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Kenneth Leatherman
UT Dallas
Brenda Gutierrez
Houston, TX
Senior, Electrical Engineering Major, at UT Dallas
Financial Sources
Job: Co-op, Texas Instruments
Financial Aid & Scholarships: Engineering Scholarship
Brenda's Story
It could be that the first big decision in Brenda Gutierrez’ young life was whether she would pursue arts or technology when she enrolled in a Houston magnet high school a few years ago. She chose technology, mainly for the challenge.
And the second big decision very well could’ve teetered on whether she would attend a local community college or a four-year university. She chose UT Dallas, a school she hadn’t even heard of until her junior year in high school.
One thing was certain: her higher education choice almost assuredly wouldn’t have involved a four-year institution at all had she not worked hard and earned the full scholarship to the Dallas university. Finances at home were limited.
But after her academic prowess in high school earned her a trip to a national competition, Brenda met a Dallas-area teacher who told her about UT Dallas and its strong engineering program, which appealed to her.
“I was planning to go to community college for a couple of years and then go to a university, but UTD offered me a scholarship for full tuition and fees. Everything just fell in place for me, and I knew UTD was where I was supposed to be,” Brenda said.
Part time jobs and internships have helped pay for meals and rent during Brenda’s time at UT Dallas, where she expects to graduate debt-free in May 2008 with a degree in electrical engineering. Already, she has a job lined up with Dallas-based Texas Instruments.
“I would encourage anybody to pursue a degree at UT Dallas, and tell them that it pays to work hard and apply for scholarships,” Brenda said.
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