Senior regional advisor Roy Lopez flew to Washington, D.C. in June to represent Texas A&M, Bryan and College Station at the the Jefferson Awards for his efforts in local service.
The Jefferson Awards, granted at both a national and local level, aim to recognize those who exemplify community service, volunteerism and selfless service. Myra Gonzalez, director of analytics for the Texas A&M department of statistics, has known Lopez since 1996. She said in an email interview that Lopez was receiving the award for the service he accomplished throughout the Bryan College Station area.
Gonzalez described one program in particular that Lopez and his late father created called Fiestas Patrias Mexicanas in Bryan. Fiestas Patrias Mexicanas is a nonprofit organization that aims to celebrate Hispanic culture by hosting community events. One of these events is an annual parade in Downtown Bryan that focuses on Fiestas Patrias’ mission and awards scholarships to local students.
“Each year his Fiestas Patrias grew in popularity,” Gonzalez said. “As a free, community event it was amazing… Roy combined his passion for higher education through scholarships with a King and Queen contest for Fiestas Patrias each year. He has provided thousands of dollars in scholarships for local students.”
Fiestas Patrias is not the only thing Lopez has contributed to the B-CS area. Lopez said in addition to the most recent Jefferson Award he has also had the pleasure of receiving awards including the Star Award, the Hispanic Heritage Community Award and the John J. Koldus Faculty and Staff Achievement Award.
Roger Martinez, director in the department of vice president external relations at A&M, has known Lopez since 2007 and said that the love Lopez has for his students is evident in every action he takes.
“Roy Lopez has a heart of gold. He’s always willing to help other people and as he recruits he really loves the students and their families,” Martinez said. “He loves them, he cares, he’s out there and he does everything he can to help them come to Texas A&M.”
Lopez said one of the goals he hopes to help achieve is increasing the outreach the university partakes in.
“There are already so many changes for the positive here,” Lopez said. “I would love out of my heart to see A&M work more with high school, middle school, and elementary kids and let them know that we are here for them.”
Martinez said he has seen Lopez perform many acts of selfless service over the years, from everyday helping with New Student Conferences to giving away his own money.
“Roy has picked up people from the bus stop here in Bryan and made sure they got to their programs, given money to students who didn’t have money to pay for their lunch or dinner,” Martinez said. “He’s just super involved in the community whether it’s with Fiestas Patrias or any other organization. He’s just a person that gives and is very willing to serve others.”
Lopez said that the best advice he could give students at A&M is to try their best at making a difference in all that they do.
“It is not how I lived my life, it is how I impacted the world. I look at students as the future,” Lopez said. “I try to help students with their hurdles because I’ve been there and I have done that already.”
