APQC Surpasses $1.2 Million in Committed Scholarships Awarded Since Program Inception Three Years Ago
(HOUSTON, TX - March 26, 2024) – Four graduating seniors representing three Houston-area school districts have each been awarded $100,000 scholarships through APQC’s C. Jackson Grayson Scholarship Program. The students’ identities were concealed until last week when they were surprised at school with check presentations and classroom takeovers.
Enikubahiry Bekele and Sasha Cabral, seniors at Vanguard High School (Houston ISD), and Pascal Gashe, a senior at Willowridge High School (Fort Bend ISD), were presented their awards on Wednesday, March 20. Jaqueline Pichardo Rico, a senior at Manvel High School (Alvin ISD), received her award on Friday, March 22. (A video recap of the check presentations may be found here.)
“We are proud to bestow the C. Jackson Grayson Awards on these four highly deserving students who have battled adversity with uncommon courage and determination,” said Lisa Higgins, CEO for APQC. “We are excited to see where their college careers take them in the years ahead and the amazing things they will accomplish with this scholarship support.”
With the 2024 presentations, APQC has reached $1.2 million in scholarship awards presented with 12 recipients in college.
Scholarship Background
This is the third year for the program, which awards four (4) $100,000 scholarships annually. The scholarship program is intended to change the lives of young individuals and their families for years to come. The applicant pool included five counties in the Houston Area and focused primarily on financial need, followed by leadership skills demonstrated throughout a student’s school career.
In addition to the scholarship funds, APQC will be offering paid summer internships, mentoring, and skill development to help the recipients be successful in pursuing their education and careers.
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About APQC
APQC helps organizations work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. With more than 45 years of experience, it is the world’s foremost authority in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement, and knowledge management. More than 1,000 member organizations worldwide across 60 industries rely on APQC for the information, data, and insights organizations need to support decision-making and develop internal skills. Learn more at www.apqc.org.