By: Melissa Whitaker, MS, CCC-SLP, TSHF Scholarship Awards Chair

The mission of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (TSHF) is to improve the lives of people with communication disorders by supporting research, education, and service endeavors on their behalf. The TSHF was established in 1985, and it has grown significantly since then. Scholarships are awarded to graduate students in audiology and speech-language pathology from almost every program in Texas. See below for a list of the Foundation’s current endowment funds and this year’s recipient(s) of each scholarship.

• Jon Ashby Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Abilene Christian University. The 2026 recipient was Jagneris Penson.
• Madeline Brand Scholarship: Awarded on a rotating basis to a student attending the University of Texas-El Paso or New Mexico State University. The 2026 recipient was Kevin Vazquez Alcaraz from the University of Texas at El Paso.
• Braniff Clipped B’s Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending the University of Texas at Dallas. The 2026recipient was Anna Cey.
• Jeanne Braniff-Terrell Scholarship: Awarded on a rotating basis to a student attending one of the four north Texas universities: Texas Christian University, Texas Woman’s University, University of Texas at Dallas, or University of North Texas. The 2026 recipients were Sarah Gaona and William Basler from University of North Texas.
• Elizabeth Carrow-Woolfolk Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Our Lady of the Lake University. The 2026 recipient was Ember Sandoval.
• Margaret Cooper Crabtree Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending The University of Houston. The 2026 recipient was Daniela Iraheta.
• Donna Russell Fox Scholarship: Awarded to a doctoral student at any accredited university in the United States. The 2026 recipient was Kori Clements from West Texas A&M University.
• Gardner Gateley Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Baylor University. The 2026 recipient wasMadelynn Carey.
• Gilbert C. Hanke Endowed Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Stephen F. Austin State University. The 2026 recipient was Marla Garcia.
• Sara Haynes Scholarship: Awarded to a speech-language pathology student enrolled in an accredited master’s program in Texas. The 2026 recipient was Allison Dahl from Baylor University.
• Houston Association for Communication Disorders (HACD) Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending the University of Houston or Texas Woman’s University distance program. The 2026 recipient was Adrienne Medeiros from University of Houston.
• Judith Keller Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The 2026 recipient was Francine Hernandez.
• Anne Mauzy Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending the University of Texas at Austin who wants a career in public schools, preferably in early childhood education. The 2026 recipient was Alejandra Galindo.
• Grace Middleton Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending the University of Texas at El Paso. The 2026recipient was Jaclyn A. Terrazas.
• San Antonio Speech, Hearing, and Language Association (SASHLA) Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Our Lady of the Lake University. The 2026 recipient was Delaney Brooke Melendez.
• Sherry Sancibrian Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The 2026 recipient was Alexis Randall.
• Sondra’s Money Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Texas A&M University at Kingsville. The 2026 recipient was Haylee Viviana Ramirez.
• Elnita O. Stanley Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Stephen F. Austin State University. The 2026 recipient was Morgan Malott.
• Empress Zedler Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending Texas State University. The 2026 recipient was Chloe Hobbs.
• Texas Christian University Communication Sciences and Disorders Scholarship Fund: Awarded to a student attending Texas Christian University. The 2026 recipient was Mary Caroline Stephens.
• Larry Higdon Scholarship: Awarded to an audiology doctoral student at any accredited university in Texas. The 2026 recipient was Emma Hoffman from University of Texas at Dallas.
• Frank Brister Scholarship: Awarded on a rotating basis to a student attending one of five audiology programs: Lamar University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of North Texas, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, or The University of Texas at Dallas. The 2026 recipient was Danielle C. Pulido from the University of Texas at Austin.
• Thelma Zirkelbach Scholarship: Awarded to a student attending The University of Houston. The 2026 recipient was Ashley Burris.

These scholarships were awarded at the TSHF Awards Breakfast as part of the TSHA 2-26 Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 20. The total amount of the scholarships was $35,900 this year! We would like to thank all the donors, as well as the scholarship committee members: Delva Culp, Thelma Zirkelbach, Marva Mount, Christine Fiestas, Gillien Oliver, Heather Killeen, and Larry and Ann Higdon. If you are a student interested in applying for a future scholarship, please visit www.tshfoundation.org/Awards/Scholarships. If you are a current professional, please consider supporting future speech-language pathologists and audiologists by donating to a specific fund at www.tshfoundation.org/. Together, we can improve the lives of people with communication disorders.