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Written by Texas Tech Health El Paso
When Hunt School of Nursing student Zahira Aguero Lozano walked into a luncheon with the president of Texas Tech Health El Paso and the president of GECU on Monday, March 24, little did she know her life was about to change.
She became the inaugural recipient of a $25,000 full-tuition GECU Foundation Nursing Hero Scholarship during a surprise announcement at the event and was the first to receive a full-tuition scholarship since the nursing school’s founding in 2010.
Her family at her side, she credited them for their constant support and reflected on how the $25,000 scholarship will help them.
“I’m so grateful,” she said. “This scholarship means I won’t have the stress of figuring out how we’re going to pay for each semester as it comes. I can now fully focus on school without worrying about making tuition payments on time and where the money will come from.”
The scholarship is part of a $100,000 gift announced by the GECU Foundation during the Hunt School of Nursing’s Spring 2025 White Coat Ceremony on Jan. 21. Aguero Lozano participated in the announcement that day, not knowing she would be the first scholarship recipient just two months later.
This historic gift ensures the school will play a lead role in addressing the region’s critical nursing shortage.
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“At GECU, we believe in empowering people who will transform our region’s future,” said GECU President and CEO Crystal Long. “Nursing students represent hope toward resolving the health care provider shortage in our region. That’s why we’re proud to invest in future nursing heroes who will go on to serve our community by improving the overall health and well-being of the communities we serve.”
The GECU Foundation has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to health education in the region, contributing $425,000 to Texas Tech Health El Paso in 2025 alone. This includes the $100,000 for nursing scholarships and $325,000 to the Hunt School of Dental Medicine in February.
The spirit of nursing holds a special place in Aguero Lozano’s heart. The Borderplex native moved to El Paso at the age of 3 and later attended Jefferson High School, located across the street from the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus.
As a child, she saw her mother confined to a wheelchair due to an autoimmune disease. Aguero Lozano spent many days by her mother’s bedside at University Medical Center of El Paso.
“Her nurses were caring,” she recalled. “Doctors initially said she wouldn’t walk again, but the support of her nurses helped her improve. She began moving her feet and eventually walked. Though she still has limitations, her progress fills me with deep gratitude.”
Aguero Lozano was initially drawn to the medical field through a physical therapy program, where she gained experience and developed a strong interest in working with patients, particularly in geriatric care.
“Patients often told me I was patient, compassionate, loving, and caring, and they believed I would be a great nurse,” she recalled. Encouraged by this feedback, she pursued a nursing career, starting at El Paso Community College and now at the Hunt School of Nursing.
Since its founding 14 years ago, the Hunt School of Nursing has graduated more than 1,500 nurses, with 90% remaining in the area to practice. By growing our own future nursing heroes, we’re directly addressing our region’s nursing shortage while ensuring culturally competent care for border communities.
The school’s 16-month accelerated B.S.N. program prepares graduates for high-demand careers in the region’s hospitals and clinics. By supporting students like Aguero Lozano, the GECU Foundation is helping ensure the unique health challenges of the U.S.-Mexico border region are addressed by professionals who understand the community they serve.
“What makes our institution remarkable is the unwavering community support that brought it to life and continues to sustain it,” said Jené Hurlbut, Hunt School of Nursing interim dean. “Partners like GECU understand that investing in nursing education creates ripples of positive change throughout our entire health care system.”
As Aguero Lozano returns to her studies, she carries the knowledge that an entire community stands behind her journey — a journey that began with a dream and continues with renewed purpose and possibility.
“I just want to give back to the community and hopefully help someone in the same way,” Aguero Lozano said.
Here at Texas Tech Health El Paso, we are dedicated to growing our own future health care heroes. Nursing graduates like Zahira Aguero Lozano are essential to improving health outcomes in our Borderplex region, where limited access to care forces many residents to depend on home remedies or delay seeking treatment for chronic diseases.
By training nurses who understand the unique challenges of our border community, Texas Tech Health El Paso is building a health care workforce that truly reflects and serves the needs of our diverse population.
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The only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border, Texas Tech Health El Paso serves 108 historically underserved West Texas counties and contributes $634.4 million annually to our Borderplex economy. Read more about our university’s mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents at ttuhscepimpact.org.
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by Special to El Paso Matters, El Paso Matters
May 2, 2025
