CREEED AWARDS COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP CELEBRATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
San Elizario High School senior Jocelyn Torres awarded Sylvia Hopp San Elizario College Scholarship to aid her four-year education at St. Mary’s University
El Paso, TX - Today, the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED) awarded its 2020 Sylvia Hopp San Elizario College Scholarship to graduating senior Jocelyn Torres. The online ceremony included Jocelyn’s family, CREEED board members, San Elizario High School Principal Maribel Guillen, Assistant Principal, Claudia Flores, and Student Activities Manager, Jasmine Lozano.
The Sylvia Hopp Scholarship Fund was established in 2017 to honor former San Elizario ISD superintendent Sylvia Hopp’s contributions to improving educational attainment in El Paso. It will award a total of $20,000 in scholarships by 2025 to help graduating seniors from San Elizario High School with a $2,500 scholarship to cover tuition and other costs associated with attending and completing college.
This year’s scholarship recipient, Jocelyn Torres, is an accomplished student who has excelled academically throughout her high school career and was involved in many extracurricular activities. In addition to succeeding in several advanced placement (AP) and dual credit courses, Torres was an officer for the National Honor Society, ranked tenth in her class, and was a member of the Folklorico dance team and softball team. Inspired by the hard work of her family, Jocelyn will be attending St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and majoring in Biology, with a minor in Psychology. She plans on attending medical school in the future and becoming a dermatologist.
“Jocelyn is a wonderful representation of the kind of talent, commitment, and future ambition that students in the Borderplex region possess. The transition from graduating high school to attending a four-year university can be intimidating, especially in times like these,” said former superintendent Sylvia Hopp. “I am thankful for organizations like CREEED who not only shine light on hard working students like Jocelyn, but help them to achieve their higher education goals. During these times of uncertainty, it’s important to double down on our commitment to see more students graduate from college, and find ways to support that commitment.”
The scholarship is just one program created and supported by CREEED to increase the number of high performing El Paso students pursuing and obtaining a college degree. CREEED also supports school district initiatives that prepare all students to be college-and-career ready by the time they graduate high school, including the expansion of dual credit courses, STEM programming, and teacher development programs.
“CREEED believes that investing in the education and preparation of our students is crucial to the economic prosperity of our region. With the Sylvia Hopp Scholarship, and all CREEED initiatives, we strive to increase the number of college graduates in our region, and position them for success in our workforce and the regional economy,” said Eddie Rodriguez, CREEED’s Executive Director. “The cost of attending college should not deter our high performing students from pursuing a degree, and that is why CREEED is invested in supporting more students faced with this challenge. We are thrilled to support Jocelyn in her college career and future endeavors.”
More information about the Sylvia Hopp Scholarship and CREEED’s efforts to raise educational attainment in the El Paso region can be found at www.creeed.org.
###