Texan Leaders in the Making
From graduating high school seniors in our South Dallas neighborhood, to students throughout the Lone Star State with livestock and agricultural backgrounds, and State Fair of Texas seasonal employees, we are proud of our scholarship recipients and their dedication to higher education. Our Big Tex scholars are currently working towards earning degrees across 47 different Texas universities and colleges. We applaud them for their eagerness to make a difference in their community while staying diligent in their studies. We look forward to investing in each student’s journey as they continue to follow their dreams.
2018 Pete Schenkel Scholar, Cinthia Rayas
“Every time I hear state fair it reminds me of the first scholarship I have received and the first ones who opened doors to my dreams. They were the reason I continue pushing myself to be better. I love going to the fair. Being a Big Tex Scholar has been a blessing because I am able to see they had my back from the beginning. This title means so much to me, how even though doors were closed this door was open and I can tell my future kids how my dreams and hopes where able to be reached because of the state fair scholarship.”
2020 Youth Livestock Scholar, Macie McCollum
“I remember attending the State Fair of Texas when I was six years old. I was in awe of Big Tex, of the fair food, and the livestock show. At the age of nine I exhibited my very steer at the fair winning Reserve Champion Lightweight British. It was my first taste of success in the show ring and to this day it was one of the sweetest. Fast forward ten years…being a Big Tex Scholar truly shows that my involvement with the State Fair of Texas has come full circle, and I could not be prouder of my hard work to accomplish this.”
2017 Youth Livestock Scholar, Dylan Sione
“I had to take a two-year gap year because of a severe car crash. I was originally supposed to be a part of the class of 2021, but the night before classes, I was hit as a pedestrian by a car travelling 70 mph and sustained a broken tibia/fibula in both legs and a fractured occipital socket among other lacerations. It took 7 surgeries over the course of two years to get to where I am now. I am not back to where I was before, but I am able to walk around campus and try to be a normal college student (even if I am a couple years older than the rest of the people in my class). A lot of my college savings was used to help cover medical costs, so having this scholarship has been extremely helpful.”
2023 Big Tex Juanita Craft Scholarship Recipients
Giovany Aguado
Michael Aguirre
Joel Almaguer-Enriquez
Belinda Alonso
Homero Araujo
Kharyngton Armstrong
Yasmine Ates
Yajaira Baca Cabrera
Emariah Banks
Kashari Barron
Esmeralda Benitez
Martavion Bull
Alondra Caro
Genesis Castillo
Jaedon Caudillo
Katherine Cerna
Alexis Chairez
Blanca Charcas
Yadira Chavez Reyes
Hector Chico
Jessica Clark
Faith Cooper
Jose Corpus
Monique Cortez
Daniela de la Torre
Griselda Diaz
Jesus Espinoza
Karen Espinoza Gutierrez
Katherine Farner
Alexis Garcia Del Rio
Emanuel Garcia Barrera
Mariana Garcia
Noe Garcia
Ava Gonzales
Princess Govea
Bryce Grigsby
Taylor Guerrero
Alexis Gutierrez
Stefany Guzman
Destinee Hathorn
Zariyah Hawkins
Cristina Hernandez
Jessica Hyde
Celeste Jaramillo
Leslie Jaramillo
Aujenae Jones
Abigail Juarez Trejo
Cristy Juarez
Francine Kalala
Katie Kha
Ashley Lopez
Michelle Lopez
Trevor Lumpkin
Judith Manzanarez
Mariana Mares Solano
Yesica Martinez
Xitlaly Matehuala
La’Maya McGowan
Jennifer Mendoza
Brianna Mmbaga
Aulajia Morgan
Melanie Mota
Imran Muktar
Sandy Nguyen
Elida Ortega Rivas
Christian Piedra
Leslie Quintero
Jennifer Ramirez Mendoza
Jessica Ramirez
Joanna Ramirez
Ashlee Reyes
Valerie Reyes
Jedoria Richards
Angel Rios
Janet Rivas Reza
Audrey Robertson
Kennady Robinson
Deyanira Romero
Diana Ruiz
Cristian Ruvalcaba
Abubakar Saidi
Alexander Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez Serrano
Sofia Sanchez
Erandy Segura
Miguel Solis
Annette Soto
LaZariya Taylor
Aisha Torres
Tram Tran
Vivianne Valdes Pereira
Natalia Vales Rivera
Ashley Vazquez
Ashley Vela
Akirea Williams
Fatima Zambrano
Francis Zepeda
2023 Big Tex Youth Livestock Scholarship Recipients
Abigail Albracht
Emma Allen
Graden Allen
Piper Alleva
Braxton Angeley
Cayden Barton
Reese Bassano
Riley Beaver
Boone Begert
Steeley Blanek
Bryce Borchardt
Braylee Brooks
Erin Brown
Haley Bryand
Cole Bynum
Ansley Campbell
Berkley Carver
Laramee Champion
Paisley Chandler
Lacy Clarke
James Cleere
Cooper Coffelt
Taylor Colvin
Kenley Cox
Reagan Crick
Koda Davis
Emerson Dean
Anna Decker
Brooke Diezi
Anna Drews
Caraline Dudley
payton Easter
Kyndal Edwards
Owen Edwards
Mackenlee Evans
Raylie Ezell
Emma Finley
Benjamin Flanagan
Avery Fohn
Lily Ford
Auburn Frost
Alyna Garcia
Corbin Garner
Payton Garrett
Tye Goree
Ryleigh Greer
Ellie Grissett
Mackenzie Groce
Hanna Gruhlkey
Hallie Hackett
Jaime Hahn
Lauren Hanna
Baylee Hardy
Demi Harrington
William Herd
Grant Hinckley
Carter Holton
Halle Houck
Madilyn Howell
Audrey Ivey
Kenley Ivy
Chloe Jalufka
William Jones
kennedy kauffman
Kross Kelso
Diana Kettler
Jocelyn Kolar
Nolan Laminack
Channing Larrew
Ragan Levien
Annika Lindt
Hayden Lovelady
Amy Mathis
Avery McKinney
McKenna Mitchell
Peyton Moore
Caroline Munson
Seth Parker
Tanner Patrick
Jacie Pennington
Madison Perkins
Shelby Perrenoud
Ashlynn Peugh
Leah Pfeiffer
Gentri Phillips
Kamryn Phillips
Baylee Plumley
Zane Potter
Kacy Pullen
Jacqueline Rand
Caitlyn Rasor
Karley Rayfield
Anna Reed
Libby Rogers
Canon Rosser
Dawson Rudloff
Paris Sanchez
Landen Schertz
Maci Schley
Bo Schmitt
Miranda Skaggs
Ryan Smee
Ellee Spearman
Richard Spencer
Emma Strickland
Haylee Triplitt
Kensley Vieth
Roy Villarreal
Creed Vineyard
Paris Walker
Liberty Weatheread
Kaitlyn Wiggins
Alexis Wilson
Caydance Wilson
Macie Wimbish
Mason Wurzbach
2023 Big Tex Seasonal Employee Scholarship Recipients
Audrey Childers
D’Najia Hunter
Elvin Johnson
Savannah Johnson
Joseph Miller