2 Lone Star College System students receive nation’s top undergraduate STEM scholarship

HOUSTON, TX -- The prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship supports the next generation of researchers in science, engineering and mathematics.

Lone Star College System is home to two of this year’s 454 recipients: Sebastian Marcano and Aaron Pergler of LSC-CyFair and LSC-University Park, respectively. They will receive $7,500 annually to complete their bachelor’s degrees.

“This announcement is a resounding validation of Lone Star College System’s efforts to increase student access to the highest levels of the academic landscape,” said Katharine Caruso, Ph.D., LSCS associate vice chancellor, Honors and International Education. “We applaud Sebastian and Aaron for their outstanding work and look forward to seeing them achieve great success in their future endeavors.”

Marcano intends to earn a Ph.D. in applied mathematics with a focus on numerical analysis to develop numerical methods for modeling fluid dynamics.

“Throughout my time applying for Barry Goldwater, I got to learn more about myself as a scholar,” Marcano said. “Receiving the news that I won the scholarship gave me an unwavering feeling of happiness that all the support given by my mentors, family and friends had paid off and allowed me to become part of a prestigious community of scholars to pursue my career goals.”

Pergler plans to pursue an M.D. in medical genetics and genomics and a Ph.D. in experimental therapeutics to lead clinical trials advancing gene therapies for currently incurable diseases.

“Winning the Barry Goldwater Scholarship was the greatest possible confirmation I could receive that the sacrifices behind my work were worth it,” Pergler said. “Crafting the application made me relive how much I had invested, from 65-hour workweeks during a summer research internship to commuting over an hour each way to labs at Rice University during the school year. That commitment has always been rooted in a real passion for science, and I know my most meaningful work is yet to come.”

The Goldwater Foundation has supported a total of 11,616 scholarships over the program’s 40-year history in honor of U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona. In partnership with UWorld and the Department of Defense’s National Defense Education Program, the scholarship is the nation's top STEM undergraduate award, enabling students to pursue discoveries that benefit society.

Additional nominees this year included Alvin Andrade, LSC-Kingwood student, and Milagro Salinas, LSC-Montgomery student. All four individuals nominated are part of the Honors College, which allows high-achieving LSCS students to pursue scholarships, research opportunities, internships and more.

“Working with these students was incredibly rewarding,” said Aurora Lugo, LSC-CyFair director, Honors and International Education, and LSCS Barry Goldwater representative. “Their dedication and love of research was evident throughout the application process. I have no doubt they will do great things.”

Learn more at LoneStar.edu/HonorsCollege.