Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
South Texas College, Noble Texas Builders and Noble Charities are long-time partners in education, and recently, the award-winning construction firm and charity foundation, presented the college with a six-figure endowment that is set to make education more affordable for some STC students.
In a formal presentation, STC and Noble Texas leaders came together to sign and deliver $100,000 that will fund scholarships for eligible Construction, Engineering and Architecture program students who demonstrate academic excellence.
“It is our honor to accept this endowment and I’m proud to say that the STC Foundation has matched the 100K donation,” said STC Foundation and External Affairs Executive Director Marcos Silva, Ed.D. “These funds will be a gamechanger for students. It will change lives in our community. Overall, it aligns with the college’s mission of providing accessible and affordable college.”
With Noble Texas Builders headquartered locally in La Feria, with offices in Houston and San Antonio, firm partners and employees understand the increasing demand of a skilled workforce in the construction industry. Often, it is STC graduates that fill employment needs for Noble.
President and Chief Executive Office of Noble Texas Builders Rene Capistran described the presentation of the endowment as “not transactional, but transformational.”
“We look at the mission of our Noble Charities Foundation, it is to strengthen and improve lives…this is what it means. We want to provide more than just jobs, but careers with benefits that break the cycle of poverty,” said Capistran. “Under the leadership of STC President Dr. Ricardo Solis and his team, many of our employees come from STC or return through customized training that the college has designed for us.”
Capistran added that it is thanks to STC and its leadership that companies and firms like Noble Texas are seeing success in today’s industry.
“STC aligns its students with the skills, certificates and degrees they need to enter the workforce, therefore, providing companies like us, with the human capital we need,” he said. “That is why it is our great honor to partner with a such a distinguished college.”
The goal of the endowment is to expand higher education, support workforce readiness and build a stronger future for the region.
Solis said he understands students face challenges and it is funds from partners and donors like Noble, that help students succeed.
“Everyone deserves an opportunity, and this partnership is going to open doors to even more students, specifically at our Technology campus,” said Solis. “Thanks to the support from Noble, we’ll be able to meet our students’ needs from tuition to “life happens.” Our students will be able to level-up, gain careers and we’ll be able to meet industry needs. Thank you Noble. This is a great honor, and we are so grateful.”
From Noble Charities Foundation, Board of Director Olivia Lemus Lucio, on behalf of the board, extended her gratitude to STC, Solis and Board of Trustees, for creating an equal opportunity for student across the Rio Grande Valley.
“At Noble Charities, we have raised millions of dollars for initiatives that inspire hope and improve lives,” she said. “Education remains a cornerstone of our mission because we know firsthand that it mobilizes the economy and transforms lives, and we are all familiar with the challenges in our industry, including a skilled workforce. This endowment will help strengthen access to a higher education, strengthening workforce readiness and the communities we call home.”
In gratitude, STC Foundation Board Chair Laura Nassri Warren said this partnership has inspired her.
“STC is changing the world for many,” she said. “There are moments that are lifechanging and this is one of them. As STC continues to grow leaps and bounds, we also continue to touch lives, and this endowment is going to make a higher education possible for so many who have the “ganas” and a dream.”
