Texas A&M biomedical sciences senior and cadet Jazzlyn Gonzalez is the winner of the 2020 Hispanic Network Boot Scholarship.
The Association of Former Students’s Hispanic Network offers an annual boot scholarship to one outstanding cadet each year. Additionally, the Network awards an Aggie Ring scholarship and academic scholarships for Hispanic Aggie undergraduate, graduate and incoming freshmen students. Hispanic Network President Monica Menzel, Class of 1993, said the scholarships are typically announced during the Network’s annual spring summit event. However, the 2020 summit was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so this year’s scholarship recipients were not notified until this summer.
Menzel said there were 10 winners this year as part of the statewide scholarship program in conjunction with the summit. She said the Hispanic Network helps fulfill A&M’s land grant mission through the scholarships it offers by encouraging Hispanic students to enroll at A&M.
“[As former students] we’re kind of the hand that helps lift the folks behind us,” Menzel said. “It’s a nice way to give back knowing what the university and our network has helped them with while they were there.”
Gonzalez said filling out the scholarship’s application was rewarding for her as she reflected back on her hard work.
“Actually being a recipient of the scholarship left me overwhelmed with joy,” Gonzalez said. “When I first received it, it brought back a lot of moments when I felt maybe my work wasn’t being recognized or when I was kind of telling myself that it would eventually be worth it, there’s going to be something.”
Menzel said Gonzalez was selected for the boot scholarship because of her demonstration of the Aggie Core Values of selfless service, leadership and excellence.
“She had kind of a broad involvement, both in the Corps, on campus and then also in the community,” Menzel said. “That rounded her out really nicely, just showing that she’s doing a lot of different things.”
Gonzalez currently serves as the Career Readiness Officer for the Corps of Cadets Staff, which she said has given her a broader perspective of the Corps. In addition to the Corps, Gonzalez said while at A&M she has also been involved in MSC OPAS, the St. Mary’s Catholic Church choir, the BIMS Association and undergraduate research.
Gonzalez said she decided to join the Corps when she came to A&M because she wanted discipline and structure throughout her college career.
“It definitely was a 180 because I was involved in theatre, dance and doing everything that was really girly,” Gonzalez said. “My mom and I laugh because I went from using pointe shoes in ballet to running in combat boots and training with the guys.”
Gonzalez said it’s rewarding to be able to represent her community every day when she puts her boots on.
“It gives me so much pride just knowing that I’m able to represent my culture [and] my background,” Gonzalez said.