Communities In Schools of Houston, an educational nonprofit, announces recipients of the Society of Petroleum Engineering (Guff Coast Section) scholarships for students starting the 2023-24 academic year. The scholarships will provide $12,000 to each recipient, renewable for eight college semesters ($1,500 per semester) to help fund their higher education in an energy-related field.

This year’s scholarship recipients include Dylann Garcia from Milby High School in Houston ISD; Zoe Velasquez, Spring Woods High School in Spring Branch ISD and Kimberly Villalta, Northbrook High School, also in Spring Branch ISD. The winners are all females.

Communities In Schools of Houston serves at-risk students in the Greater Houston area through direct services and resources, including academic support, community referrals and mental health services. SPE partners with CIS to provide scholarship funding for outstanding students to aid them in their college careers.

Without this funding, many of these students would not be able to afford to go to college. Several recipients are the first in their families to attend a college or university.

“CIS is thrilled that our generous partner SPE has chosen to expand the scholarship program to fund three students this year,” says Lisa Descant, CEO of CIS of Houston. “This financial support is critical in furthering the education of these wonderful students who have worked diligently throughout their academic careers. We are also excited that many more females are now interested in careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Each of these young women has a bright future ahead.”

SPE’s Scholarship Committee is dedicated to increasing interest in the energy industry among graduating high school seniors and retaining students currently enrolled in science and energy-related academic disciplines. Through recruiting fairs, special event tours, summer employment internships, and direct contact during the students' academic careers, the committee works to ensure a steady flow of focused, high quality, and talented graduates entering the energy industry.

Each of the three scholarship winners work closely with a CIS Student Support Manager who is embedded at their schools. These professionals, who all have a background in social work, assess a student’s needs, and then provide direct services and/or make referrals to community partners to ensure a student has everything they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. The Student Support Managers who mentored this year’s students are Rene Gonzalez (Milby), Celix Cortez (Spring Woods) and Martha Montoya-Sanchez (Northbrook).

The SPE – GCS Awards and Scholarship Banquet is set for Thursday, Aug. 3, when all of the scholarship recipients for 2023, including the CIS students, will be recognized. Their parents will also be invited to the event.

For more information about Communities In Schools of Houston and its programs, visit www.cishouston.org.