$250,000 gift for the medical and dental student scholarships
EL PASO, Texas - Paul and Cecilia Porras announced a gift of $250,000 to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Monday. A matching contribution from the WestStar Matching Scholarship Fund brings the gift's impact to $500,000 to provide scholarships for future medical and dental students.
The Porras family has operated an electrical, mechanical, and construction management business since 1977 and wanted to give back the community by ensuring students get funding for their studies.
The announcement comes on National Dentist Day and creates a new fund for Foster School of Medicine and Hunt School of Dental Medicine students.
"My parents taught me and my siblings to always give back to our community, and what better than a scholarship fund in my father's name," Paul Porras said during his announcement. "These scholarships will help medical and dental students achieve their dream of becoming the next generation of healthcare heroes."
The scholarship is name the Gary G. Porras Family Scholarship in memory of Paul's late father. To honor his legacy, TTUHSC El Paso campus will name the mezzanine in Medical Sciences Building II the Gary G. and Mireille Porras Mezzanine.
"It is our hope that our scholarship recipients make a difference in our community as they dedicate their lives to serving others," added Paul. "This was the mission of my parents and keeps their legacy alive."
