Lights, Camera, Thank You

During her sophomore year at Second Baptist High School in Houston, Laura had the opportunity to visit an exhibit at the Harry Ransom Center. After that trip to the Forty Acres, she knew UT was the university for her. “UT had so much to offer such as museums, the Gutenberg Bible and Shakespeare texts, along with the Liberal Arts Honors program and School of Journalism. It was the only college that I wanted to attend,” Laura said.

“UT really challenged me and shaped me into a person I’m proud to be.”

She also received the Eva Stevenson Woods Endowed Presidential Scholarship — a merit-based scholarship that was established in 1980 through a generous estate gift and has supported hundreds of students. “Some people may feel that when they give to an institution as big as UT, they won’t make a difference,” she said. “But the dollars are touching students’ lives. Thank you so much for your generosity.”

Laura is now a multimedia journalist and anchor at KAMC in Lubbock. Her future and career are bright, but she knows that without the support of UT alumni and friends, her college experience and current opportunities would not be the same. “My time at UT made me a much sharper, more well-rounded and understanding person. I think going to college in general molds you into a better version of yourself, but going to a place like UT really challenged me and really shaped me into a person I’m proud to be.”