Financial Support Makes All the Difference For International Student Marifer Saldaña Gonzalez
- Sep 18, 2019
- Jenan Taha
As her last semester at UT begins and her time as a Longhorn comes to an end, international student Marifer Saldaña Gonzalez remembers how her journey at UT started and the life-changing experiences she has had since then.
Growing up in Torreón, Mexico as the oldest of five sisters, Gonzalez knew from a young age that she wanted to make a difference in the world. After hearing about The University of Texas at Austin from her cousin, a UT student, she decided to apply.
“I looked at the website and the first thing I saw—'what starts here changes the world’—already sounded pretty good for me!” Gonzalez said.
Inspired by her father, a businessman, she wanted to be an innovator and entrepreneur. She applied to the McCombs School of Business and was accepted into the marketing program.
“Overall, I feel so welcomed,” she said. “I think coming to UT was the best decision I could have ever taken. I’ve grown so much in every way.”
As a marketing major and management information systems minor, Gonzalez is interested in the intersection of business and technology. She currently works as a resident assistant for the University and as a Search Engine Marketing intern.
Some of her first experiences at UT began at Texas Global, through which she was awarded international student scholarships like Tuition Assistance for Mexican Students, and later studied abroad in Bangkok, Thailand.
“I love the (Texas Global) office here because they really help you a lot,” Gonzalez said. “There are a lot of opportunities and scholarships targeted to Mexican people or people (who have) an impact on campus.”
She says the International Student and Scholar Services team at Texas Global helped her find opportunities such as the Dr. David O. Nilsson endowed scholarship supporting international students, allowing her continue her education at UT. Retired UT instructor David O. Nilsson, a generous supporter of The University of Texas, awards this scholarship to one outstanding student each year.
“Thankfully I got the Nilsson scholarship, and then they invited me to a dinner with him to thank him,” Gonzalez said. “Thanks to (him) I am able to stay here and study. He is such an amazing person and he inspired me. When I grow up I want to be like him and donate money for students to study.”
Coming to UT as an international student was not easy, but the aid she received from scholarship opportunities gave her the financial support she needed to achieve her degree, she says.
“I want to thank everyone that has supported UT Austin; without your help I couldn’t be here,” Gonzalez said. “As international students we sometimes face a lot of hardships, but just having this financial support helps us to study more, to develop as people and to be able to give back to society. All of your help has changed my life.”
Support from our generous donors allows Texas Global to bring the world to UT and UT to the world. When you support Texas Global at UT, your gift not only has a powerful local impact, it has a lasting and resounding global impact. Make an impact by supporting scholarships for students like Marifer.
