Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – The family of late South Texas College Welding student Daniel Saldana has pledged its support to future welding students by creating a Memorial Scholarship Foundation, as well as establishing a new career closet at STC’s Pecan and Technology campuses for those seeking program-specific clothing.
Through the Daniel A. Saldana Share the Love Memorial Scholarship Foundation, family members are seeking to bring awareness to epilepsy, a brain disorder that causes recurring seizures and which took Saldana’s life, as well provide scholarships to high school students entering welding or technology programs at STC.
“The foundation itself was created to award scholarships to high school students who are going into welding or technology careers,” said Daniel’s mother, Carino Sandoval. “Because Daniel started welding in high school through the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program, he found his passion for welding and he found what he was good at, and then he could pursue this as a career at STC. Overall, we want to give back where we see a need, especially for young people, and bring awareness to epilepsy.”
The Foundation will host its first fundraiser, the Daniel A. Saldana “Share the Love” Memorial 5K Run/Walk on Nov. 1 in Edinburg.
The Foundation will also begin “Daniel’s Closet” housed at STC’s Pecan and Technology campuses, to provide free welding clothes to students through STC’s Threads Career Closet established by the Office of Career and Employer Services.
The Threads service allows to students to obtain professional business attire from a wide selection of clothing made available by the generosity of STC faculty, staff and community partners.
“This Foundation is everything Daniel stood for, so we are going to help students make their way into welding by providing clothing for those that need it the most,” Sandoval said. “Welding clothes are fire-resistant, and they can be expensive, but Daniel had always expressed to me that he had friends who could not afford all of these things, so we partnered with the STC Student Government Association (SGA) to begin Daniel’s Closet and give back to students.”
Saldana sadly passed away before graduating with his certificate in Welding from STC in December 2024.
Remembered for his commitment to developing student leaders through his service as an SGA senator, STC SGA students, staff and faculty gathered with Daniel’s family last spring in a remembrance ceremony and memorial unveiling at the Technology Campus.
At the ceremony, faculty from the Welding Program also unveiled a special plaque in Saldana’s honor, which they presented to his family at the event.
“Daniel was a natural leader with a heart for service. His time in SGA as a senator showed how much he cared about his peers and the campus community (and) it was clear how much potential he had and how kind-hearted his spirit was,” said Technology Campus Student Activities specialist Robert Alaniz. “The Daniel Andrés Saldana Scholarship Foundation is a powerful way to honor his legacy, he left an impact on so many of us, and now that impact can continue through the lives of future student leaders.”
For more information on the upcoming Share the Love 5K visit endurancesplits.redpodium.com/share-the-love-memorial-5k-run.
For more information on our Threads Career Closet visit studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/careerservices/threads.html.
Information source: STC
