program and to be able to participate in everything JYSP does together.”
Of the four JYSP scholars who graduated this spring, two will be entering the workforce and two will remain at UTD to pursue master’s degrees. The four graduates are Giovanny Lopez and Jason Manzala, BS of Finance, and Jacob Gonzalez and Ariana Morales, BS of Accounting.
To date, the program has awarded 22 scholarships. To learn more about the Jindal Young Scholars Program and how to get involved, contact Billy Schewee or visit the program’s web page.
Authored by Katie Voss
