In a moment of shock and celebration, Longview High School seniors Taylen Johnson and Omika Patel were surprised with four-year tuition scholarships worth $48,000 each directly from The University of Texas at Austin. The scholarship presentation was a surprise, with the students revealing their scholarship checks to an emotional crowd. Parents, teachers, and administrators erupted in applause as Johnson and Patel, both International Baccalaureate students, realized the magnitude of the honor.
The powerful moment became even more evident as parents began crying tears of joy as a sense of pride filled the room.
Alely Zavala, an admissions counselor at The University of Texas at Austin, emphasized the significance of the moment.
“We are thrilled to welcome them to the Longhorn family, and we know they will make a lasting impact on our campus and beyond. Hook ’em!”
As the celebration continued, attendees joined together to sing The Eyes of Texas and proudly held up the Hook ‘em Horns hand sign in tribute to the students’ next chapter as Longhorns.
“It’s a great day to be a Lobo and a future Longhorn,” said Kay Ray, Director of the Longview ISD Foundation and a proud UT alumna. “We could not be prouder of these outstanding young women.”
Longview Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability or genetic information in providing educational services, activities and programs, including vocational programs, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972. The Deputy Superintendent of District Services has been designated to coordinate compliance with the non-discrimination requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended. The Director of State Assessments coordinates compliance with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1972.
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