Marfa ISD hosts senior scholarship awards ceremony 

MARFA — This year’s graduating class was honored at a scholarship award ceremony this week held in the Marfa High School auditorium, in which family and friends gathered to celebrate the academic achievements of the Shorthorn Class of 2023. 

Junior High and High School Principal Luane Porter welcomed attendees as the senior class, a total of 19 students, sat onstage awaiting scholarship announcements. 

“We are so proud of our graduating seniors; several will attend college and technical schools while others will join the military or enter the workforce,” said Porter. “Whatever their chosen path is, Marfa ISD is proud of the work they have done and expect great things from each of them as they move forward from here.”

This year’s academically highest ranking seniors, Valedictorian Dimetrey Stewart and Salutatorian Ummi Chanez, were then honored. Aubrie Aguilar and Nathan Peña were also honored as Miss and Mr. MHS — a special designation for students who have shown academic as well as leadership skills, voted on by staff members. 

Each year, MISD seniors compete for scholarships on the local, state and national level, said Porter. Scholarship committees consider student GPAs, scholastic honors, community engagement, personal character and more when reviewing student applications and essays for scholarships, she said. In total, the 2023 scholarships awarded totaled over $76,000.

2023 Scholarships awarded: 

Aubrie Aguilar

$2,000 Angelo State University Distinguished Honors 

$1,000 Marfa Film Shop Scholarship

$500 Judd Foundation Scholarship

$500 Marfa Live Arts Scholarship 

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Aubrie Aguilar receives the Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship from Loretto Vasquez at this week’s 2023 scholarship awards ceremony. Photo by Mary Cantrell.

Juan Bautista 

$2,050 El Paso Ex-Shorthorn Group Scholarship

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Juan Bautista and Student Services Coordinator Jessica Murphy. Photo by Mary Cantrell.

Ummi Chanez

$25,000 annually Texas Christian University Dean Scholarship 

$22,512 annually TCU Horned Frog Need Based Scholarship 

$14,890 annually TCU Horned Frog Assistance Scholarship 

$2,500 Tom Edens Scholarship

$2,000 Marfa Rotary Club Scholarship

$1,200 El Paso Chapter of the Thin Blue Line Motorcycle Club Scholarship

$900 Marfa National Bank Scholarship

$500 Judd Foundation Scholarship

$500 Border Patrol Big Bend Sector Morale, Welfare and Recreation Association Scholarship

$500 Ballet Folklorico Scholarship

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Raul De Hoyos 

$400 Marfa National Bank Scholarship

Aundrea Garcia

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Alexis Gonzales

$1,000 Ernest Chavez Memorial Golf Scholarship

$600 Marfa Athletic Boosters Scholarship

Alexis Gonzales and mother Roxanne Lujan at the senior scholarship awards ceremony this week. Photo by Mary Cantrell.

Emily Hernandez 

$2,000 Marfa Rotary Club Scholarship

$1,200 El Paso Chapter of the Thin Blue Line Motorcycle Club Scholarship

$500 Judd Foundation Scholarship

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Emily Hernandez and Yasmin Guevara. Photo by Mary Cantrell.

Alex Luna

$500 Marfa ISD PTO Scholarship

Charlize Martinez 

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

$400 Marfa National Bank Scholarship

Nathan Peña

$1,200 Marfa Athletic Boosters Scholarship 

$1,000 Ernest Chavez Memorial Golf Scholarship

Nathan Peña receives a Marfa ISD Athletic Boosters scholarship from mother Annabel Peña. Photo by Mary Cantrell.

Janelly Pereira 

$1,000 Kirr Martin Family Scholarship

$500 Marfa Live Arts Scholarship

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Zaley Porter

$5,000 Marfa Rotary Club Scholarship

$16,000 Texas State University Merit Scholarship

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Samuel Salgado 

$3,000 CMC Business Scholarship

$500 Judd Foundation Scholarship

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Marfa ISD Student Services Coordinator Jessica Murphy presents senior Samuel Salgado with the CMC Business Scholarship at this week’s scholarship awards ceremony. Photo by Mary Cantrell.

Dimetrey Stewart

$7,500 Tom Edens Scholarship

$1,000 Judd Foundation Scholarship

$600 Marfa National Bank Scholarship

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Lesly Torres 

$35,000 Vicki Pfeifer Family Scholarship

$2,000 El Paso Ex-Shorthorn Group Scholarship

$2,000 Marfa Rotary Club Scholarship

$1,000 Ernest Chavez Memorial Golf Scholarship

$500 Ballet Folklorico Scholarship

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

Marfa High School senior Lesly Torres with Eddie Pallarez, who presented Torres with the Ernest Chavez Memorial Golf Scholarship at this week’s senior scholarship awards ceremony. Photo by Mary Cantrell.

Victoria Torres 

$1,200 El Paso Chapter of the Thin Blue Line Motorcycle Club

$1,000 Angelo State University Distinguished Honors 

$500 Marfa Live Arts Scholarship 

$450 Mando and Josie Vasquez Memorial Scholarship

President of the El Paso Chapter of the Thin Blue Line Motorcycle Club Victor Lopez presents Victoria Torres with a scholarship at this week’s Marfa High School scholarship awards ceremony for the graduating class. Photo by Mary Cantrell.

Correction: A previous version of this article listed Zaley Porter’s Texas University Merit Scholarship as $4,000. The scholarship is $16,000 per year.