APQC Names Gia Hoang, Lizette Garcia, and Marlee Day as 2026 C. Jackson Grayson Scholarship Recipients, Each Receiving $100,000
(HOUSTON, TX – April 22, 2026) — Three Houston high school seniors had one question answered this week that most students and families spend years worrying about — how to pay for college. The answer came as a surprise, in front of the people who matter most, in the form of an oversized check for $100,000.
APQC announced Gia Hoang of Carnegie Vanguard High School (Houston ISD), Lizette Garcia of YES Prep Northline Secondary, and Marlee Day of James E. Taylor High School (Katy ISD) as 2026 recipients of the C. Jackson Grayson Scholarship at their respective schools. Each will receive $25,000 per year for four years of undergraduate study — $100,000 total.
Photos and B-roll from both presentations are here and are available for immediate editorial use.
Gia Hoang | Carnegie Vanguard High School, Houston ISD
A first-generation Asian American senior, Gia has earned an AP Capstone Diploma, AP Scholar with Distinction recognition, and National Merit Commended status. She also received the College Board First Generation Recognition Award and National Recognition Award. For four years, she served as president of First Gen Alliance, building a mentorship program pairing underclassmen with upperclassmen based on career goals. She works at H-E-B and volunteers through Interact Rotary and community service programs. This fall, Gia will pursue a degree in accounting at The University of Texas at Austin.
Lizette Garcia | YES Prep Northline Secondary, Public Charter
Lizette ranks sixth in her graduating class with a 4.9 GPA. Her academic record includes AP Scholar recognition, a national QuestBridge finalist designation, and a first-place finish in a case competition judged by Dell executives. A Hispanic young woman with deep community ties, she serves as a lead volunteer and bilingual recruiter for Art in the Heart and as a bilingual community volunteer with Our Jensen Vision. This fall, Lizette plans to attend Cornell University to study business and hospitality management.
Marlee Day | James E. Taylor High School, Katy ISD
Marlee Day didn’t wait for the future to start showing up. The Taylor High School senior has spent years volunteering with children in therapeutic and enrichment settings and working as a swim instructor, lifeguard, and childcare provider — building a foundation of service long before she had a name for where it was leading her. This fall, she will pursue a nursing degree at Texas State University with a goal of becoming an oncology nurse, a calling shaped by her grandmother, who she recently lost to cancer and who always told her, “Always do what you love to do, even if it is hard."
On April 28, 2026, in front of her classmates, teachers, and family at a senior awards banquet in Katy, Marlee became the third 2026 C. Jackson Grayson Scholarship recipient — earning not just financial support, but the freedom to become the nurse, and the person, she has always been working to be.
About the C. Jackson Grayson Scholarship Program
APQC launched the C. Jackson Grayson Scholarship Program in honor of the company's late founder. Each year, the program awards scholarships to Houston-area high school seniors who demonstrate financial need and the drive to succeed in undergraduate study. With today's announcements, APQC has now awarded 18 scholarships totaling $1.8 million since the program's launch.
"Our founder, Jack Grayson, believed that education was the pathway to freedom. The C. Jackson Grayson Scholarship is designed to reach into a graduating class and find the student who has everything it takes to succeed, but may not test well, who works three jobs and still perseveres, or whose drive and potential deserve the same opportunity as anyone at the top of their class." — Lisa Higgins, President and CEO, APQC
Past program highlights: www.apqc.org/about-apqc/C.JacksonGraysonScholarshipProgram
About APQC
APQC (American Productivity and Quality Center) is the world's foremost authority in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement, and knowledge management. With more than 1,000 member organizations worldwide, APQC provides the information, data, and insights organizations need to support decision-making and develop internal skills. Learn more at www.apqc.org.
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