Big Tex Scholarship Program Recipients

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