PASADENA, Texas – A positive update to a story we first broke last week involving college bound teenage girls being denied scholarship money by the Pasadena City Attorney, after a council member tried to use his own budget funds to make it possible.
After our story aired, the community came together to give them much more than they were going to receive in the first place.
Last week, the girls we spoke to could’ve been defeated, but they held their heads high hoping for the best. Now they’re seeing that a positive outcome was just a few phone calls and emails away.
“Laura and Ana are our future, and the greatest thing we can do is invest in it and I want to thank everyone for coming out in support tonight to tell them that we are behind them,” said Pasadena Councilman for District C, Emmanuel Guerrero during a press conference Tuesday.
What were supposed to be $500 scholarships for the Texas A&M bound students have blossomed into well over $10,000.
Last week, the scholarship checks for the Pasadena High School graduates that were meant to be funded by Guerrero’s budget, were snatched before the last council meeting by City Attorney Jay Dale who said Guerrero didn’t follow proper protocol.
When we tried to speak to Dale about the move, he became aggressive and began to cuss. That didn’t stop private citizens and members of non-profit organizations who saw our story from taking matters into their own pockets.
“I saw this news a few days ago, and I couldn’t even imagine how fast this organization came together and raised not just the $500 but $9,000,” said Brian Taef of Houston Millennials.
Plus more from others.
“A weight lifted off of my chest,” Lauren Centeno said.
Centeno, Pineda and Guerrero, are grateful.
“Thank you for your professionalism. I think you were central and crucial in a non-biased way to communicate the happenings that occurred,” Guerrero said.
“I never expected it to turn out like this. I don’t think anyone did. I’m super grateful that y’all covered the story,” Ana Pineda said.
“I feel like this, like y’all interviewing us that first time was like the stepping stone to all of this. It made everything start moving,” Centeno said.
In addition to yearly scholarships, Guerrero says he wants to start an endowment fund to help more kids from the City of Pasadena.