EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Two University of Texas at El Paso students started the new year receiving a scholarship, which the university said is one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards.
According to UTEP, juniors Ryan Boatright and Vianey Martinez are the latest recipients of the Hawkins Scholarship, a competitive scholarship given only to junior students who display leadership skills and are committed to serving others.
The Hawkins Scholarship– named after First Lt. William Deane Hawkins, an El Paso native, UTEP student and Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action during World War II– awards up to $10,000 to those selected, which they can in turn use to cover educational expenses such as tuition, fees, room and board, books, etc…
“The Hawkins Scholarship supports exceptional student leaders who are preparing for post-graduate study,” UTEP President Heather Wilson said. “Ryan [Boatright] and Vianey [Martinez] are rising stars, and this award will help prepare them for a life of service.”
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UTEP junior Ryan Boatright, recipient of the Hawkins Scholarship. Credit: UTEP
Meet Ryan Boatright
Ryan Boatright is a political science major from Austin who first came to UTEP through UT Austin’s Coordinated Admission Program.
Although Boatright only intended to stay in the Borderland for one year before transferring, he fell in love with El Paso and UTEP and made the choice to stay.
During his time, Boatright has interned with Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, State Senator César Blanco and other local officials.
Boatright credits his father’s cancer diagnosis and those internships with convincing him to go to law school and become an attorney.
“I’ve had a lifelong passion for public policy and law,” Boatright said. “I became passionate about it because my father was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer, due to his use of a retail product that anyone of us could go and buy at any store. That happened when I was a teenager and, thankfully, he beat cancer and has been in remission since. But that experience fundamentally changed my perspective on what I wanted to do with my life.”
The Hawkins Scholarship will support Boatright’s participation in the Archer Fellowship, a highly competitive semester-long public service program in Washington, D.C.
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UTEP junior Vianey Martinez, recipient of the Hawkins Scholarship. Credit: UTEP
Meet Vianey Martinez
Vianey Martinez is a computer science (CS) major who graduated from Franklin High School.
Martinez has served as a mentor with the Google Developer Student Club, been the vice president of harm reduction of the local chapter of her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, and member outreach coordinator for Girls Who Code.
Martinez believes it was her role with Girls Who Code that shaped her into the student that she is now.
“During freshman orientation, I learned about Girls Who Code and immediately connected with its mission. I applied, hoping to get involved and was thankful to be selected as an officer before my first semester at UTEP,” Martinez said. “I met an incredible group of women in computer science who became my support system at the university. They taught me that leadership is rooted in service, mentorship and paying it forward.”
UTEP stated that Martinez is currently researching Generative AI in CS classrooms under Daniel Mejia, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, and the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
In the summer, Martinez will join Microsoft as a software engineer intern of 2025– the second scholarship she’s done with the giant tech company.
Martinez said she wants to become a software engineer and plans to use the Hawkins Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence at UTEP.
About the Hawkins Scholarship
The Hawkins Scholarship selection process is designed to prepare students for nationally competitive awards such as the Truman, Goldwater and Fulbright scholarships.
The selection committee included Kathrin Berg, executive vice president of the El Paso Community Foundation; Leila Melendez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Borderplex; and Moises Padilla, director of the Carnegie Mellon University Rales Fellows Program.
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