Del Mar College receives $25,000 gift to support student scholarships in honor of Dr. Hector P. Garcia
Article by: Rosa Linda Reynoso
“Education is our freedom, and freedom should be everybody’s business.” Those famous words express the conviction of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Hector P. Garcia.
As part of the “Dr. Hector P. Garcia Texas State Recognition Day” observance at Del Mar College (DMC) on Sept. 20, the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation presented a $25,000 donation to support student scholarships at the College.
Additionally, the American G.I. Forum awarded $500 scholarships to two DMC Nurse Education majors—Michaella Luder and Joshua Soza—to use for the fall 2018 semester.
I believe that anyone who wants a quality education should be able to get that...one of the goals of my foundation is to provide educational opportunities to as many people that we can assist.
Garcia-Akers added that she initially expected to sell at least 500 copies of her book, The Inspiring Life of Texan Hector P. Garcia, but the result is well over 4,000 copies sold nationally. She noted that proceeds from sales of the book about her father go toward the Garcia Memorial Foundation.
Invited guests commemorated the memory of the man who made significant contributions to the civil rights movement, veterans, education and our nation in the event hosted by DMC, H-E-B and the South Texas Chapter of the American G.I. Forum.
The event was also part of the College’s Hispanic Heritage Month observances.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.