UTEP President Heather Wilson introduced a new scholarship opportunity for students called the Hawkins Scholarship, established by Wilson herself. The announcement took place during the Honors, Scholars and Fellows Day Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The Hawkins Scholarship is broken down into two scholarships, each worth $10,000 which may be awarded to students in any field, and its name honors First Lieutenant William Deane Hawkins.
UTEP President Heather Wilson introduced a new scholarship opportunity for students called the Hawkins Scholarship, established by Wilson herself. The announcement took place during the Honors, Scholars and Fellows Day Wednesday, Feb. 5.
“Hawkins graduated from El Paso High School when he was 16 and was awarded a scholarship to attend Texas College of Mines (now UTEP), where he studied engineering. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawkins joined the Marine Corps,” said a pamphlet handed out during the event. “In November 1943, Hawkins successfully led his men into action against Japanese-held Tarawa located in the Gilbert Islands. He was killed in action during this effort. He risked his life to accomplish the mission and inspired his comrades during the most crucial phase of the battle. Hawkins was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts above and beyond the call of duty.”
During the event, Wilson spoke about being a Rhodes scholar, her time serving on the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee in two different states, serving on the Schwarzman Scholarship Committee, based out of New York City, which would send students to China and as secretary on the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee in New Mexico.
Wilson spoke about how UTEP students have the potential and the intelligence to compete with the best students from other universities, even if the students themselves don’t believe so.
“The best students at this school can compete with the best students anywhere,” Wilson said.
Qualifications include students of “outstanding intellect, (who) are committed to the service of others and who show promise of becoming leaders capable of addressing important challenges facing humanity.” It is meant to help pay students’ tuition, fees, room and board, books and other educational expenses, including study abroad experiences or other programs that enhance their education experience.
To become a Hawkins Scholar, students must be:
- Undergraduates who intend to apply and attend graduate school in the fall of 2022
- At least 17 years of age and must not be 23 or older by October 2020
- Must have completed an undergraduate degree at UTEP no later than July 2022
- Have a GPA of or above 3.7 on a 4.0 grade point scale
- Can be citizens of any country
If you do not qualify to become a Hawkins Scholar, other scholarship you can apply for include the Rhodes Scholarship, Fulbright Scholarship, Mitchell Scholarship, Hertz foundation Scholarship and the Houston Endowment Scholarship.
To learn more about the Hawkins Scholarship, visit its website.
Noah Sarabia may be reached at [email protected]
