BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- Julieta Garcia, one of 40 University of Texas at Brownsville students who received a $1,000 scholarship from Stripes Convenience Stores, spoke to fellow scholarship winners, family, friends and staff gathered in the Plumeria Courtyard of Main on November 4.
"On behalf of all the Stripes Scholarship recipients at UTB, thank you for giving us this opportunity to compete for these scholarships and for the additional funds to help pay for our education," said Garcia, a senior exercise science major with the goal of becoming a physical therapist working with children with disabilities.
The scholarship funds are the result of a four-week, in-store fundraising campaign that was held at all Stripes locations from Dec. 2–29, 2013. Sam L. Susser, Chairman of Sunoco LP (formerly Susser Holdings Corp.), told the students that the company wants to build on the success of the first scholarship campaign and will be holding a second in-store campaign in December of this year.
Beginning Dec.1, customers will have the opportunity to purchase $1 Stripes College Scholarship Fund paper cutouts to benefit local students in obtaining a college education as in the 2013 campaign.
"Young people are our future, and there's no better investment we can make in the communities where we live and work than helping our youth go to college," Susser said.
Stripes Convenience Stores began 80 years ago, Susser told the students, when his grandfather began selling gas in South Texas. That humble business has grown to 650 Stripes stores in an operating area that encompasses Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
"We have three goals at Stripes," Susser said. "One, it has to be a great place to work; two, to keep our customers happy; and three, to make a profit for our Stripes family of suppliers and customers--the community. We are lucky to be in Texas, the fastest growing economy in the U.S. Our population growth is huge, which is an opportunity--but also a threat. We will be destined to mediocrity if we do not educate the population. Our young people can achieve with education; education means jobs, and that creates more jobs for everybody."
Garcia thanked Susser not only on behalf of her fellow students, but also from a personal standpoint. She has been a part-time employee at a Stripes Convenience Store for the past two years.
"Working at Stripes, I have learned to be patient, responsible, committed and most of all, I have learned to value the relationships I have developed with co-workers, students, faculty and staff at UTB," Garcia said.
Sitting in the audience was Garcia's mother, who has overcome two life-threating illnesses--renal failure and breast cancer.
"My mom, the sole provider, educator and mentor of my life has had these challenges," Garcia said. "My Stripes family gave me the support and strength that I needed during those critical times. I am so thankful to God for making all of this happen, and I am so indebted to Stripes for giving me the opportunity to be a part of their team and assisting me financially to reach towards my academic goal of earning a college degree."
Susser said he was "humbled" by Garcia's words and knows she will inspire others to earn their degrees.
"The ambitious goal set last year by Stripes was $400,000, and they surpassed that goal by such a large margin, collecting $545,000 in total," said Irv Downing, UTB Vice President for Economic Development and Institutional Advancement. "This was truly an accomplishment; we commend all Stripes store managers and employees, and certainly, we are grateful to the thousands of generous customers; and we are looking forward to this upcoming campaign to break last year's record."
The funds raised from the campaign were distributed proportionately to colleges and universities within their respective operating areas; UTB's portion of $40,000 translated into 40 deserving students each receiving a $1,000 scholarship for the 2014-2015 academic year.
Students will again be able to apply in the spring for scholarships for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to be awarded for fall semester 2015; requirements include being a full-time student, having a minimum 2.5 grade point average and demonstrating involvement in community activities.
"As we look to the future, we believe that education is the key to unlocking the potential for success," Susser said. "Today, historically disadvantaged students are not reaching the same level of educational attainment as the general population, and it is our hope that by partnering with our customers and our team members, Stripes can positively impact this critical issue."
Stripes Convenience Stores is underwriting all administrative costs to run the scholarship program.
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