Author: Alexandra Thibeaux

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Honors and Scholars Mustang Scholars President’s Scholars Student Academic Engagement & Success

Maria Izaguirre, Program Specialist for Scholars Programs

Maria Izaguirre is a latina woman with black hair past her shoulders. She wwears a black shirt and blue cardigan and is standing in front of a red brick wall with foliage.

Maria Izaguirre joined the Honors and Scholars team as the Program Specialist for Scholars Programs on October 13th.

As a Program Specialist, Maria will be supporting the President’s Scholars Program and the Mustang Scholars Program.

Maria Izaguirre, a Dallas Native, earned bachelor’s degrees in Human Rights, Psychology, and Sociology from SMU. Before joining the team as a Program Specialist for Scholars Programs, Maria was the Postbaccalaureate Fellow for the SMU Human Rights Program. Maria is currently a candidate for a Master of Science in Counseling at SMU.

When not working or studying, Maria enjoys taking long walks at White Rock Lake with her dogs, spending time with her cat, attending concerts, and trying new coffee shops.

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Hilltop Scholars Honors and Scholars

Hilltop Scholars’ “Service Showcase” creates over 1000 finished products for Community Partners

Students sit around tables in a large ballroom putting together a variety of service projects for various community partners.

 

Students sit around a table making paracord bracelets for Operation Gratitude
Students creating Paracord Bracelets for Project Gratitude

The Hilltop Scholars Program (HSP), an honors community at SMU for students interested in service and leadership, hosted their annual Service Showcase on Monday, August 28th at 6 PM.  This year, 185 Hilltop Scholars made 500 sandwiches for Austin Street Center, 500 coloring books for Dallas Children’s Health, 100 menstrual packs for the SMU Period Project, 100 meal kits for Vogel Alcove, 50 dog toys for Operation Kindness, 50 paracord bracelets for Operation Gratitude, 40 meal bags for Meals on Wheels, 40 book recordings for Readers to Leaders, and 100 self-care kits for Genesis Women’s Shelter.

8 students can be seen standing around a table filled with boxes of food like fruit snacks, goldfish packets, crackers, and water bottles. One students facing the camera is placing goldfish in a brown lunch bag with white dots on it.
Students creating meal kits for Vogel Alcove and Meals on Wheels

While building community, students learned about the HSP culture of service and made a considerable impact on local nonprofit organizations.  Special thanks to HSP Student Workers Lilly Chapman, Gracie Doyle, and Paul Rowe, as well as all the HSP mentors and faculty, for their support in planning and implementing this important event.