Eastex Advocate - News
Fishing for scholarships
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| Albert Guzman III won the $50,000 Houston Community Newspapers/STARkids Sheepshead Scholarship. The scholarship was sponsored by Houston Community Newspapers and the Coastal Conservation Association. |
By ALEX WUKMAN
Albert Guzman III is a very lucky kid. The dark-haired 10-year-old sits at one of the many round tables set up in the Texas Medical Center’s Edwin Hornberger Conference Center, sipping a Coca-Cola while his mother Renay Guzman and grandfather Rene Garcia explain how he went out fishing just before the Fourth of July and caught a $50,000 scholarship.
“We were in Clear Lake,” says Garcia. He goes on to say that he takes his grandson out fishing about two or three times a month and when the Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA) State of Texas Angler Rodeo (STAR) Tournament started in May of this year he signed up his grandson.
“My daughter won the same scholarship two years ago,” says Garcia. Renay Guzman quickly explains that it wasn’t her that won the scholarship.
“It was my sister,” she says. Throughout all this, Albert quietly sips his Coca-Cola. Guzman, like so many kids in the Houston area, has grown up in the shadows of refineries, specifically in Pasadena. He currently attends Morris Middle School.
When asked what his friends think about his winning a free college education, he shrugs his shoulders.
“They think it’s cool, I guess,” he says. Renay smiles and says that his friends’ parents are a little more understanding of the significance.
“They were very happy,” she says.
When asked if the school has done anything to recognize Albert’s achievement, Renay pauses.
“No,” she says, “they haven’t done anything.”
Albert Guzman was one of nine Texas children to receive a scholarship from CCA this year.
Guzman received the Houston Community Newspapers/STARkids Sheepshead Scholarship. The fish he won with was 8 lbs. 2 oz.
That was the exact same weight that Kade Langston, 8, brought in. The difference was that Guzman caught his before Langston.
“We caught it July 2,” said Garcia. Since Langston caught his fish after Guzman, Langston received what the first through fourth runners-up got in all the scholarship divisions — a gift certificate to Academy Sports and Outdoors and a plaque.
Every year, CCA gives out over $200,000 in scholarship money, a fact that deeply pleases the tournament organizers.
“The most moving part of my job is handing over the scholarships,” said Bill Kinney, CCA STAR Tournament director.
Kinney, who has been with CCA for 20 years, explained that the focus of the STAR Tournament has shifted over the years.
“This started as a recruitment drive for CCA and in many ways it still is,” said Kinney, “[but] the kids are really what the tournament is all about.”
Kinney went on to say that since CCA started giving away scholarships, they’ve given out over $3 million. He also said that the scholarships help CCA fulfill their primary mission of conserving Texas’ coasts.
“They [the kids] are the future generations that will keep the vitality of our precious marine resources going for years to come,” said Kinney.
CCA scholarships don’t just help young children like Guzman and Langston, they also help teenagers pay for college, teenagers like Brandon Bage, 14, from Texas City and Brett Green, 16, from Baytown.
Bage and Green each won a $20,000 scholarship. Bage won with a 4 lbs. 10 oz. Flounder and Green won with a 9 lbs. 5 oz. Sheepshead.
Since both Bage and Green were outside of the 6-10 year old age range, they were ineligible for the $50,000 scholarships. However, $20,000 is still very helpful.
Bage plans on using his at the University of Texas and Green is planning on attending Texas State University. Guzman, on the other hand, isn’t sure.
“I don’t know,” he said. His mother laughed and said, “He still has a while to think about it.”
And he still has time to try and win another scholarship.
“We were in Clear Lake,” says Garcia. He goes on to say that he takes his grandson out fishing about two or three times a month and when the Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA) State of Texas Angler Rodeo (STAR) Tournament started in May of this year he signed up his grandson.
“My daughter won the same scholarship two years ago,” says Garcia. Renay Guzman quickly explains that it wasn’t her that won the scholarship.
“It was my sister,” she says. Throughout all this, Albert quietly sips his Coca-Cola. Guzman, like so many kids in the Houston area, has grown up in the shadows of refineries, specifically in Pasadena. He currently attends Morris Middle School.
When asked what his friends think about his winning a free college education, he shrugs his shoulders.
“They think it’s cool, I guess,” he says. Renay smiles and says that his friends’ parents are a little more understanding of the significance.
“They were very happy,” she says.
When asked if the school has done anything to recognize Albert’s achievement, Renay pauses.
“No,” she says, “they haven’t done anything.”
Albert Guzman was one of nine Texas children to receive a scholarship from CCA this year.
Guzman received the Houston Community Newspapers/STARkids Sheepshead Scholarship. The fish he won with was 8 lbs. 2 oz.
That was the exact same weight that Kade Langston, 8, brought in. The difference was that Guzman caught his before Langston.
“We caught it July 2,” said Garcia. Since Langston caught his fish after Guzman, Langston received what the first through fourth runners-up got in all the scholarship divisions — a gift certificate to Academy Sports and Outdoors and a plaque.
Every year, CCA gives out over $200,000 in scholarship money, a fact that deeply pleases the tournament organizers.
“The most moving part of my job is handing over the scholarships,” said Bill Kinney, CCA STAR Tournament director.
Kinney, who has been with CCA for 20 years, explained that the focus of the STAR Tournament has shifted over the years.
“This started as a recruitment drive for CCA and in many ways it still is,” said Kinney, “[but] the kids are really what the tournament is all about.”
Kinney went on to say that since CCA started giving away scholarships, they’ve given out over $3 million. He also said that the scholarships help CCA fulfill their primary mission of conserving Texas’ coasts.
“They [the kids] are the future generations that will keep the vitality of our precious marine resources going for years to come,” said Kinney.
CCA scholarships don’t just help young children like Guzman and Langston, they also help teenagers pay for college, teenagers like Brandon Bage, 14, from Texas City and Brett Green, 16, from Baytown.
Bage and Green each won a $20,000 scholarship. Bage won with a 4 lbs. 10 oz. Flounder and Green won with a 9 lbs. 5 oz. Sheepshead.
Since both Bage and Green were outside of the 6-10 year old age range, they were ineligible for the $50,000 scholarships. However, $20,000 is still very helpful.
Bage plans on using his at the University of Texas and Green is planning on attending Texas State University. Guzman, on the other hand, isn’t sure.
“I don’t know,” he said. His mother laughed and said, “He still has a while to think about it.”
And he still has time to try and win another scholarship.
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