Due to Covid-19 concerns, the IP Board made the difficult decision to cancel its annual Scholarship Party, which it has hosted every year since 2009. The party honors IP’s newest Scholarship Class by inviting students and their families to attend the annual celebration and meet former scholarship recipients and members of the organization’s Advisory Board.

“The scholarship party is one of our favorite events of the year because it gives us an opportunity to meet new students and reconnect with old ones,” IP co-founder Joshua Hernandez said. “With the latest spike in Covid cases, we didn’t want to risk exposing the students before they left to their respective campuses, so we improvised and took the party to them.”

Joshua Hernandez, along with co-founder Justin Hernandez and Board member Katelynn Hernandez, coordinated with the students in advance and personally delivered framed certificates to each of them.  They even made a special stop in Arlington to surprise Arlington High graduate Drake Stokes with a scholarship.

“Drake was one of our original finalists, and we made the decision to extend him a scholarship after we received additional funding in recent months,” Katelynn Hernandez said. “It was great to see him and the others, and to have the chance to recognize them for their hard work and sacrifice.”

Since 2009, IP has awarded scholarships to 87 domestic and international students totaling more than $165,000.

The 2020 DFW Scholarship Class includes:

Janelle Baker, The Science and Engineering Magnet in Dallas

Bavyl Bebawy, L.D. Bell High School in Hurst

Yuliana Cano Palacios, Everman Joe C. Bean High School in Everman

Anecia Coleman, School of Education and Social Services in Dallas

Surahi Sanchez, Haltom High School in Haltom City

Payton Smith, Martin High School in Arlington

Drake Stokes, Arlington High School in Arlington