Melany Rodriguez

What made UT the right choice for you?
It’s the best public university in my home state and I wanted to receive my education from the best in Texas.

What made your time at UT memorable?
The people. The support system I have here is like no other I’ve had before, and it’s going to be hard leaving that. And the sunsets — there’s nothing that compares to seeing the sky turn a soft orange behind the Tower.

How did scholarships support your academic journey?
UT for Me — Powered by Dell Scholars made everything so much more accessible for me. Students have so many expenses already, and not having to worry about the burden of fully paying for my textbooks lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.

How do donors make a difference in a student’s life?
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has created a community through UT for Me — Powered by Dell Scholars. Seeing others wear their backpacks with the logo or seeing the stickers around campus made me realize how many of us there are in the program and made me feel a lot less alone when I was struggling. Despite facing economic challenges, we still made it this far and put in the work to pursue our dreams.

What’s next for you?
I am taking a gap year to study for the LSAT and participate in an internship, and then I plan to start law school in fall of 2025. This isn’t the end, it’s only the beginning.