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| EDUCATING LEADERS OF FAITH & CHARACTER |
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Second Collection Opens Doors for UST Students
Recognizing the value of Catholic education, Second Collection donations from generous parishioners in the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese have helped to open doors and provide greater opportunity for students seeking a college education. All parishes in the Archdiocese are invited to continue that legacy and participate in the Second Collection for Catholic Higher Education on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13.
The money collected is shared between the University of St. Thomas Father Francis E. Monaghan Scholarship Fund and the Catholic University of America. In the past, Second Collection has helped to raise thousands of dollars to support the academic advancements of students. Last year, $125,540 was directly awarded to UST students.
More than 75 percent of St. Thomas students receive scholarships or financial aid, and providing these scholarships helps to relieve the academic stresses of our hard working students.
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s Second Collection for Catholic Higher Education on Sept. 12-13 raised $142,866 for the University of St. Thomas Fr. Monaghan Scholarship Fund!
Although the collection takes place in the fall, the University does not receive the results until the spring. Alumni volunteers represented the University in parishes in the Archdiocese during the weekend by speaking during Mass and hosting information tables. They served a vital role in helping to educate area Catholics about the University and raise much-need scholarship funds for UST.
Read about a few UST Catholic students who have benefitted from the generosity of Second Collection donations: |
Angelica Paz
 Angelica Paz, a junior psychology major, takes a full course load, volunteers at the Children’s Assessment Center for sexually abused children and works 30 hours a week as a hotel desk clerk. She depends on scholarships like the Monaghan Scholarship Fund to help pay for her UST education.
“I work nearly full-time to help support my family to make ends meet,” Paz said. “It’s a struggle for my family, but it’s worth it. Without scholarships and grants, I would not be able to get the quality education I have received at St. Thomas.” |
Adriana Montenegro
 Adriana Montenegro, the mother of four sons age 10 and younger, commutes to UST every day from Sugarland to earn a degree in bilingual education. A native of Mexico, Montenegro is the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“Attending St. Thomas has given me a sense of peace, and given me greater insight into my personal spirituality,” Montenegro said. “Attending Mass every Sunday has an entirely different meaning after I started to take theology classes at UST. Now I am able to better understand the message our parish priest is trying to explain through the homily. It is fascinating to be able to explain to my children simple theological questions I could not answer before.
“With four kids, I would not be able to afford to attend a private Catholic university, without the support of scholarships,” Montenegro said. “These scholarships not only help me, but they help my children understand the importance of pursuing an education beyond high school.” |
To learn more...
Visit www.stthom.edu/secondcollection. For more information, please contact hank Emery at 713-525-3111 or emeryh@stthom.edu |
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