SAN ANTONIO – Che King, Reagan Crick and Itzel Rojo don’t know one another, but they have one key factor in common: They’re among the first Legacy Scholarship recipients to graduate from college.
Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the San Antonio Area Foundation opened its Legacy Scholarship program in 2022. Since then, the program has awarded $19.4 million to nearly 500 students.
One of the largest college scholarship programs in the nation, Legacy currently provides 125 high school students in Bexar and Webb counties with up to $40,000 each ($10,000 annually) for college.
Through credits earned while in high school, Che, Reagan and Itzel each graduated after just three years of college. In the process, they became part of a small group forming the first Legacy scholar graduates. A much larger number of graduates is expected next year when first Legacy scholars complete their four-year degrees.
“We are incredibly proud of these young men and women,” noted Bernice Uresti, Area Foundation Director of Legacy Scholarship & Student Success. “They have worked hard to reach this milestone, and it means so much to be part of their journey toward career and life success. We’re building a strong Legacy family, and it’s exciting to see our first scholars graduate!”
Growing up as a first-generation American from parents who immigrated from Mexico and settled in the border city of Laredo, Itzel remembered her mother telling her that her road to success would have to be paved through educational attainment.
Itzel told her mom she understood and promised her right then and there that she’d be valedictorian of her high school class. Promise made and promise kept – Itzel was the top student from around 400 in her graduating class at Laredo’s Cigarroa High School.
Thanks to her hard work, Itzel enrolled at the UT San Antonio with an associate’s degree in science, then completing her bachelor’s program majoring in marketing with a minor in nonprofit management. She also ran on the university’s track and cross-country teams.
She was determined to go to college no matter what, but having most costs covered by her Legacy scholarship provided incomparable peace of mind.
“It was such a huge help,” said Itzel, 21, whose future plans include possibly graduate school with the goal of working for or starting her own nonprofit. “And it was incredible to see the community the Area Foundation has created for us – they really, really care about our growth and success.”
Considering he wasn’t sure if he’d even go to college, Che, 21, now looks in awe of his academic achievement of graduating early (he also completed an Associate’s degree while in high school).
Originally from San Diego but then moving and growing up in San Antonio, he became interested in a military career in high school, eventually joining the ROTC program. He just completed his degree in international relations at Texas State University in San Marcos and has enlisted in the U.S. Army.
He’s not quite sure how long his army career will be, but other longer-term career options include teaching English overseas or remaining in government work, possibly with the FBI or CIA. There’s also the diplomatic route, working for the State Department at an embassy abroad.
“I’m so thankful for the all the doors that the Legacy Scholarship has opened up for me already,” Che said. “It has been an incredible support system.”
A dedicated student at O’Connor High School in San Antonio, Reagan understood early from through family conversations that home finances were tough and that she’d have to get help if she wanted to go to college.
The Legacy Scholarship program enabled her to attend Texas A&M University in College Station, where she completed a degree in agriculture leadership and development with a minor in journalism.
She plans to continue her studies at A&M, pursuing a master’s degree this fall in Legal Studies, with a focus on energy and agricultural policy. Eventually, her career goal would be to work in Austin or the nation’s capital as an agricultural policy expert. Another option would be to work in government, possibly with the federal Department of Agriculture.
None of that would’ve been a sure bet had it not been for the lift provided by her Legacy scholarship.
“This support has been amazing to witness,” Reagan, 20, shared. “The scholarship has already made a lasting impact in my life – I will carry the experience with me forever.”
