Opportunity Rising

Melanie discovered early on that using her voice could create change. In high school, she successfully petitioned the city of El Paso to keep its recycling program by attending City Hall meetings and speaking directly with the mayor. The program was saved thanks to her efforts. She also helped develop Hispanic Heritage Week at her school and founded a tutoring service for non-English speakers.

When Melanie arrived at UT, she feared getting lost in the crowd. As a first-generation student, she didn’t have a blueprint to help her navigate college. “My main goal was to survive and get my degree, but I grew a lot through my classes and by joining student organizations,” she recalls. “I started taking risks and stepping into leadership positions. It became less about surviving and more about thriving.”

One of the most impactful parts of her UT experience was mentoring other students. “Helping other Hispanic engineering students work toward their degrees has been incredibly rewarding. It’s made them feel more confident about getting through college — and that’s been one of my proudest moments.”

Melanie’s sense of purpose in helping others succeed was reinforced by the support she received from donors along the way. The resources and encouragement helped her grow not just as a student, but as a confident leader.

She is currently pursuing a master’s in electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, with plans to work in the consumer electronics industry and champion greater access to STEM for underrepresented groups after graduation.

“Scholarship support showed me that donors truly believe in my potential,” she says. “Knowing others are invested in my success gives me the confidence to reach for anything I set my mind to.”