For senior biology major Marlyn Davila, being accepted into UHD's Scholars Academy was life changing. As a bright high school student, Davila was unsure of how she would pay for a college education until a counselor mentioned UHD's unique academic program, the Scholars Academy, in the College of Sciences and Technology.

"I always knew I wanted to study science but I didn't know where to go or how I was going to pay for college," Davila said. "Then I learned about the Scholars Academy at UHD and how they offer great scholarships to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors, send students to national conferences and help them find research opportunities. I knew it was the place for me."

Davila has taken advantage of all that the Scholars Academy has to offer. She is a Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Scholar and a Peer Mentor, has attended scientific conferences nationwide and received numerous scholarships and academic awards. Davila visited UCLA in 2011 to conduct research in neurobiology studying Huntington's Disease and she is currently doing genetics research at Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center.

"I've really enjoyed the research I've been able to conduct at UCLA and MD Anderson and after graduating from UHD, I hope to get my doctorate degree in neuroscience or genetics," she said.

For Davila and others like her, UHD provided a structured, academic-focused environment, small class sizes and engaging professors.

"UHD is a really wonderful school and the Scholars Academy is an amazing program," she said. "I'm glad I came to UHD because the personal attention I received from the faculty and staff helped me stay on track to reach my academic goals."