This year, the field of applicants was strong. After much deliberation and discussion amongst our panel members, here are the five winners of the annual Texas Bay Scholarship. Each recipient will receive $3,000 toward their tuition.
Aarav Shah
A Stephen F Austin High School senior, Aarav already has a stellar resume. Almost all AP classes, he also has experience as a research assistant with the University of Houston in the department of Environmental Engineering and is a NASA High School Aerospace Scholar. All his leadership in various high school extracurricular activities, and you have a well-rounded individual ready to tackle the next educational step. He is attending the University of Texas at Austin to study Mechanical Engineering. Aarav describes himself as responsible, while his AP Environmental Science teacher describes him as inquisitive with an attention to detail.
Alex Le
Alex is headed to the University of Houston Honors College for Mechanical Engineering. He describes growing up with a lifelong interest in engineering with years of building Lego mechanisms and paper rockets. With impressive SAT scores and with an Associate of Science in Mathematics from San Jacinto College, he is well on his way! His Channelview High School science teacher describes him as someone with high moral character and strong communication skills.
Chelsea Nissen
Graduating from Deer Park High School, Chelsea has chosen the University of Houston to study Computer Science. She is looking forward to meeting new people and opening her eyes to different lifestyles – to become a more rounded individual. Her resume boasts many honors and awards as well as many leadership roles. Her professor of biology at San Jacinto College describes Chelsea as bright, funny, engaged, and well-liked by her peers with the ability to lead and to listen. High praise indeed!
Eesha Nair
Her principal at Cypress Ranch High School lauds Eesha as an outstanding student who consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to academic excellence…”. She describes herself as having an insatiable curiosity and a love for science. Her choice of school, the New Jersey Institute of Technology to study Biomedical Engineering will surely test these assessments. With a resume rich with hands-on experience, including a volunteer stint in India teaching underprivileged kids English and many extracurricular leadership roles, she is poised for something great.
Elizabeth Ann “Ella” Abarquez
Self-described as having perpetual curiosity and ambition for her passions, Ella is an Atascocita High School senior heading for Vanderbilt University to study Human Organizational Development. Her resume rivals that of long-term professionals, with top-notch educational notes as well as hands-on experience. Her AP Literature teacher says, “Ella is the kind of student that makes teaching easy.” Here’s to her desire for a lifetime of learning.
Join us in congratulating these fine recipients and we wish them luck with their educational plans now and in the future!
