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Alex

Alex was raised in a household of women. His mother was a single parent, and his three siblings are all girls. For much of his life, he had no strong male role models. Fortunately, he had a very dedicated mother named Virginia, who taught him “boy things” like how to change a tire. She is, in his words, “the best Mom in the world.”

In order to make ends meet, Virginia worked three jobs and was mostly unavailable on week days. Life was not easy and she often leaned on food shelters and the Salvation Army to get by. She knew struggle. And she wanted more for her children, so she placed a heavy emphasis on the importance of a good education.

Alex’s older two sisters got the message, and they reinforced it to Alex, who admits he was a procrastinator when he was young, but soon learned that his family had higher standards and expectations. Alex became an ACE scholar in 6th grade, and that jump started his academic journey. His big sister role models both pursued college, and they inspired him to do the same.

Thanks to his scholarship, Alex was able to attend St. Elizabeth of Hungary for middle school and Bishop Dunn Catholic School for high school, where he served as a student ambassador because of his love for the community and life preparation he received. “I wouldn’t be who I am without my education,” he asserts. At Bishop Dunn, Alex was inspired by school staff like Mrs. Martel, who he calls his second mom, and Mr. Clifford, who was a “Dad figure” that made him laugh and taught him about manhood.

At Bishop Dunn, Alex also developed a passion for science. “I’m good at this stuff, bones, anatomy, chemistry,” he says. His dream is to be a trainer for a professional sports team, and he’s currently pursuing that goal as a freshman now at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, TX. He’s actively involved in three campus organizations, and thanks to the education he received through his ACE scholarship, he feels very well prepared for success.

He wants to make his mother and sisters proud. We’re confident he’s already succeeded at that!