Briana Gonzalez of Nixon High School and Gabriel Benavides of Martin High School have the prestigious honor of being named 2026 Terry Scholars by the Terry Foundation. The two LISD seniors earned admission to two of the biggest universities in Texas and will be attending college on a full-ride scholarship for up to eight semesters from the Terry Foundation.
Terry Scholars are chosen based on three equally weighted criteria: demonstrated leadership and strong character, academic excellence, and financial need. Scholars must live on campus during their first year in a Terry-designated residence hall and maintain a good academic standing to continue receiving support throughout their undergraduate career.
Gonzalez was sitting in her second block class when she heard her phone buzz and saw the notification, Terry foundation Interview Results.
“When I opened the email, the first thing I saw was “Congratulations” you were selected as a Terry Scholar. I was really happy and in shock. The first thing I did was go to tell my counselor Ms. Gonzalez that I was a Terry Scholar,” she said. I’m very excited that the Terry Foundation was willing to invest in my future which is very meaningful. I knew how competitive this scholarship is and the sacrifices my parents made to travel to Houston for the interviews made the emotions a lot more special and meaningful.’
Benavides was in his EMT class at LC South getting ready to take an exam when I got the email.
“I was super nervous and I didn’t want to open the email, especially right before the exam. I didn’t want to be thinking about it the entire time,” said Benavides. “So, I called over my best friends and asked them to open it for me. I didn’t want to see it. And thankfully, I was lucky. All my hard work paid off and I was accepted.
After receiving the good news, Gabriel immediately called his mother to tell them the exciting news.
“I was relieved and surprised. I immediately called my number one supporter, my mom, and I told her what had happened,” said Benavides. “She was really proud of me and I am very thankful for all she has done for me.”
Benavides was thankful the financial burden was lifted from his family. “It is going to be a tremendous help to me and my family,” he said. “I’m really grateful to the Terry foundation for what they have done for me and my family.”
As recipients of the Terry Scholarship Briana and Gabriel are one step closer to their dreams becoming reality as they were chosen for admission to UTSA and Texas State University, respectively.
Briana is thrilled to be setting the example as he will be the first in his family to attend a major university.
“Because I am the first one to go to college in my family, one of my main worries was about paying for college even if I stayed here locally. I knew the opportunities beyond Laredo are a lot bigger, so I knew I wanted to leave but the question was how was I going to pay for it.,” said Gonzalez. “This scholarship not only helps kids in financial need but who have demonstrated leadership and community service within their school. So, the way it’s going to help me is that I won’t have to pay for anything. They are covering all my expenses.”
Gonzalez expressed her gratitude to her parents, counselor, and teachers who motivated her to reach her full potential during his years at Nixon High School.
“First of all, I would like to thank God. He has made so many sacrifices while I was growing up. I also want to thank my mother, parents, family and siblings,” she said. “Most importantly I want to thank my counselor Ms. Gonzalez, because she is always there for me. Every time I have a question, she is always willing to help me out. I know all she wants is the best for us. I’m really grateful for all she has done for me as well as all my teachers and school administration who have supported me along the way.”
Gonzalez also credits being a part of the Kazen Fellowship Program for helping her grow as a person. “I was able to work with peers from different backgrounds and I was able to learn about what it is like to work in the legal profession,” said Gonzalez. “So being able to actually shadow the type of lawyer I hope to become helped me confirm that this is the career path I want to follow. The program also allowed me to be exposed to other careers like FBI, Border Patrol, HIS. We had a lot of federal agencies make presentations to expand other job opportunities. The Program definitely helped me confirm what I want to do in the future.”
Briana is also a student at the Business, Industry, and Public Services (BIPS) Early College Academy. During her four years at Nixon, Briana was involved in various organizations at school. She was a member of the Superintendents Student Advisory Council, Interact Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, Junior Achievement, Spanish Honor Society and a four-year member of the girls’ soccer team which made history by winning Nixon High Schools first District and Bi District Championship and being Area Qualifiers this year.
Gonzalez has volunteered many community service hours with Laredo Animal Shelter, and St. Augustine Catholic Church Youth group.
In her free time, Briana likes to go on runs, watch movies with her siblings, read and hang out with her friends.
Gonzalez will be attending Texas State University in San Marcos on a four-year scholarship. She will be majoring in political science with a minor in criminal justice.
Briana selected Texas State because she was selected for the President’s Leadership cohort. “I’m really proud of this achievement because out of 350 applicants, 70 were selected for interviews and I was one of 35 selected for the cohort,” said Gonzalez. So, my sophomore year I will have the opportunity to study abroad and they will cover most of the expenses. This is a big achievement for me since I never studied abroad.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Gonzalez wants to attend law school and hopefully do a summer internship with Federal Judge Diana Saldana. Her dream is to come back to Laredo and work in the legal field.
She attended J.C. Martin Elementary School and Lamar Middle School. Briana is the daughter of Maria Del Arosco and David Gonzalez.
Benavides is the Salutatorian for the Martin High School Class of 2026. Gabriel is also a student at the Esther G. Buckley Early College Academy.
Benavides academic accolades include National Hispanic Scholar, Questbridge Finalist, and the prestigious Terry Foundation scholarship recipient.
Gabriel is involved in various organizations at school. He is a member of the MHS Banda Del Animo where he plays the euphonium. He was a three-year UIL regional qualifier in band, Benavides is also a member of Health Occupations Students America (HOSA), and President of the Library Club, and part of the Emergency Medical Technician program at Laredo College.
Outside of school Benavides is busy volunteering his time in the summer at Santa Maria Elementary School with the Robotics team.
During his free time, Gabriel loves playing the guitar and listening to alternative music.
This fall Benavides will be attending University of Texas at San Antonio on a four-year scholarship. He will be majoring in Civil Engineering with aspirations of becoming an Engineer.
He attended Santa Maria Elementary School and Christen Middle School. Gabriel is the son of Claris Benavides.