![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/haleigh-erramouspe.jpg\")
<\/p>\n A scholarship at Texas Tech is about more than funding Sara Martinez\u2019s education;
\n it\u2019s unlocking a future dedicated to helping others through their darkest moments.<\/p>\n
\t\tCREATORS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sara Martinez has been an advocate since she was 5 years old.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had to be.<\/p>\n
For the now 21-year-old Texas Tech University<\/a> student, this trait has become instinctive \u2014 thrust upon her by circumstances most At age 5, Sara corrected a nurse who tried to give her the wrong medication during She quickly learned that advocating for herself could mean the difference between \u201cThey got a new nurse in there, and they did things the right way,\u201d Sara joked about While her peers\u2019 most significant concerns were learning to write their names, tie Sara was born with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic condition that causes Before graduating from high school, she had been diagnosed with three life-threatening This diagnosis and the conditions and procedures that followed were undoubtedly defining Within the halls of CHRISTUS Children\u2019s Hospital in San Antonio, Sara discovered a The Diagnosis That Changed Everything<\/p>\n The first five years of Sara\u2019s life were relatively normal. She grew up in San Antonio, They were both attentive parents who kept a close watch on their daughter\u2019s health. \u201cIt started as an average fever and became pink eye,\u201d Sara said. \u201cMy eye started looking At the hospital, the Martinez family was immediately referred to an ophthalmologist, Then they received the call: come to CHRISTUS Children\u2019s Hospital in San Antonio as Sara had an optic glioma, a slow-growing tumor found on her right optic nerve that Sara started kindergarten with a chemo port implanted in her chest. Not only did the \u201cIt was hard,\u201d Sara confessed. \u201cI\u2019m about to start big-girl school, and this is happening. When Sara went into remission at 7 years old, the family moved from San Antonio to A New Challenge Emerges<\/p>\n She was essentially symptom-free until she reached middle school. It was there her While her parents hoped the grades could be blamed on the transition to middle school, \u201cWhen I made the switch, I was drowning,\u201d Sara admitted.<\/p>\n Her parents took her to the doctor for answers.<\/p>\n A CT scan revealed dangerous pressure building inside her brain, a complication linked \u201cA week and a half later, I was on the operating table getting a shunt,\u201d Sara said, It Takes a Village<\/p>\n Through both diagnoses and resulting treatments, Sara and her family leaned heavily When a new complication arose, the family\u2019s life quickly became a careful choreography Her grandparents became the family\u2019s anchor, providing in-home support so everyone Beyond her immediate family, she found refuge in her care team, with whom she would Among those who stepped into Sara\u2019s life during long hours in treatment was Leanne Leanne didn\u2019t just help Sara navigate the complex emotions that came along with uncertainty; These lessons have followed her through every stage of her life, revealing a calling \u201cI love her to death and still text her all the time,\u201d Sara said of the psychologist.<\/p>\n Her experience managing her own illness made her realize she wanted to be the same With this clarity, Sara knew she wanted to become a pediatric oncology psychologist Signs in Red and Black<\/p>\n Sara needed to attend college to pursue this dream, but the idea of leaving Floresville She wanted to attend a college near home. However, her parents encouraged her to get While she conceded to her parents\u2019 plans, she made a promise to herself: She wasn\u2019t \u201cI was looking for a place that had camaraderie,\u201d she said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to commit At first glance, Texas Tech didn\u2019t seem like it was quite the one.<\/p>\n The day they toured, the campus initially seemed quiet, almost like a ghost town.<\/p>\n But, as they continued their trek, they found themselves drawn to the reverb of an The Saddle Tramps<\/a>, an iconic Texas Tech spirit organization, was out in full force.<\/p>\n \u201cMy dad saw them first,\u201d she said. \u201cWe both thought it was so cool. We hadn\u2019t seen Sara was naturally drawn to the group.\u00a0<\/p>\n She had grown up dancing during the periods between her recoveries and remissions. She was hopeful there was an organization like the Saddle Tramps that she could join. Later, during her campus tour, she bonded with her tour guide over dance. The conversation After her tour, she couldn\u2019t help but feel all the signs were there.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe connections, the culture, the campus, even the church across the street, everything Even before she left campus, she was all in on Texas Tech. For the first time in years, A Symbol of Hope<\/p>\n Just as Sara\u2019s plans started to fall into place, she was quickly reminded that journeys At the start of her senior year of high school, Sara once again began experiencing Multiple biopsies, scans and other tests confirmed she had invasive carcinoma, a type \u201cI got my port, I saw the surgical oncologist and I started my senior year of high She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy during the fall of her senior year and then Despite this, her care team, school and family fought to preserve a sense of normalcy. And in the midst of it all, she looked down at her phone to find an email from Texas Her pulse quickened, and her head filled with thoughts about another potential setback \u201cI kept thinking, \u2018Did I get in? Do I open it? Do I wait?\u2019 I was terrified,\u201d she confessed.<\/p>\n She allowed herself to take one quick glance at the summary of the email, where she She had been accepted.<\/p>\n In a year defined by uncertainty, this moment provided new resolve for a bright future.<\/p>\n Finding Her Home Away From Home<\/p>\n This moment gave Sara the burst of energy she needed to start planning her next steps She filled out an interest form immediately. Not long after, she heard from her future By then, Sara was trying to regrow her hair after her recent chemotherapy treatments. In situations where people didn\u2019t know her well, she felt pressured to explain her This conversation was different.<\/p>\n Expecting the same awkward silences and uncertainty people showed when they didn\u2019t Through rush, meetings, service events and eventually her pinning, Sara knew she had \u201cI wasn\u2019t just a girl with cancer to them,\u201d she said, beaming. \u201cI was myself. I was The Scholarship That Made It Possible<\/p>\n Sara\u2019s next defining moment of reassurance came from an unexpected source.\u00a0<\/p>\n During her senior year of high school, she had navigated the overwhelming scholarship However, her persistence paid off when she was awarded the Presidential Merit Scholarship<\/a> at Texas Tech, along with additional funding for graduating in the top 10% of her This scholarship covered a portion of her tuition and fees, but she was inspired to Her determination was rewarded when she received word she had been selected for the The scholarship, offered to full-time undergraduate psychology majors<\/a> in the College of Arts & Sciences<\/a>, covers the full cost of attendance \u2014 tuition, fees, room, board and books. For Sara, \u201c(The Gres family) is not only contributing to my education, but also to my vocation,\u201d The support has helped her see her potential more clearly. School is tough. What she\u2019s \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve accomplished something that I had longed for for so long,\u201d she said. Inspired by the Gres family\u2019s investment in her future, Sara hopes to one day create A Legacy in Motion<\/p>\n Still in remission, Sara reflects on the winding path that led her to Texas Tech. \u201cYou\u2019re a lot tougher than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n She still carries that truth with her today as it shapes the way she approaches her Her ultimate goal is to return to CHRISTUS Children\u2019s Hospital in San Antonio, the \u201cI was deeply impacted by the encouragement of Leanne,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom my first diagnosis \u201cI want to give kids what I had. I want to provide them support and guidance through And because of the Gres Family Endowed Scholarship, Sara has that opportunity.<\/p>\n The impact of a single scholarship extends far beyond one student. For every child If there is one message she hopes others take from her story, it\u2019s that her journey, With every step forward, Sara continues to prove that. And through her work, the cycle \u201cWe\u2019re more than the challenges we face,\u201d she said with determination. \u201cWhen a setback To learn more about how to establish a scholarship to support students like Sara,
\n people can\u2019t fathom, much less experience.<\/p>\n
\n a chemotherapy session. She already knew what her port was, which medicines went into
\n it and who was allowed to touch it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n going home and staying in the hospital.<\/p>\n
\n the encounter, highlighting the optimistic attitude she kept throughout her diagnoses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n their shoelaces and navigate the new social norms of kindergarten, Sara was learning
\n to survive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n tumors to grow throughout the body \u2014 some of which can become cancerous \u2014 and affects
\n the muscles, bones and nervous system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n ailments. She underwent two major surgeries and completed countless hours of chemotherapy
\n \u2014 all linked to NF1.<\/p>\n
\n moments in Sara\u2019s life, though not in the way most people might expect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n community that would shape her outlook on life and lay the foundation for a career
\n built by compassion, advocacy and a commitment that no child will face illness alone.<\/p>\n
\n the only child of two hardworking parents. Her mother was a special education teacher,
\n and her father was a military veteran and owner of an auto repair business.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n A watchfulness that would soon prove crucial in Sara\u2019s health journey.<\/p>\n
\n even more abnormal to my parents, and then they and my grandma made the decision to
\n take me to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n who promptly ordered a series of scans. The ophthalmologist noticed Sara\u2019s right eye
\n showed no response \u2014 she seemed blind in that eye.<\/p>\n
\n soon as possible. From the urgency, they knew the news wasn\u2019t good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n had already stolen the vision in her right eye. It was inoperable. Attempting to remove
\n it could leave her paralyzed or brain-dead. Radiation wasn\u2019t an option due to NF1.
\n The only viable treatment was chemotherapy \u2014 with no guarantee it would work.<\/p>\n
\n port provide direct access to her bloodstream for a demanding chemotherapy regimen,
\n but it also served as a physical barrier that prevented her from connecting with her
\n classmates.<\/p>\n
\n When my classmates were playing tag or going on field trips, I wasn\u2019t able to participate,
\n or I missed out altogether because I was at the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n Floresville, Texas, a neighboring town about 30 minutes south. They were looking to
\n start fresh, live in a calmer environment and be closer to her grandparents.<\/p>\n
\n parents once again noticed signs they couldn\u2019t ignore. Their daughter was struggling
\n in school in ways she hadn\u2019t before, getting Bs and Cs in most of her classes.<\/p>\n
\n they knew in their gut that it wasn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n
\n to her NF1. She needed surgery to place a titanium ventriculoperitoneal shunt to drain
\n the excess cerebrospinal fluid. The news was alarming, but the operation was a resounding
\n success.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n marveling at how simply her doctors resolved such a serious issue. \u201cFast forward,
\n and we thought, \u2018OK, all good. She\u2019s finally out of the woods. Everything is normal.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\n on those around them.<\/p>\n
\n of treatment schedules, blood draws and scans, and they had to find a way to adapt.
\n With both parents working full time, it quickly became clear they needed additional
\n help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n could aid her recovery. They were there for school pickups and drop-offs and drove
\n her to appointments when her parents couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\n spend eight-plus hours a week at the hospital. They knew her by name and her preferences.
\n They celebrated her wins with her and brought comfort during the hardest days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n Embry, her pediatric oncology psychologist. Little did Sara know at the time, but
\n Leanne would be instrumental in shaping her future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n she also taught her to recognize her own strength, ask questions and use her voice.<\/p>\n
\n that has grown stronger as she has grown older.<\/p>\n![\"Sara](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sara-Martinez--Medical-Journey.jpg\")
![\"Sara](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sara-Martinez-with-Leanne.jpg\")
Left \u2013 Sara (middle) in the hospital with Leanne (left).
\n Right \u2013 Sara with Leanne and her husband, Zeff, at Camp Discovery, a unique camp experience
\n for children ages 7-16 who are battling or have battled cancer. <\/p>\n
\n kind of advocate and support system that Leanne was for her. She was inspired to pursue
\n a career where she could treat the person living with an illness, not just the illness
\n itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n who could serve as a patient advocate.<\/p>\n
\n made her anxious. It meant leaving behind the community that had supported her through
\n her health journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n out of her comfort zone and convinced her to visit Texas Tech during her junior year
\n of high school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n going to get attached to a university unless all the \u201csigns\u201d were there.<\/p>\n
\n to a university unless the environment felt like the right fit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n announcer\u2019s voice coming from Rip Griffin Park, the baseball stadium. When they entered,
\n the emptiness of the campus suddenly made sense. The stadium was jam-packed, alive
\n with energy, spirit and the unmistakable clang of cowbells.<\/p>\n
\n an organization like that before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n She was also active in extracurricular activities and worked diligently to build community
\n and team spirit \u2014 things she had often missed.<\/p>\n
\n She wanted to reconnect with the community she had longed for as a child.<\/p>\n
\n came naturally and felt familiar. They discovered they shared a mutual acquaintance
\n and had danced in some of the same circuits.<\/p>\n
\n just felt right,\u201d she said as her face lit up, reliving the moment. \u201cFor the first
\n time, I could see myself here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n she could picture a future she chose for herself, one full of possibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n like hers don\u2019t always follow a predictable path.<\/p>\n
\n medical symptoms she couldn\u2019t ignore. Initially, she attributed these to the usual
\n demands of being an active student in her senior year of high school. However, they
\n continued to progress.<\/p>\n
\n of breast cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n school,\u201d Sara said. \u201cSo, I started kindergarten with one kind (of cancer), and then
\n I was ending high school with a different kind. It was kind of freaky.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n surgery in January to remove the tumor.<\/p>\n
\n She went to events when she could. She stayed connected with classmates. Her community
\n strived to ensure she didn\u2019t miss the milestone moments senior year had to offer.<\/p>\n
\n Tech.<\/p>\n
\n in an already difficult year. When this email arrived in her inbox, Sara had just
\n finished her first round of chemotherapy and had just shaved her head. She really
\n needed some good news.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n found one word that cut through the ambiguity: Congratulations.<\/p>\n
\n to build her life in Lubbock. Around this time, her dad had revisited the Saddle Tramps Instagram<\/a> page and had seen a post about the High Riders<\/a> \u2014 a women\u2019s spirit organization dedicated to supporting Texas Tech women\u2019s athletics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n pledge mom, Kierstyn Marches, about a meet-and-greet she could attend at the beginning
\n of her first semester of college.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n It wasn\u2019t uncommon for people to treat her differently or be unsure of how to act
\n around her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n situation to avoid discomfort. So, when she arrived at the High Riders meet-and-greet,
\n she instinctively went straight to the president, ready to explain her recent treatments
\n to reassure others about her appearance.<\/p>\n
\n know what to say, she was instead met with open arms. She was welcomed into the group
\n effortlessly and was offered the option to reach out for help if she ever needed anything
\n as she settled into her new environment.<\/p>\n![\"Sara](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sara-Martinez-High-Riders.jpg\")
Sara with the High Riders<\/p>\n
\n found the community she had been worried about missing when she left Floresville.
\n She had found her home away from home.<\/p>\n
\n just Sara.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n application process, meeting numerous deadlines without receiving even a rejection
\n letter.<\/p>\n
\n class.<\/p>\n
\n pursue additional opportunities to further support her education. At the end of her
\n first year of college, Sara scoured the list of available scholarships from her academic
\n advisor and submitted applications once again.<\/p>\n
\n Gres Family Endowed Scholarship.<\/p>\n
\n it was more than financial relief. It was affirmation.<\/p>\n
\n Sara said. \u201cI can only pray that someday I will be able to contribute to students
\n working toward a dream, as they have done for me, and I want to work hard to make
\n them proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n been through is tough. But in the end, she\u2019s going to be a psychologist working with
\n pediatric cancer patients \u2014 and that\u2019s her goal.<\/p>\n
\n \u201cHaving NF1, there\u2019s always something that\u2019s going to be coming up, and at certain
\n points in my life, I questioned whether I\u2019d be able to attend school, in person or
\n otherwise. Receiving the scholarship, it felt like someone understood my journey and
\n showed me there\u2019s a light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n her own scholarship at Texas Tech, continuing the cycle of opportunity that made her
\n education possible.<\/p>\n
\n When she thinks about her setbacks and triumphs, she hears the voice of her pediatric
\n oncology psychologist, Leanne. It\u2019s a reminder that has followed her around her whole
\n life.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Sara](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sara-Martinez-Tougher-Thank-You-Think-.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n studies, service work and future. Already mapping out the next steps in her academic
\n journey, she plans to continue into a master\u2019s program at Texas Tech and eventually
\n pursue a Ph.D.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n place where her battle began, to help children facing situations similar to her past.<\/p>\n
\n at age 5 to my most recent fight at 18, she walked the journey alongside me and encouraged
\n me to go through every step. Her empathy and encouragement motivated me to want to
\n deliver that same message to other survivors.<\/p>\n
\n their own experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n Sara will counsel through their cancer journey, for every family she\u2019ll guide through
\n difficult decisions, for every young patient who will learn to advocate for themselves,
\n the Gres family\u2019s investment will multiply exponentially, transforming countless lives.<\/p>\n
\n and the journey of others like her, is not one of setbacks, but rather one about resilience
\n and strength.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n will continue on and on<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n happens, you pivot. Nothing is ever impossible, so go full force.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n click here<\/a>or email ofc.advancement@ttu.edu.<\/a><\/p>\n