{"id":150868,"date":"2026-02-04T18:01:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T18:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/150868\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T18:01:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T18:01:27","slug":"hawkins-scholarship-recipients-the-prospector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/150868\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawkins Scholarship recipients \u2013 The Prospector"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Hawkins Scholarship is awarded annually to two University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) juniors who demonstrate outstanding academic achievements, a commitment to serving others in their community and a strong trajectory towards leadership.<\/p>\n

Vianey Martinez, a Franklin High School alumna and computer science major, is also a member of UTEP\u2019s Undergraduate Fellows Program.<\/p>\n

She distinguished herself in the applicant\u2019s pool by completing a 12-week internship with Microsoft in Seattle, Washington, where she worked alongside international scholars. Martinez plans to pursue a graduate degree in artificial intelligence (A.I.) at UTEP.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat really resonated with me was the highlight on leadership for this award,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cI\u2019m a big fan of advocating for women in computer science and engineering.\u201d Martinez explained that receiving the scholarship will ease financial pressure and allow her to focus more on her academic and leadership goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a single mom, so this was really great help, me being able to help her,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to give me less pressure to work for money and more focus on just getting through my classes and growing in my leadership as well. It\u2019s a big part of my goals this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was recently interviewed for SuperForce, a program created by SuperCity that offers apprenticeships to El Pasoans interested in training with A.I. software. The program aims to expand access to emerging technology and workforce opportunities in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really great way of bringing AI to El Paso, and they have these rules to improve our community,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cI\u2019m really excited that [this] opportunity has come to me through Hawkins and the panel I have met. I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing how far I can go with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan Boatright, an Austin, Texas native, has attended UTEP for the past three years and is majoring in political science with plans to attend law school.<\/p>\n

He currently serves as President of the Student Government Association (SGA) and has completed internships with U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, Texas State Senator C\u00e9sar Blanco and two county commissioners.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been entrusted with something that a lot of other very qualified people applied for,\u201d Boatright said. \u201cI want to do something impactful and make my community proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boatright said his motivation to pursue law stems from personal family experiences. He pointed to his father\u2019s battle with stage four cancer, which Boatright said was linked to exposure to a commercial weeds deterrent product later addressed through litigation. He explains it as \u201cthe story that motivates everything I want to do in life.\u201d Since then, his father has been in remission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way to hold them accountable was through the legal system. That\u2019s kind of been my whole motivation, watching the process unfold,\u201d Boatright said. \u201cThat\u2019s what inspires me and pushes me to go to law school and continue to fight for people like my dad.\u201d Boatright plans to use the scholarship to expand his academic and professional experience beyond El Paso by applying to the Archer Fellowship Program in Washington, D.C., where he hopes to intern in congressional offices.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Aiming to make a difference in the world, junior Ryan Boatright hopes to hold large corporations accountable by pursuing a career in the legal system. (Nathaniel Flores<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u201cSince I was a freshman, I\u2019ve dreamed of doing the Archer Fellowship,\u201d Boatright said.\u00a0\u201cGetting this scholarship has made it seem like I can apply for that and if\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0accepted,\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0have the resources to go, so\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0applying for that right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Martinez and Boatright are the sixth pair of students to be awarded the Hawkins Scholarship since its creation in 2020 by President Heather Wilson.\u00a0As they look ahead, the scholarship provides added stability as they pursue careers rooted in service,\u00a0leadership\u00a0and community impact, a\u00a0strong\u00a0devotion for both recipients.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vanessa Orozco is a contributor and may be reached at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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