Tag: Mustang Scholars Program

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Mustang Scholars

Meet the Class of 2026 Mustang Scholars

group picture of 2026 Mustang Scholars

The Mustang Scholars Program welcomes the Class of 2026 cohort of Mustang Scholars! The Mustang Scholar Program places an SMU education within your reach by combining it with other awards to guarantee that SMU tuition and fees are met. Once admitted, Mustang Scholars have an intimate (about 10) cohort (aka. small group). Students have a semi-structured program throughout their four years on the Hilltop.

The Class of 2026 cohort is comprised of:

Christopher Degrate ’26 is from Dallas, TX, and a graduate of Justin F. Kimball High School. He plans to major in Computer Science and Business, and minor in Biology and African-American Studies.

Elizabeth Larez-Diaz ’26 is from Lancaster, TX, and a graduate of Lancaster High School. She plans to major in Computer Science and minor in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science.

Jessica Long ’26 is from Grand Prairie, TX, and a graduate of Grand Prairie High School. She plans to major in Film and Media  Studies and minor in Business Management.

Maria Murad ’26 is from Amman, Jordan and a graduate of Bryan Adams High School. She plans to major in Creative Computing and minor in French.

Diya Patel ’26 is from Mesquite, TX, and a graduate of North Mesquite High School. She plans to major in Biochemistry and is on the pre-med track.

Paul Rowe ’26 is from Irving, TX and is a graduate of MacArthur High School. He plans to major in Biochemistry, minor in Spanish and History, and is on the pre-med track.

Ephraim Sun ’26 is from Dallas, TX and is a graduate of School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. He plans to major in Computer Science and Finance.

SMU student, Jorge, headshotJorge Vazquez ’26 is from Dallas, TX, and is a graduate of School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. He plans to major in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Computer Science.

Learn more about the Mustang Scholars Program and how to apply at smu.edu/mustangscholars.

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First-Generation Initiative Mustang Scholars

Cesar Quezada joins SMU as the inaugural director of Mustang Scholars and the First-Generation Initiative

Student Academic Engagement & Success (SAES) is excited to announce Cesar Quezada as the inaugural director of Mustang Scholars and the First-Generation Initiative effective August 29.

Quezada brings his experience with first-generation students, cohort-based mentorship programs, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and undocumented students to the Hilltop. He is a first-generation college student and DACA recipient originally from Durango, Mexico who earned a degree in psychology from Texas A&M University-Commerce.  In his previous roles, he has been the associate director of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Division at Creighton University and assistant director for the Multicultural Center at the University of North Texas.

When asked about what he is most excited about, Quezada remarked “I am very excited to get to campus and begin working with everyone in order to start to impact students as soon as possible. The opportunity to get to work with Dr. Grabsch, the Mustang Scholars, and the large group of first-generation students is what has led me to take this opportunity.”

Quezada’s platform as a higher education professional gives him the advantage to incorporate both the student perspectives and needs into this overall work which includes teaching others what they can do in order to help and better serve first-generation student communities at their institutions. Since his undergraduate years, he has also been a part of various professional associations where he has presented at state and national conferences, among them the NatDC’s Diversity in Leadership Conference, NCORE, Excelencia in Education, and participating in Men of Color Consortiums hosted by Project Males out of the University of Texas at Austin. He also has received national recognition for his work from Excelencia in Education.

Please join us in welcoming Cesar Quezada to the SAES team!