Once again, the support of The C.T. Bauer Foundation is making dreams come true for students at the University of Houston-Downtown’s Marilyn Davies College of Business.

For the third consecutive year, The C.T. Bauer Foundation has awarded a $455,000 grant to support business students during their junior and senior years. The Ted Bauer Undergraduate Business Scholars scholarship program provides 25 students with two years of funding as long as they continue to meet the scholarship criteria. In addition, students have access to the College’s Career Center, pre-professional student organizations, professional development workshops, job fairs and other resources. The scholarships are open to students entering their junior year at the Marilyn Davies College of Business, including those transferring to UHD. 

The scholarships’ namesake, Ted Bauer, was widely known as an ambitious business leader known for investing in students’ success that was reflective of his philosophy that “People Are The Product.”

“We are extremely appreciative of these scholarships and the impact they have on our students lives, enabling them to graduate with little to no debt,” said Dr. Charles Gengler, Dean of the Marilyn Davies College of Business. “These scholarships are helping students pave their way toward professional success and become the future leaders that will help move Houston forward. It truly demonstrates how much The C.T. Bauer Foundation cares about the working people of Houston and transforming their lives through education. We plan to reach out to others in Houston who also care and provide an avenue for them to participate.”

Spring 2021 graduate Karla Martinez is one of the students who have benefitted from the scholarship. Recently, the Accounting major completed an internship with the City of Houston as an Accounts Payable intern. While at UHD she served as a peer mentor and a volunteer with the UHD VITA Tax Assistance Program.

"I'm grateful for receiving this scholarship,” Martinez said. “Not having to worry about covering my education expenses allowed me to focus on other extra-curricular activities such as getting involved on campus, internships, volunteering and networking."

Brittany Hopwood is another scholarship success story. “The scholarship relieved me of financial burdens and the concern of not being able to afford adequate childcare, which was a distraction from my academic studies in the past,” Hopwood said. “Thanks to this scholarship, I was able to devote myself to obtaining my bachelor’s degree." The single mother worked part-time while also attending classes. She graduated with her Management in Information Systems degree in Spring 2021 and now works as a Commercial Lines Associate for USI Insurance Services.

“We have so many stories of success among these scholars who have graduated and have now entered their chosen professions,” said Emily Leffler, Assistant Dean of, Analytics, Accreditation & Assessment at the College of Business. “The Ted Bauer Undergraduate Business Scholars scholarship program has provided them with great opportunities and promising futures.”

Gengler noted that the inaugural cohort all graduated on time and several even graduated early.

“Both the college and The C.T. Bauer Foundation are very proud to applaud the inaugural 25 recipients for their excellent performance and look forward to working with them in the future to enhance the success of the cohorts that follow them,” he said.

Inaugrual Cohort Recipients

• Ashley Abraham
• Tahreem Azam
• Ahmed Balsheh
• Ana Cantu
• Wendy Chow
• Valerie Cortez
• Antionette Crutcher
• Angel Elledge
• Julio Estrada
• Bryce Griffin
• Natalie Gutierrez
• Christian Handal
• Nader Hassouneh
• Shannon Kombo
• Richelle Lopez
• Karla Martinez
• Jocelyn Mora
• Stephen Nakanishi
• Nghi Nguyen
• Steven Nguyen
• Lucia Perez
• Magbis Perez
• Wenli Pittman
• Shirley Rudolph
• Osama Siddiqui