BROWNSVILLE, Texas, May 8, 2026 – The Brownsville Navigation District (BND) has awarded scholarships to 32 graduating high school seniors through the 2026 Port of Brownsville Scholarship Program, recognizing their academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to community service.
Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship upon enrollment in a college, university, or technical institution. Recipients were selected through a competitive process evaluating academic performance, extracurricular involvement, community engagement, work experience, and a submitted personal essay. The awardees represent 16 public and private high schools across the navigation district.
“Congratulations to the Class of 2026 on this important milestone,” said Port Director and CEO William Dietrich. “The Port of Brownsville is proud to invest in the education and future success of our students, whose hard work, determination, and leadership will help shape the future of our region. We are honored to support the next generation as they pursue their academic and professional goals.”
Established in 2020 by the BND Board of Commissioners, the Port of Brownsville Scholarship Program continues to expand its impact. To date, $224,000 has been awarded benefitting 224 students within the district.
The 32 graduating seniors eligible for the 2026 Port of Brownsville scholarships include:
Brownsville Independent School District
Brownsville Early College High School
- Miranda I. Barber
- Vidal Garza
Hanna Early College High School
- Byanka Maldonado
- Kassandra Vidal
Lopez Early College High School
- Ashley Amaro
- Areli Cristal Escobedo
Pace Early College High School
- Fernando Mancilla
- Ana Valeria Solis
Porter Early College High School
- Clemente Arvizu
- Sophia Maral Jaramillo
Rivera Early College High School
- Jazlynn Juarez Barbosa
- Elaine Garces
Veterans Memorial Early College High School
- Iana Garcia
- Damian Medina
Harmony Public Schools
Harmony School of Innovation
- Laura O. Hernandez
- Laura Torres Sierra
Idea Public Schools
IDEA Brownsville College Preparatory
- Enrique Castilla
- Aungel A. Wellington
IDEA Frontier College Preparatory
- Caleb Alaniz
- Jesus Robledo
IDEA Riverview College Preparatory
- Danna Paola Carranza
- Fernanda J. Navar
IDEA Sports Park College Preparatory
- Sebastian Gutierrez
- Jose Vega
Jubilee Academies
Jubilee Brownsville
- Valentina De La Garza
- Daniella Gonzalez Paez
Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District
Los Fresnos High School
- Myrna Chaidez
- Axel Retta
Saint Joseph Academy
- Allen Hobbs
- Sarah Magallanes
South Texas Independent School District
South Texas ISD Medical Professions
- Gael Garcia
- Daniella Guerrero
