2008 Bonham High School graduate, Jessica Nicole Garza graduated from the University of Texas at Austin twice this year. On May 19, 2012 Garza graduated from the UT with a Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film Studies and a concentration in Spanish. Then on August 10, 2012, Garza graduated from UT with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies-Human Relations. Over the past four years, Garza received numerous academic scholarships from UT’s College of Communication, and she was listed on the College of Communication Dean’s Honor Roll during each semester that she attended UT.

For the next two years, Garza will attend school at New York University where she will be working on a Master of Arts in Media, Culture, and Communication. NYU offered Garza a 21st Century Scholarship in the amount of $11,000.  According to NYU, this scholarship is “offered to full-time, newly admitted master's and advanced certificate applicants showing the greatest potential and who show the strongest fit with the vision and mission of NYU.”

NYU will also assist Garza in obtaining a teaching assistantship next year because she plans on becoming a college professor in the future.

Garza wants to thank her mother, Pamela Rae Garza of Bonham, Texas, for encouraging her focus on school at a young age. In addition, Garza would like to thank all of the teachers and counselors that she had throughout her school years in Bonham, but she especially wants to thank the following people: Roger Ashcraft, Joanye McNair, Jan O’Connor, Vicki Ashby, Coach KT, Elaine Wisenhunt, Kelly Trompler, Donna Rich, Glenda Meador, Glenda Sears, Mike Vaught, and Rebecca Knight.