A total of $6,000 in scholarships will allow 12 Laredo Community College students to continue their education this fall, thanks to a unique internship program sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In 2003, LCC students began to benefit from the internship offered by NOAA’s Environmental Entrepreneurship Program. LCC was the nation’s only two-year college to receive $249,500 from a $3.4 million grant given by NOAA to 13 higher education institutions.
“In the program’s first two years at Laredo Community College, a total of $80,000 was awarded to 39 student interns working with 14 local partners, including three divisions of Laredo government, two state of Texas entities, private companies, non-profit organizations and educational facilities,” Tom Miller, director of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center, said.
This fall’s scholarship recipients include students pursuing careers in biology, health sciences and engineering. While some students will continue their education at LCC, others have completed their second year of studies at the college and will transfer to a senior institution of higher education.
Receiving scholarships are Jose Adams, Texas A&M International University; Diamantina Carreon, TAMIU; Veronica Chavez, University of Texas at San Antonio; Jake Escamilla, UTSA; Paloma Guel, TAMIU; Mario Mercado, UTSA; Gloria Olvera, LCC; Kena Rios, TAMIU; Elizabeth Rojas, LCC; James Sanchez, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; Alfonso Valdez, Southwestern University; and Roxanne Vargas, TAMIU.
Miller said that the most significant experience for the interns has been visiting NOAA facilities on the Texas Coast. They have visited the National Weather Service stations in Brownsville and Corpus Christi, the National Marine Fisheries Center in Galveston and the National Birding Center in McAllen. The interns also have conducted research at the South Padre Island dunes, as well as Goose Island and Galveston Island state parks.
This fall, the interns will benefit from more travel experiences, including visits to Corpus Christi, a trip on a University of Texas research vessel, camp at the Aransas National Wildlife refuge, and the National Weather Service station.
Students have undertaken several entrepreneurship activities, such as aquaculture pond setups, classes at the LCC environmental science center, and establishment of a native plant nursery.
“The first plant sale was held in April, and another is scheduled in October for the annual Dia del Rio observation,” Miller noted.
Students who desire to experience the educational benefits of this exciting and rewarding internship program must enroll this fall at Laredo Community College and contact the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center at 764-5701.
LCC-NOAA student interns are congratulated by college faculty and administrators, from left, kneeling, Jose Adams, Jake Escamilla, Mario Mercado, James Sanchez; standing, science instructor Dr. Jim Goetze, Diamantina Carreon, Paloma Guel, Alfonso Valdez, Gloria Olvera, Veronica Chavez, Roxanne Vargas and LBVESC Director Tom Miller.
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