“Success is the attainment of goals you’ve set for yourself in life.” Howard Terry
2020-2021 Year in Review
3336 Richmond Ave. Suite 450 Houston, TX 77098
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PRESIDENT’S Letter CONTENTS President’s Letter | 2
Texas Tech University | 19
A Year in Review | 3
The University of Texas at San Antonio | 21
The University of Texas at Austin | 5
Texas Woman’s University | 23
Texas A&M University | 7
Sam Houston State University | 25
The University of Houston | 9
Texas A&M University at Galveston | 27
Texas State University | 11
The University of Texas at El Paso | 29
The University of Texas at Dallas | 13
Terry Scholar Graduates | 31
The University of North Texas | 15
Terry Scholar Alumni | 35
The University of Texas at Arlington | 17
Thank You, Mr. and Mrs. Terry | 37
About Our Cover This year’s publication is dedicated to the perseverance of our Terry Scholars and inspired by the philosophy of kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending pottery to fill cracks and attach broken pieces with gold or silver rather than hide them. This concept of highlighting “imperfections” reminds us that they should be celebrated, not disguised, because they make us who we are. Terry Scholars are never expected to be “perfect.” Instead, each Scholar is encouraged to do their best and to help bring out the best in others.
The 2020-2021 academic year certainly presented its fair share of challenges for our Terry Community. Many of us may have a few more cracks and broken pieces to repair, but we can remind ourselves and each other that perfection is not the goal or standard for which we should strive. The cracks on our cover are filled with gold to symbolize the achievement of receiving a Terry Gold Pen at the end of our scholarship program. These cracks are also meant to symbolize roots, which have given us a sprout of hope for the future ahead.
As Mr. Terry said, “success is the attainment of goals you’ve set for yourself in life.” You are successful by reaching your goals, not by reaching them flawlessly.
This year’s cover art incorporates both of these ideas into a celebration of growth through struggles. We are immensely proud of everything that Terry Scholars have accomplished during such difficult times.
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As we look back on the past year, we are reminded of how challenging and very different the 2020-21 academic year was for Terry Scholars compared to all previous years. Yet, we know that, despite all of the obstacles faced by students, families and universities across the country, there was also much growth and resilience. Now, we can look back with some perspective and look forward optimistically to the future.
Terry community through technology. This also resulted in several successful virtual alumni panels that shared information and advice with our current students. The 2021 seniors, like those in 2020, were denied many of the long-standing traditions surrounding graduation, but they surged forward with resilience and still reached their long-held dreams of becoming college graduates. Although virtual, our 13 Terry Spring Picnics were the highlight of the year. Every graduating senior had an opportunity to reflect on their past years as a Terry Scholar and look forward to what comes next. They will become teachers and nurses, engineers and accountants, graduate students, volunteers, and so much more! We are incredibly proud of the fortitude and determination shown by Terry Scholars in Texas and around the world over the past year. They continue to make a difference every day as leaders working toward a brighter tomorrow.
As an organization, we were forced to adapt and change. Our incoming class of 2020 Terry Scholars was selected through virtual interviews, for the first time in our history, and we still have not met any of those students in person. We have been unable to host a single face to face event for more than 18 months. Historically, we are an organization that prides itself on personal interactions as a hallmark of our “more than a check in the mail” scholarship program. For the past year, we have been forced to think about new ways to stay connected along with the rest of the world.
Terry Scholars understand that hard work and perseverance result in accomplished goals. We are always stronger after the struggle. Keep Calm and Terry On!
What happens when Terry Scholars are faced with a challenge? They adapt and overcome! This past year, we witnessed student organizations quickly adjust to a virtual format to stay connected. Our students learned how to navigate college online, and their diligence and hard work resulted in a strong overall academic performance. In the fall, we hosted eight virtual Terry Banquets, which featured Terry Scholar Alumni as the keynote speakers and included many of our out-of-state Terry Alumni as guests and breakout room hosts. The silver lining of virtual events this past year has been our ability to reconnect with many of our alumni who live outside of Texas. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm for staying connected to the
Yvonne R. Moody President & Executive Director
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2020-2021 A Year in Review Our Mission
Our Vision
The Terry Foundation’s mission is to develop future leaders of Texas through access to education.
The Terry Foundation’s vision is to create a community of educated leaders who utilize their talents to strengthen the state of Texas and impact the world.
Fall Orientations
Statewide Officer Retreat
In August 2020, we welcomed 158 new Terry Scholars across our 13 universities. The Terry Freshmen joined their Terry Scholar Relations Coordinator and other new Scholars for a virtual presentation on the Foundation Scholarship Program.
UTSA hosted the 2021 Statewide Officer Retreat virtually and welcomed 59 student officers, Terry Campus Coordinators from each university and 9 potential student officers. The retreat consisted of 16 sessions that covered topics such as “Semester Planning,” “Budgeting and Effective Fundraising Best Practices,” “Building Effective Alumni Discussion Panels,” and more. The officers also voted on the theme for this year’s statewide service project, “COVID in Education.” Many springtime Terry service events were focused on supporting students and educators through impacts of the pandemic.
Our Pillars of Excellence
Fall Banquets
Terry Scholars are challenged to achieve their highest potential in the areas of SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, and COMMUNITY.
During October 2020, the Terry Foundation adapted the usual banquet format to host 8 virtual banquets, grouped by the year that attendees received the Terry Scholarship. This virtual format and schedule meant that Terry Scholars from all 13 universities could attend a banquet together - a first in the history of the Foundation. Every event featured a keynote speech from a Terry Alumna/Alumnus. The speeches were followed by small breakout sessions hosted by Terry Alumni and organized to consist of Terry Scholars from various universities.
Terry Scholars challenge themselves academically, personally, and professionally, and they set examples for their peers through leadership and service to others. During their time on campus and beyond, Terry Scholars strive to build and nurture a supportive community that celebrates the strengths of each individual. During these challenging times, Terry Scholars demonstrated their commitment to both their Terry Community and to the communities around them.
Spring Picnics The Foundation adapted the 2021 Spring Picnics into virtual events hosted for each of the 13 universities. Terry Gold Pens were either shipped to the campuses or directly to seniors who could not go to campus. We maintained the spirit and purpose of the traditional Terry Picnics by celebrating the seniors as they shared their speeches with their Terry campus communities.
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF The University of Texas at Austin
Terry Program Start: 1987 Enrolled Scholars: 177 Campus Coordinator: Virginia Luehrsen Scholar Relations Coordinator: Holly VanHouten
Lauralee Curtis 2018 Terry Scholar
Campus Highlights •
35 letters written for Letters of Love for the Elderly
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Table at 5th Annual KidsFest Community Fair
Justin Eng 2017 Terry Scholar
• Donated 61,580 grains of rice through the FreeRice competition •
Terry’s for Caritas (raised over $500 to pack a total of 96 bags with water, snacks, and other supplies for those experiencing homelessness)
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30 cards sent to The Valentine Project for children with pediatric cancer or chronic illnesses
Letters of Love Service Project
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF Texas A&M University
Terry Program Start: 1987 Enrolled Scholars: 134 Campus Coordinator: Casey Gros Scholar Relations Coordinator: Christen Barron
Jonny Collard 2017 Terry Scholar
Campus Highlights •
13 service events hosted
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500+ total service hours recorded
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Raised enough money to fully support 5 children on Christmas Day through Angel Tree
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44 total participants in 6 groups served the Bryan/ College Station community through The Big Event
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Contributed over 1,000 miles to the #NotAnotherAggie Suicide Awareness Walk
Hannah Cariker 2017 Terry Scholar
Terry Tennis Social Event
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF The University of Houston
Terry Program Start: 2004 Enrolled Scholars: 67 Campus Coordinators: Dr. Brenda Rhoden and Alice Yang Scholar Relations Coordinator: Holly VanHouten
Campus Highlights •
Books for Development
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Writing letters to healthcare workers during the pandemic
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Adopt-a-Beach for a total of around 75 service hours and about 20 pounds of trash picked up on the beach
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Our biggest accomplishment was slowly incorporating in-person events for the first time since last year.
Rina Dang 2018 Terry Scholar 9
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF Texas State University
Terry Program Start: 2004 Enrolled Scholars: 54 Campus Coordinator: Michelle Sotolongo Scholar Relations Coordinator: Franco Martinez
Campus Highlights • Sent 30 letters to elders in the San Marcos Brookdale Senior Living Community •
Collaborated with We Are Blood, where 24 community members donated 17 units of blood which saved 51 lives
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Hosted a canned food drive and donated both monetary funds and canned food to the Hays County Food Bank
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Raised nearly $300 for the Homeless Mitigation Outreach and Emergency Center
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Valentine’s donation for Hays Caldwell Women’s Center
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Participated in the Annual Great Texas River Clean-Up
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Collected PPE and donations for the local school district at our annual boat trip
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TXST Terry Scholars also participate in the Advancement Via Individual Determination program (AVID) at San Marcos High School. They give back by working with high school students to help prepare them for college through goal-setting, essay editing, resume building, scholarship applications, and many other activities.
Hiking Social Event
Jose Silva 2018 Terry Scholar
Terry Halloween Social Event 11
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF The University of Texas at Dallas
Terry Program Start: 2006 Enrolled Scholars: 64 Campus Coordinators: Sheila Kelly and Cassie Cure Scholar Relations Coordinator: Holly VanHouten
Campus Highlights •
14 service events
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376 hours of service
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Read books to children
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Sent letters to first responders
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40 petitions signed
• Edited 2 books online through Project Gutenberg •
Raised almost $2,000 for #GOALS,a program where UTD undergraduates mentor immigrant students in Richardson ISD who are facing challenges in academics and personal life.
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Multiple scholars also helped administer vaccines
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Abby Lewis (2017), Hetal Patel (2019) and Afza Mohammed (2017) inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
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Ramzi Taim (2017) awarded Worsfold Grant for his nonprofit COOKED-19 to help serve meals to healthcare workers during pandemic
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Nidaa Lafi (2019), Youmna Saeed (2019) and Roger Davis-Jahnel (2019) received Archer Fellowships to intern in Washington, D.C. for the upcoming academic year.
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Abigail Mejia (2019) - Volunteers weekly at an animal shelter and has accumulated over 80+ hours
Terry Halloween Social Event
Terry Graduation Parade
UTD Terry Senior Send Off 13
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF The University of North Texas
Terry Program Start: 2010 Enrolled Scholars: 64 Campus Coordinators: Dr. James Duban and Valerie Adell Scholar Relations Coordinator: Franco Martinez
End of Year Party
Campus Highlights •
5 service and charitable events
• Over $300 raised for Denton Lovepacs • Over $100 raised for the National Black Child Development Institute
End of Year Party
• About $70 raised for One Star COVID Relief through a joint fundraiser with TAMU Terrys • About $130 in concessions donations raised for Artstillery in Dallas •
Collected masks, sanitizer, Clorox wipes, etc. in an ongoing donation drive for Goodman Elementary School in Arlington
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF The University of Texas at Arlington
Terry Program Start: 2015 Enrolled Scholars: 57 Campus Coordinator: Lani Gordon Scholar Relations Coordinator: Franco Martinez
Terry Toy Drive
Campus Highlights •
11 socially distant social events
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5 community service events
• Donated 100+ non-perishable items to the UTA Student Food Pantry
Hiking Clean Up Service Project
• Raised $715.72 through basket raffles and online merchandise sales to buy technology for students in Arlington ISD. • Raised $2,237.00 for Annual Toy Drive benefitting Santa Cops program in Arlington. • Hosted 2 socially-distanced park cleanups, which allowed us to do good for the environment while spending time with friends •
Hosted a Terry Alumni panel in which Terry Alumni shared things they wish they had known or not worried about in college, the transition post-college and words of advice
Freshmen Welcome Week
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF Texas Tech University
Terry Program Start: 2011 Enrolled Scholars: 61 Campus Coordinator: Christy Montecillo Scholar Relations Coordinator: Holly VanHouten
Campus Highlights •
Won the university-wide homecoming banner competition, and Terry student organization President, Chase Gibson, was selected to be on the 2020 Homecoming court.
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South Plains Food Bank Apple Orchard Harvesting Events (Spring and Fall)
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Participated in Texas Tech vs. TCU and Baylor in the Free Rice Challenge to combat food insecurity.
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Fall donation drive for Texas Tech food Pantry
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Letters from the Heart virtual service event for residents of Grace Campus homeless shelter
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Collected and donated craft supplies, canned goods, and school supplies for Smyer ISD. (Spring and Fall)
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Raised about $600 for Child’s Home of Lubbock Donation Drive and donated food, hygiene supplies, toiletries, clothes, and other necessities.
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Participated in Texas Tech’s Arbor Day on individual sign-up basis.
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Spoke to the Jrs and Srs at Whitharral High School to discuss the options students have after high school and relay advice submitted by all of our Tech Terry Scholars.
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First Day of School
Steeley Smith 2017 Terry Scholar
Painted rocks with positive messages for a future community garden, hoping to remind students that positivity can be found everywhere!
Move In Day
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF The University of Texas at San Antonio
Terry Program Start: 2006 Enrolled Scholars: 59 Campus Coordinator: Erik Oviedo Scholar Relations Coordinator: Franco Martinez
Campus Highlights •
UTSA was selected by the Terry Foundation to host a virtual Statewide Officer Retreat. We hosted 59 Officers, All Terry Coordinators, 9 potential officers, across 16 sessions
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9 Service Events (240+ Total Service Hours), 16 Social Events, 7 General Meetings
• Joint Habitat For Humanity service with San Antonio Terry Alumni Chapter
On-Demand Hiking Social Event
• Raised $2,400 in joint fundraiser with UTSA Top Scholars for RAICES to support children of immigrants and their education. •
Introduced self-paced on-demand events, and attendance doubled within our organization. Examples; Hiking, Explore San Antonio, Dog Toy Making, Letter Writing, etc.
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Made over 180 Dog Toys and donated to SA Pets Alive.
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To battle the mental health crisis, we had Scholars share their tips/tricks to help them in COVID times. We shared songs, poems, books, exercises, and even recipes. We did this weekly to create normalcy during the pandemic.
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In both Fall and Spring wesorted and packed 31,000 lbs of food at the San Antonio Food Bank. This equates to 29,800 meals.
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We made 240+ Valentine’s cards for senior citizens in San Antonio and sent them to 3 different locations.
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100+ packs of menstrual essentials, notes of kindness, and other goods were made and sent to SAMMinistries to support the homeless.
Marla Gutierrez 2017 Terry Scholar
Scary Terry Pumpkin Decorating Social Event 21
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF Texas Woman’s University
Terry Program Start: 2013 Enrolled Scholars: 60 Campus Coordinators: Elizabeth Durham and Simone Daniels Scholar Relations Coordinator: Franco Martinez
General Meeting
Campus Highlights •
15 service Events & ~60 hours of service through events like Keep Denton Beautiful.
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Distributed food and supplies to students that are less fortunate in the DFW area.
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100+ packs of menstrual essentials, notes of kindness, and other goods were made and sent to SAMMinistries to support the homeless.
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In addition to transitioning all of our events online, we are proud to say that this is the first year that our graduating scholars will be receiving their stole from our new point system that we had created to urge our scholars to join events and meetings
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Stephanie Reynoso (2018) started the Leaders Interested in Spanish Translation Association Student Organization in the TWU Dallas Campus. Her organization won the Outstanding Student Organization 2021 RedBud Award.
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Uzochi Onwukwe (2017) was the President of the Student Government Association.
Seghen Kalleb, Caitlin Goodman, and Skyelar Hester 2017 Terry Scholars
Zaina Gharbieh (2017) and Anne-Marie Alford (2018) 23
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF Sam Houston State University
Terry Program Start: 2014 Enrolled Scholars: 51 Campus Coordinator: Dr. Maria Holmes Scholar Relations Coordinator: Christen Barron
Ana Pimienta 2018 Terry Scholar
Campus Highlights •
Welcomed the 2020 scholars into the Terry Community by assisting them with their move‐in process
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Hosted a welcome picnic for the new Terrys at Huntsville State Park
Kalynn Stigger (2018) White Coat Ceremony
• Made 100+ Valentine’s Day cards for a local nursing home. •
Huntsville High Mentorship Program, where both Terry and Smith‐Hudson Scholars mentor graduating seniors at Huntsville High School- assisting them with FASFA, college applications, essays, etc.
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Donated hand sanitizers and breakfast items to show appreciation for Huntsville Elementary School teachers
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Supported Huntsville ISD through a school supply re-fill drive
Ruben Garzoria 2017 Terry Scholar 25
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF Texas A&M University at Galveston
Terry Program Start: 2014 Enrolled Scholars: 48 Campus Coordinator: Dr. Todd Southerland Scholar Relations Coordinator: Christen Barron
Beach Clean-Up Service and Social
Campus Highlights •
Hosted Annual Beach Clean-Up service event and social
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Volunteered Art in the Gardens children’s event at Moody Gardens
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Participated in Trunk or Treat at Annual Halloween Carnival
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Made thank you cards for A&M staff during the winter storm
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Delivered thank you cards and cookies to first responders
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Had lots of success with virtual meetings and experienced an increase in Scholar participation
Madison Miley 2017 Terry Scholar
Art in The Gardens Service Event
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TERRY SCHOLARS OF The University of Texas at El Paso
Terry Program Start: 2015 Enrolled Scholars: 59 Campus Coordinator: Annet Rodriguez Scholar Relations Coordinator: Christen Barron
El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Service Event Campus Highlights •
14 Service Events
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411 Service Hours
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UTEP Food Pantry Drive: 316 donated by scholars and 130 donated through organization funds (446 total cans, 26 scholars participated)
Chalk it Up Service Project at VibraLife El Paso Senior Living Community
• Made 35 Make a Wish Sunshine Boxes to be donate to children in the Make a Wish program. 41 scholars participated. •
Donated over $600 for the Southwest Key Program and $350 for the Center Against Sexual & Family Violence
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360+ books donated through book drive
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30 gift bags created and donated to healthcare workers
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3 scholars selected to be 2021 Top 10 Seniors at UTEP
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Jesus (Max) Hernandez (2017) developed a website and platform called “InternBytes” that allows for students to read and write reviews about internships
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Graduating Seniors
Bryan Mena (2019) was selected as a Summer 2021 Intern with the Wall Street Journal
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TERRY SCHOLAR Graduates “The Terry Scholarship has truly meant the world to me. It has brought me countless opportunities and made college a reality for me. Being a Terry inspires me to always do my best, persevere, and give back to my community in any way I can. I’ve been able to meet some of the most incredible people and have made amazing, lifelong connections.” Hana Ali, UTA 2017
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TERRY SCHOLAR Alumni All About Giving Back
2021 Terry Scholarship Interviews
The global pandemic brought about many challenges and adaptations during the 2020-2021 academic year. As expected, Terry Scholars found ways to ensure that this community would still be able to keep in touch and support one another.
The Terry Foundation hosted the annual Terry Scholarship Interviews virtually to ensure the safety of candidates, panelists, and staff. This year, 78 panelists (all Terry Alumni and/ or Board Members) interviewed at total of 354 high school seniors. The Foundation extended 168 Terry Scholarship offers for the 2021 class.
Throughout the year, Terry Alumni volunteered to host virtual lunch chats, which allowed attendees to learn about the host’s career and to have casual discussions with fellow Terrys across Texas and around the globe. Alumni also volunteered to host formal virtual presentations on their personal experiences, and Terrys were able to learn about the pathway to becoming a U.S. Diplomat and the options for taking a service year after college. Additionally, Alumni volunteered to participate on virtual discussion panels about medical school, law school, and graduate school in general. These discussions were attended by dozens of Terry students and Alumni, and the sessions were recorded to ensure that even more Scholars would be able to benefit. The Foundation plans to continue offering virtual programming after we are able to resume our traditional in-person events. We have loved seeing the ways that current students and Terry Alumni have been able to interact without the limitations of being in different locations.
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THANK YOU Mr. and Mrs. Terry In 1987, Howard and Nancy Terry founded what is now the largest private source for scholarships in Texas. The Terrys believed that the students to whom they extended a helping hand would, in turn, give back – to the Foundation, to their college campuses, to their communities and beyond. Today, the success and impact of thousands of Terry Scholars stand as testimonies to the wisdom of that belief. Mr. and Mrs. Terry passed away in 2012, but their legacy lives on in each Terry Scholar who acts as a shining example of their vision and leaves a mark on the world around them.
This Year in Review was created by Ciara Designs. Ciara Knight (TXST 2012) is the owner of Ciara Designs.
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“Success is the attainment of goals you’ve set for yourself in life.” Howard Terry
2020-2021 Year in Review
3336 Richmond Ave. Suite 450 Houston, TX 77098
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