SWTJC: Moreno family donates memorial scholarships

Photo: Back Row: (l-r) Tony T. Moreno, Andrea Perez, Hector Gonzales,
Nora Gonzalez, Jesse T. Moreno, Jr.
Front row: Rosemary Ruiz, Carla Duran, Yolanda Hernandez, Yesenia Salinas

  Jesse R. Moreno Sr. and his family presented the Jesse T. Moreno Jr. Memorial Scholarship to four first-year students in the Southwest Texas Junior College registered nursing program on Aug. 18 in Uvalde.

  Recipients of the $500 scholarships were Carla Duran and Yesenia Salinas, both of Eagle Pass, Rosemary Ruiz of Uvalde, and Yolanda Hernandez of Carrizo Springs. Scholarships provide financial assistance throughout their first year at Southwest Texas Junior College.

  Jesse T. Moreno Jr. died on Jan. 27, 2014, at 56, after a 16-year battle with multiple myeloma.

  The son of Mr. Moreno Sr. and the late Andrea Torres Moreno, he graduated from Uvalde High School in 1976. He attended Southwest Texas Junior College, where he graduated in 1978 with an Associate of Arts degree.

  After SWTJC, he went to the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing in San Antonio and obtained a Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1981.

  During the scholarship presentation, Nora Gonzalez, the sister of Mr. Moreno junior, spoke briefly with the students about what it meant to award her brother’s scholarship to them.

  “We are so happy to give this award to four very deserving students,” said Nora Gonzalez. “We’re very happy to be presenting this award to you on behalf of my brother.”

  Andrea Perez and Tony T. Moreno, siblings of Mr. Moreno Jr., along with SWTJC President Hector Gonzales, were on hand for the scholarship awards presentation.

  This scholarship is awarded to a registered nursing student in the first year of the program. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA on prerequisite courses and submit a 200- word essay on personal background, reasons for wanting to be a nurse, and obstacles encountered along the way.

  The SWTJC registered nursing program is designed to prepare graduates to practice in a complex and ever-changing healthcare environment.

  Individuals wanting to enroll in the nursing program may contact Dr. Margorie L. Lieck, SWTJC Director, Licensed Vocational Nursing & Associate Degree in Nursing Programs, at (830) 591-7230.