Kenneth Leatherman
UT Dallas
Claudia Berumen
Dallas, TX
Sophomore, Software Engineering Major, at UT Dallas
Financial Sources
Job: Work-Study Program, Internships
Financial Aid & Scholarships: UT Dallas Academic Bridge Program Scholarship, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Student Loans, Private Scholarships
Claudia's Story
College was a mystery Dallas native Claudia Berumen wanted to solve.
She would be the first person in her family to attend college. Her parents provided emotional support, but financial support was not in the family budget.
Undeterred, Claudia made it her mission to apply for as many scholarships as she could. She was awarded an $8,000 scholarship from a local Rotary club.
Claudia’s real breakthrough came at a UT Dallas-sponsored engineering day camp, where she was introduced to the University’s Academic Bridge Program (ABP). The Bridge Program recruits students who rank high in their high school class, but who may not meet UT Dallas’ admission standards. The ABP gives them a summer “bridge” session of course work and social support as they adjust to college life, followed by continued tutoring, internship opportunities and scholarships throughout their academic careers.
“UT Dallas made sense to me because it was close enough to home and has an outstanding reputation for its engineering and computer science programs,” said Claudia, 21. “The financial aid package offered by the University was a tremendous help.”
During her academic career, Claudia has found internships with Alcatel-Lucent and the UT Dallas Office of Communications’ Web Services division. The resulting income has helped defray her living expenses while building her professional portfolio.
After graduation, Claudia hopes to join the high-tech workforce in the North Texas region, working as a project manager.
Learn More:
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