In a moment of shock and celebration, Longview High School seniors Taylen Johnson and Omika Patel were surprised with four-year tuition scholarships worth $48,000 each directly from The University of Texas at Austin. The scholarship presentation was a surprise, with the students revealing their scholarship checks to an emotional crowd. Parents, teachers, and administrators erupted in applause as Johnson and Patel, both International Baccalaureate students, realized the magnitude of the honor.
The powerful moment became even more evident as parents began crying tears of joy as a sense of pride filled the room.
Alely Zavala, an admissions counselor at The University of Texas at Austin, emphasized the significance of the moment.
"We are thrilled to welcome them to the Longhorn family, and we know they will make a lasting impact on our campus and beyond. Hook 'em!"
As the celebration continued, attendees joined together to sing The Eyes of Texas and proudly held up the Hook ‘em Horns hand sign in tribute to the students’ next chapter as Longhorns.
“It’s a great day to be a Lobo and a future Longhorn,” said Kay Ray, Director of the Longview ISD Foundation and a proud UT alumna. “We could not be prouder of these outstanding young women.”