Texas Border Business
The winners of the 2021 Spirit of Laredo Competition were presented with scholarships this past Friday, June 11, at a breakfast ceremony held at the Laredo Country Club. Michael Gonzalez, Chairman of the Chamber Education Committee, was joined by Cliffe Killam, Chairman of the Chamber Board, in congratulating the graduating seniors, winners of this year’s competition.
This year’s competition winners are: 1st Place, Kayla Priscilla Martinez, a senior at United High School, who was presented with a $2,000 scholarship; 2nd Place, Ulises Moreno, a student at Harmony School of Excellence, who received a $1,000 scholarship; and, 3rd Place, Antonio Villarreal, Cigarroa High School student, who earned a $500 scholarship. Each of them was presented with a check from the Laredo Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, which, in turn, was matched by Killam Development, Ltd. Presenting the awards at the morning ceremony along with Gonzalez and Killam were Chamber President Miguel Conchas and members of the Education Committee, organizers of the event. The young students were accompanied by a set of very proud parents and family members.
Entries in the competition produced and submitted a 90-second video explaining, on the one hand, what inspired them to pursue a college education; and, secondly, their plans to use that education to make Laredo a better place. Now in its third year, the Spirit of Laredo Competition has been embraced solidly by Killam Development, a Chamber member and benefactor, and firm supporter of education at all levels. States Cliffe Killam, principal partner at Killam Development, “The Killam Family and our organization are proud to call Laredo our hometown. We deeply appreciate the support and trust of the community, and we are committed to investing in Laredo. We cannot afford to lose bright minds from our community to other places because of complacency and lack of investment. We see the Spirit of Laredo as an opportunity for young Laredo minds to imagine and inspire a different and better future for all.”
The winning videos are a reflection of these young students’ creativity and academic achievement. Soon, as the summer comes to an end, each will be traveling to the next phase of their educational journey. Kayla has earned additional scholarships paving her way to Texas A&M University; Ulises is headed to an engineering program at Rice University; and Antonio, not to be left behind, will soon be traveling to Brown University in Rhode Island. Each of them vividly stated that it was their intention to soon return and help make Laredo a better place. The Laredo Chamber of Commerce congratulates them and each of the entries that participated in the Spirit of Laredo competition.
