Connor Wayne Alexander
Dior CyitatireMajor: Health + Society
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Bridging Disciplines Program: Social Inequality Health + Policy
Extracurricular Activities: Texas Healthy Habits
Future Plans: Dental School
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Self-aware
Favorite Place to Study: SAC
Most Interesting Course at UT: UGS 303 Course
Favorite Hobbies: Basketball + Watching Movies
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "Help people who have been released from jail get their footing in society."
Grace Yvonne DennisMajor: Psychology
Hometown: Waco, Texas
Bridging Disciplines Program: Children + Society
Extracurricular Activities: SEAL + OXFAM
Future Plans: Graduate School
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Kind
Favorite Place to Study: Dorm room
Most Interesting Course at UT: Mind + Body Psychology
Favorite Hobbies: Painting, Blogging, and Hiking
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "Working with children and encouraging them to be confident. I volunteered with SEAL this year as a tutor and a reading buddy for underrepresented children in Austin."
Divina G. DominguezMajor: Journalism (currently transferring)
Hometown: Monterrey, NL, Mexico
Bridging Disciplines Program: Creativity + Entrepreneurship
Extracurricular Activities: Working on my website, photography (freelance) for my portfolio, blogging, and videography projects
Future Plans: Work for a lifestyle/fashion magazine and build my own business
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Passionate
Most Interesting Course at UT: COM 316 - Photography Class
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "This summer I worked with a magazine to promote a local business in a creative setting and worked with a restaurant to organize food drives and local outreach."
Kathy EstrellaMajor: International Business + Chinese
Hometown: Brownsville, Texas
Bridging Disciplines Program: Children + Society
Extracurricular Activities: Association of Latina Professionals of America and Subiendo Longhorn Chapter (SLC)
Future Plans: Graduate School
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Kind
Favorite Hobbies: Reading, drawing, walking around while listening to music (as a way to relax)
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "I volunteer a lot at churches or where ever I can work with youth. Recently, I volunteered at a local church in Brownsville, Texas where our main task was to help the community distribute food to the homeless or those in need."
Veronica Sofia Garza
Arissiney C. GroomesMajor: Government
Hometown: El Paso, Texas
Bridging Disciplines Program: Social Justice/ Human Rights
Extracurricular Activities: Inspire Women, Ignite, and Planet Longhorn
Future Plans: Law School
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Different, Caring
Favorite Hobbies: Netflix, nature-related activities, and scrolling through Amazon
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "My most recent volunteer experience was mainly about getting to know the elderly and showing them how to have a good time."
Salma Daniela GuzmanMajor: International Relations + Global Studies
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Bridging Disciplines Program: Conflict Resolution + Peace Studies
Extracurricular Activities: Central Texas Model United Nations, Generation United Nations, UT Service Scholars, Hispanic Business Student Association
Future Plans: Law School - Immigration Law
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Difficult/ Determined/ Compassionate
Favorite Place to Study: Rowling Hall
Most Interesting Course at UT: Social Scientific Imagination
Favorite Hobbies: Reading, Dancing, and Writing
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "Reading books to underprivileged children (literacy coalition). I love helping kids, refugees, and minorities."
Avery Christina Little
Ivana Iliana Parraga
Cathy PreciadoMajor: English
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Bridging Disciplines Program: Children + Society
Extracurricular Activities: Longhorn Link Mentor + Texas Rotaract
Future Plans: Pursue a PhD to become an English Literature professor
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Determined
Favorite Hobbies: Watching movies, fan-girling over One Direction, and listening to musical soundtracks
How would you define your experience as a Rapoport Scholar? What has the program done for you? "Working in the community has always been a passion of mine having the opportunity to spend 200+ hours across the US helping change happen has been worthwhile."
Khoa Anh TongMajor: Urban Studies/ Economics
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Bridging Disciplines Program: Public Policy
Extracurricular Activities: Texas Pioneers + Urban Studies Society
Future Plans: Become an affordable housings developer
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Ambitious
Most Interesting Course at UT: Statistics in Market Analysis
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "Volunteering with Austin Habitat for Humanity and being a Vietnamese language instructor and mentor for The Vietnamese Buddhist Center."
Melodie VuongMajor: Medical Laboratory Science + Health and Society
Hometown: Carrolton, Texas
Bridging Disciplines Program: Ethics and Leadership in Health Line
Extracurricular Activities: Project SEED, Edu. Psychology research assistant, UGS ambassador, leadership and ethics institute' BOLD staff, and TCCA social coordinator
Future Plans: Optometry School
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Witty
Favorite Hobbies: travel/explore (sightseeing, hiking) and reading
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "Distributing food at Mobile Food Pantries and tutoring underprivileged elementary students."
Alejandra ZunigaMajor: Government
Hometown: Amarillo, Texas + Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
Bridging Disciplines Program: Public Policy
Extracurricular Activities: Liberal Arts Honors Mentor, Texas Student Recruiter, & Innovations for Peace and Development (internship)
A Word Others Use to Describe You: Witty
Favorite Hobbies: Working out, painting, traveling/experiencing new things
Favorite Way(s) to Give Back to the Community: "My recent volunteer experience was with Martha's Home, a women's shelter in Amarillo, Texas. It was an incredible and fulfilling experience to know I was able to help people with my time and presence."
