St. Edward’s University was honored with a State House Resolution congratulating the school’s achievements in the field of supporting first generation Latino students on Nov. 7 at the Texas Capitol Building.
House Resolution 23, drafted by Texas Rep. Lulu Flores, specifically acknowledges St. Edward’s recent certification of the Seal of Excelencia award. Additionally, it applauds the school for its continued commitment to “eliminating educational disparities and helping Latino students achieve their higher education goal”.
“We have a continual commitment to Latinx and Hispanic students at our institution,” Student Government Association President Ethan Tobias said. “Our first generation students are very important to us, and we have outlined ways to support students while they’re here and once they graduate”
HR 23, which was passed unanimously by the Texas House of Representatives, also honors the university for the funding it has received from organizations that aid Hispanic and Latino students. Earlier this year, the Hector and Gloria Lopez Foundation gave the school a $2.1 million grant to finance a full four years of tuition for a group of first generation Latino students.
The bill’s author, Rep. Flores, was elected to serve the Texas House of Representatives in January 2023 in the 51st district, which includes St. Edward’s and part of the greater southern Austin area. As a Latina woman, she described herself as a “longtime champion of equality and social justice.”
The legislative director for Rep. Flores, Skyler Korgel, noticed the school’s honor of receiving the Seal of Excelencia, and was primarily responsible for the language used in the resolution.
“Our office likes to highlight excellence and great things happening within our district, and we became aware of the great achievements done at St. Ed’s,” Korgel said.
HR 23 is a second example of the Texas legislature honoring St. Edward’s, the first of which happened earlier this year with “St. Edward’s University Day.”
“We want to serve and honor our constituents for doing things that should be brought to the attention of the Texas House,” Korgel said. “We’re dedicated to keeping an open door with St Edwards and building our relationship with administration, students, faculty and staff.”
First generation students make up one third of the undergraduate student population at St. Edward’s. In a press release following the Resolution’s passage, St. Edward’s University President Montserrat Fuentes stated the school’s dedication to “providing students with increased access to scholarships, internships, research and advanced experiential learning opportunities that will position them for academic success and their professional career.”
So far, the university has featured several events celebrating historically underrepresented groups in academia, such as the new Fiesta on the Hilltop, Queer Week and FirstGen week celebrations.
