Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — Three former Pharr EDC Foundation scholarship recipients returned to the 2026 Pharr EDC Foundation Scholarship Award Ceremony to share their experiences with students receiving scholarships this year.
The ceremony began with welcoming remarks from Victor Perez, president and CEO of the Pharr EDC and chairman of the Pharr EDC Foundation. Perez said the foundation is in its fifth year and has awarded more than $1 million to more than 500 students.
“Tonight it’s about our students, you, our students, our parents, our teachers, educators, whoever’s here, because without them, you students would not be able to be here,” Perez said.
Perez said the foundation was created to do more than award scholarships. He said his vision included adding workforce development and connecting students with industries and organizations that can support their education and careers.
“I don’t want to just do scholarships,” Perez said. “I want to be different. I want to think outside the box.”
Kassandra Bucio, a former Pharr EDC Foundation scholar and educator, spoke about being a first-generation college student. She said the scholarship helped ease the financial pressure of college, but its greater impact was personal validation.
“The greatest thing the foundation gave me was validation,” Bucio said. “They looked at a high school senior with big dreams and said, ‘We see you, we believe in you, and you are worth investing in.’”
Bucio said she later earned her bachelor’s degree, worked as a college advisor, became an English teacher at PSJA, and earned a master’s degree while teaching full-time. She told students that fear and doubt should not define their college experience.
“That fear is real, but it does not define you,” Bucio said. “You are entirely worthy of your education. You belong in every single room you walk into, and you have earned the right to take up the space.”
Michael Morgan, a former scholarship recipient, said he struggled during his freshman year at Texas A&M University. He said he ended that year with a 2.44 GPA, failed his first college class, and questioned whether he belonged at the university.
“I was surrounded by thousands of people every day, yet I had never felt more alone,” Morgan said.
Morgan said he decided to remain at Texas A&M, keep his faith, build stronger friendships, and regain confidence. He said he later raised his GPA to 3.25, graduated with a degree in petroleum engineering, and received the Harold Vance Award for most improved within his graduating class.
“I had proven that one bad year does not define who you are,” Morgan said.
Lizeth Chavez, a 2022 scholarship recipient, said the scholarship reminded her that her community believed in her potential. She said she earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from UTRGV, graduated cum laude in summer 2024, and is continuing her education as a graduate student in computer science.
Chavez said she has worked on research using medical imaging data to help identify COVID strains in CT scans. She also spoke about student organizations, conferences, internships, and professional development opportunities that helped her grow.
“When I received the scholarship, it meant more than financial support,” Chavez said. “It was a reminder that the people in my community believed in my potential and were willing to invest in my future.”
Chavez encouraged students to build connections, join organizations, attend career events, and accept opportunities that can help them develop academically and professionally.
“This year’s scholarship recipients, this award is not just an investment in your education, it’s an investment in your future and in the impact that you will make in others,” Chavez said.
The ceremony also included special scholarships from the Rio Grande Valley Builders Association, a new partner in the foundation’s scholarship program. Organizers said the association presented three scholarships during the event.
The program concluded with the presentation of 50 scholarships to students from local high schools. The awards recognized academic achievement, leadership, service, and promise.
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