Category: Student News

Scholarship application now available for Raising Texas Teachers program

It was announced over the summer that OLLU is one of 10 Texas universities chosen to participate in the Raising Texas Teachers initiative. Applications are now available for incoming and current OLLU education majors who are committed to pursuing a career in education, particularly those wishing to teach in high-need Texas public schools.

Through this program, students who are selected will receive the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers. The scholarship includes $8,000 in annual financial assistance (renewable for up to four years) as well as professional support from mentors and a statewide network of current and aspiring teachers.

To learn more about the scholarship and download the application, click here.

OLLU receives $1.1 million federal grant to continue McNair Scholars Program

OLLU has been approved for more than $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education to continue its McNair Scholars Program for another five years. The grant, which is $237,544 annually, will allow the university to serve 25 students each year through the program, which assists first-generation, low-income, or underserved students in pursuing doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.

The grant was awarded through the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement (McNair) Program, one of the eight Federal TRIO Programs, which provide postsecondary educational support for qualified individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) has a heritage of serving first-generation college students and underserved populations. The McNair Scholars Program and this grant are perfectly aligned with our values of a higher education for a higher purpose,” said OLLU President Diane E. Melby, EdD. “We are thankful for the opportunity to build on our successful McNair Scholars Program and launch even more graduates into doctoral programs.”

OLLU has offered a McNair Scholars Program for more than 18 years and assisted hundreds of students on their path to graduate studies.

“The future leaders of our nation could come from any community,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro, who announced the grant. “All students deserve the opportunity to access education at the highest levels, regardless of where they were born or what their backgrounds are.”

McNair participants are either first-generation college students with financial need, or members of a group that is traditionally underrepresented in graduate education and have demonstrated strong academic potential. The goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to increase graduate degree awards for students from underrepresented segments of society.

OLLU’s McNair Project will provide participants with academic advising, STEM career exploration and planning, financial aid information and application assistance, graduate school admission assistance, graduate fairs and campus visits, economic and financial literacy training, career aptitude testing and coaching, and individual tutorials, study groups, and workshops.

Fifteen students receive scholarships from Valero Alamo Bowl

The Valero Alamo Bowl has awarded scholarships to 15 OLLU students. The scholarships are a part of the Alamo Bowl’s annual initiative to reward college juniors and seniors who have both excelled in the classroom and have demonstrated an interest in seeking employment in San Antonio upon graduation.

In total, the Alamo Bowl awarded $420,000 in scholarships to 64 students from all six San Antonio’s four-year universities.

Each student from OLLU will receive a $2,500 scholarship from the Valero Alamo Bowl with a matching scholarship from OLLU.

Students were recognized today during the Rudy’s bar-B-Q Pigskin Luncheon.

OLLU students receiving scholarships are:

Jorge Cavazos – Senior – Computer Information Systems and Security major
Yovanna Cervantes – Junior – Computer Information Systems and Security major
Brandell Collins – Senior – Kinesiology major
Guadalupe Espinosa – Junior – Education major
Bobbi Gonzales – Junior – Criminology and Criminal Justice major
Michael Light – Junior – Education major
Alexandria Moreno – Junior – Education major
Erica Robertson – Junior – Education major
Victoria Robledo – Junior – Computer Information Systems and Security major
Sumer Sagasta – Junior – Education major
Jaythy Teschner – Junior – Computer Information Systems and Security major Paula Villarreal – Senior – Computer Information Systems and Security major
Dawn Villareal – Junior – Pre-Counseling Psychology major
Guadalupe Villegas – Junior – Computer Information Systems and Security major
Orren Williams – Junior – Computer Information Systems and Security major

Communications student takes second place in Catholic Press Awards

OLLU Mass Communications student J.C. Wollslager received second place in the graphic art or photograph category of the 2017 Catholic Press Student Awards. Wollslager received the award for his November 2016 Lake Front newspaper cover art.

Hosted by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada, the annual Catholic Press Awards honors the journalists, members of the press, authors and publishers who document and report important issues facing Catholics.

Deadline to submit 2017 student health insurance waiver is Aug. 25

The deadline for students to submit a health insurance waiver for fall 2017 is Aug. 25. All students who are enrolled in seven or more semester hours are automatically billed for health insurance. Students who currently have health insurance, or are on their parent’s health insurance, have the opportunity to submit a waiver to have the fee removed from their bill. Per Our Lady of the Lake University policy, International students are not allowed to waive coverage.

To submit a waiver:

  • Visit www.chpstudent.com
  • Select “Our Lady of the Lake-Texas campuses”
  • Click on the “waiver” tab and complete the appropriate information

Note: It takes up to five business days from notification of the waiver approval for the health insurance fee to be removed from the bill.

Students who are enrolled in less than seven semester hours or who are taking 100 percent online classes do not need to complete a waiver.

For more information, contact Health Services at 210-431-3919. For questions related to the insurance plan, contact OLLU representative Paul Fisher at 210-861-8696.

OLLU psychology student selected for minority fellowship

Mary Baldwin, OLLU counseling psychology doctoral student, has been awarded the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship. According to the APA website, the fellowship is an “innovative, comprehensive and coordinated training, mentoring and career development program that enhances psychological and behavioral outcomes of ethic minority communities.” Students who receive the fellowship are provided with financial support, professional development activities and opportunities for professional and personal guidance.

2017 HOPE Scholarship application available for students

The Hispanic Organization for Public Employees (HOPE) has partnered with OLLU to provide a $3,000 scholarship with a matching University scholarship. The scholarship is open to incoming freshmen, incoming transfer students and current OLLU students.

Click here to view scholarship criteria and information on how to apply.

Application deadline is July 31, 2017.