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Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar Profile: Roxana McKinney
If Roxana McKinney (UT BBA 2004) was going to go to college, she had to take matters into her own hands. The oldest of five children, her mother was a beautician from the Dominican Republic who spoke little English, and her father had a substance abuse problem. “In the environment I grew up in, there was no guidance,” she says.
Roxana could easily have slipped away like so many other Latino students in dire financial need in this country. But at Sharpstown High School in downtown Houston, she got some good advice through the Junior Achievement program and a mentor who pushed her in the right direction. She became a student leader, standing out in student government, the National Honor Society, and the Hispanic Student Association, and participating in community service organizations like Serve Houston, as well.
It was Roxana’s leadership ability and inclination to give back to the community that caught the attention of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and eventually led to her earning a scholarship that she brought to The University of Texas at Austin.
Now a senior majoring in finance and Chinese, Roxana is student coordinator for the HSF chapter at UT, among her many other activities. In that role she promotes career development and leadership for other HSF scholars and anyone else interested in the mission of HSF. She spent last summer as an intern for Deutsche Bank in New York City and will be returning to the Global Markets area of the firm upon graduation.
“My passion is mentoring students,” she says. “It’s become a big part of my life. I’ve written about Sara Martinez Tucker as my role model and would like to start my own foundation that does similar work.
“Having four younger siblings really motivated me,” she explains. “I wanted to set an example for them, and provide some guidance. Despite what was happening in the home, I encouraged them to overcome the obstacles we faced.”
For information on specific programs at the McCombs School, consult our contacts page. For media information, contact the Communications Director by phone at 512-471-3314 or by email at CommunicationsDirector@mccombs.utexas.edu.
