Two rodeo banquets, $10 million awarded to Texas students
As college tuition and expenses continue to rise, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is committed to alleviating some of the financial burden for Texas high school seniors — $27 million to more than 800 students, to be exact.
And that’s just this year.
The rodeo’s 2019 commitment will award $14 million in scholarships, $8.4 million to junior show exhibitors, $3.9 million in educational program grants and more than $613,000 toward graduate-assistantship programs at various in-state universities.
Last week, rodeo officials dug into the first round of giving. The annual scholarship banquet distributed $8.4 million to 420 Texas high school students at NRG Center.
Rodeo Houston announcer Boyd Polhamus and 2012 Rodeo Scholar-turned-committee volunteer Adrian Izaguirre delivered brief, albeit inspired, remarks. Family members, friends and mentors celebrated recipients over — what else? — a barbecue feast. And later, this year’s class of Houston Area, Exhibitor, Hildebrand Family, Military and School Art program awardees took the all-important group photo. It’s tradition and a cherished souvenir.
Then on Wednesday, rodeo top brass distributed an additional $1.6 million during the annual Area Go Texan Scholarship Banquet, aka Round 2. Joel Cowley, president and CEO, and Jim Winne, board chairman, presided over the daytime festivities that recognized 79 deserving students from 68 Area Go Texan counties and 11 districts.
Qualifying applicants must attend public school in a participating county, score a 950 on SAT or a 19 on ACT tests and apply with intent to attend an accredited Texas college or university.
The prize? Four-year, $20,000 scholarships.
Both groups of banquet awardees enter an elite club. Since 1932, the rodeo has committed more than $475 million and 19,000 scholarships to Texas youth. There are currently 2,300 students utilizing rodeo-generated scholarships at more than 80 state colleges and universities.