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.”
2024 Big Tex Juanita Craft Scholarship Recipients
Laura Aguilar
Cordazja Alexander
Eva Anderson
Myriam Aramburo
Walter Arguijo
Analise Barrios Castillo
Yasmonae Barrs
Alyssa Brown
Daijah Brown
Jaylen Brown
Chosen Burkhalter
Ja’Mia Canales
Ashley Castaneda
Andy Castillo
Gabriela Cespedes Vergara
Francisco Charcas
Violeta Chico
Alejandro Cisneros
Estrella Cortes-Pedroza
Charlotte Crethers
Aaron Crispin
Anniston Dalton
Kaleigh Daniels
Keandra Diaz
Danijela Djakovic
Juan Fierros
Kaitey Garcia
Samarion George
Samuel Gilmore
Alexander Gomez
Diego Gonzalez
Marcos Gonzalez
Melina Gonzalez
Stephanie Gonzalez
Aaliyah Gutierrez
Jaden Gutierrez
Lesley Gutierrez
Zoe Haeffner
Carolina Hernandez
Catalina Hernandez
Jorgen Hernandez
Uriel Hernandez
Servelius Izigire
Yvonne Jackson
Keuna Jessie
Oscar Jimenez
Mekhi Johnson
ShaLyric Johnson
Kierstyn Jones
Andrea Kelly
Ha Le
Ka’Nise Lewis
Moon-asia Liles
Janeth Llamas Cisneros
Madalaine Lopez
Nashaly Lopez
Oscar Lopez
Renata Lopez
Briana Lozano
Geraldy Luna Valdez
Anthoney Macias
Casey Macias
Sandra Manuel
Stephania Martinez
Victoria Mata
Stephanie Mendoza
Jocelyn Meza
Katelynn Moore
Kyli Murray
Esmeralda Nunez
McKenzie Paige
Arlet Paiz
Ariana Perez
Enrique Perez Rios
Karely Perez
Leslie Perez
Victoria Perez
Dian’sha Perkins
Gustavo Puerta Vasquez
Rosa Puerta-Vazquez
Edmundo Reyes
Julia Rico Lara
Kevin Rodriguez
Stephanie Romo
Brandon Sanchez
Jacqueline Sanchez Guevara
Jaden Santamaria
Michelle Sarabia
Abigail Segura
Marc Segura
Daija Showers
Kamen Smith
Genesis Soto
Beimnet Tewolde
Cole Thompson
Sergio Torres
Michele Trevino
Oluwakemi Tytler
Lizannia Valadez
Dulce Valdez
Paola Vargas
Guadalupe Vazquez
Glenda Vega
Jaziah Williamson
Kaleb Yeager
Lailah Zeno-Bell
2024 Big Tex Youth Livestock Scholarship Recipients
Ava Allensworth
Luke Anderson
Jayden Arledge
Carlton Bauer
Brigette Bettice
Aubree Blissard
Lauren Boettcher
Jackson Bragg
Koby Brown
Brooklyn Byars
Lauren Callaway
Rylie Carroll
Jackson Chapman
Brodie Childs
Braygon Conrad
Cale Cornelius
Laken Dawson
Madisyn Douglas
Grayson Downs
Zane Drews
Sophia Dykes
Austin Eilers
Aubrey Ellis
Zoe Ely
Mallory Emery
Charleigh Feuerbacher
Trapper Feuerbacher
Brenna Francis
Jaci Gammons
Kaitlyn Garner
Isabel Garza
Pasch Gibbs
Jaiden Grimes
Eli Grose
Samantha Guzzetta
Emily Haden
Mason Halfmann
Trey Harbour
Hayes Hart
Halle Hawkins
Joely Haws
Cole Hinds
Carlee Hoffmann
Henslie Hohertz
Aven Horn
Barrett Howe
Ryan Hudel
Jaycee Hueske
Hayden Hurst
Stockton James
Lillie Johnson
Kase Kelso
Kaylan Kiser
Brylee Lacy
Kade Lawrence
Jenna Lindig
Myla Mahalitc
Alyssa Mathews
Madyson McAshlan
Gracee McBee
Madison Moran
Emilee Munchrath
Karleigh Murphy
Madison Mutina
Cydney Newsom
Landri Ottmers
Bailey Patch
Brylee Peoples
Ariana Perkins
William Philipello
Garrison Pieniazek
Blake Privett
Avery Pullen
Payton Ralston
Zachariah Reis
Elaina Reiter
Tracer Rice
Juan Rocha
Brylie Roeder
Braden Roehling
Emma Salazar-Canales
Daphnee Schlittler
Leah Schmitt
Karlie Schneider
Emily Schooler
Tracey Shackelford
Kelsey Sims
Kambell Stewart
Dylan Strain
Hadley Stultz
Garrett Stutts
Kate Swan
Kathryn Taylor
Jalynn Urbanosky
Hunter Vallis
Jack Walters
Brooke Wanjura
william Watkins
Kason Wehba
Kyler Wendt
Ryleigh Whitaker
Brooklyn Wiley
Madelyn Williams
Peyton Wirebaugh
Madison Woolery
Dylan Wunderlich
2024 Big Tex Seasonal Employee Scholarship Recipients
Angelica Arreola
Reece Bell
Henry Davis
Rosa Escalante
Taylor Murrell
Da’Naiya Terrell
Jaxsen Vann
Hattie Watson
Whitney Watson