Scholarship donated to assist TSC students from Cameron Park

Texas Southmost College received a $10,000 scholarship from the Bussert-Webb Family on March 31, 2016, for TSC students from Cameron Park in Brownsville.

Standing at the podium in front of the Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees, Dr. Kathy Bussert-Webb talked about her experience teaching in the Cameron Park neighborhood of Brownsville, its low college graduation rates and negative perception in the media.

That experience and research prompted the Bussert-Webb family to create the Cameron Park Scholarship. Their $10,000 donation was announced by TSC President Dr. Lily F. Tercero to the TSC Board of Trustees at the March 31, 2016 meeting, held at the Gorgas Hall Board Room.

"On the outside, you think Cameron Park is doing really well. But on the inside, there's a lot that needs to be done in terms of education," Dr. Bussert-Webb said. "In 2010, according to the U.S. Census, the college graduation rate for Cameron Park was 1.3 percent. In Brownsville, it was 16 percent. That's a huge difference. What this scholarship sets out to do is not just to give money to TSC students from Cameron Park, but to change the community's perceptions of Cameron Park."

TSC Board members applauded Bussert-Webb, a University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley bilingual and literacy studies professor, for her family's generosity.

"Dr. Bussert-Webb and her family's gesture to champion a scholarship for TSC students is inspiring," TSC Board of Trustees Chairman Francisco Rendon said. "This is a great opportunity for the residents of Cameron Park. We're grateful to her family for their consideration of TSC students with the creation ofthe Cameron Park Scholarship."

Students that want to apply for the Cameron Park Scholarship must meet certain requirements to be eligible. Applicants must be current residents of Cameron Park, not be U.S. citizens, have less than 21 college credit hours, be 17 years or older, have a high school diploma or GED in English, meet general TSC admission guidelines, enroll and pass at least 15 credit hours per term of the scholarship allotment and have a 2.9 overall GPA.

Applicants must also write a Letter to the Editor of The Brownsville Herald as part of the scholarship's requirements. The letters of award winners will be published in The Brownsville Herald.

The maximum award of the scholarship is $2,000 per semester per awardee.

To apply for the Cameron Park Scholarship, visit www.tsc.edu/scholarships.

For more information about scholarship opportunities at TSC, contact the Financial Aid Office at (956) 295-3620.

About Texas Southmost College
Originally established in 1926, Texas Southmost College currently offers the first two years toward a bachelor's degree, along with career and technical education leading to certificates and associate degrees, college preparatory studies to prepare students for college-level work, workforce training, and continuing education. Recently selected as a Bright Spot by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, TSC offers 53 programs of study leading to an associate degree or certificate.