Helping UH Students Harness Their Future

Every year since 1932, Houstonians have turned out in droves to celebrate Texas’ Western heritage at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The multi-week event features rides and entertainment, agriculture exhibitions and, of course, world-class rodeo. But as champion athletes compete for a purse that totals more than $2 million and visitors enjoy a star-studded concert series and top-dollar livestock, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) is quietly delivering on another promise: making the college dream possible for generations of young Texans.

Since its founding, the rodeo has dedicated more than $600 million of its yearly earnings towards supporting Texas education. In 1957, HLSR leadership established a scholarship program to support Texas high school seniors who wish to attend Texas colleges. Since then, nearly 20,000 rodeo scholarships valued at $275 million have helped students achieve their academic dreams. In 2024 alone, the Houston rodeo doled out more than $14 million in scholarships. There are currently 2,300 students attending more than 80 different Texas colleges and universities thanks to its support.

What makes the rodeo scholarship program unique and impactful is that it is about more than simply providing aspiring college students with much-needed funds. The HLSR fosters a community around scholarship recipients. Students participate in HLSR mixers and events throughout their college careers, affording them access to mentors, professional networks and community engagement opportunities. The Scholarship Alumni Association, which was founded in 2014, helps sustain these relationships after scholarship recipients graduate. Mentoring and counseling services available during their academic journey offer extra support that goes beyond the mere cost of tuition.

Many students at the University of Houston have benefited from this program, and it has helped open the doors of UH to students who may otherwise not been able to attend the University. We sat down with several current UH students who are supported by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to learn how it affected their college careers.

“Without the financial support, I would have been working a job to support my family instead of spending my time learning and enjoying my college experience.”
–Samiha Zaman, Senior

Samiha Zaman, Senior

As a high-school senior, Samiha Zaman discovered the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Scholarship program while applying to various colleges. Her high school’s college advisor encouraged her and her classmates to apply to as many third-party scholarships as possible. For Zaman, the HLSR scholarship was just another potential funding opportunity on a long list and at the time she applied, she couldn’t have imagined what an impact it would have on her college experience.

Zaman chose the University of Houston because she was looking for a large, affordable college that offered many opportunities to get involved in student organizations and the community. Without the HLSR scholarship, she would not have been able to take advantage of as many of those opportunities.

“Without the financial support, I would have been working a job to support my family instead of spending my time learning and enjoying my college experience,” Zaman says.

Zaman joined several student organizations at UH, and she volunteered on several community projects, all of which influenced her academic path. Zaman is a double major in management information systems and marketing, plus minors in psychology and data and society. When she began her UH journey, she wanted to study business because she thought it would provide essential skills to prepare her for any future career. Her extracurricular experience helped her realize she would like a career that marries those skills with a way to make a difference in the community.

“I plan on working in the IT or business consulting space for a couple of years,” she says, “Then going to graduate school for an MBA with a focus on social entrepreneurship or community work.”

Zaman says she appreciates the flexibility the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarship has offered her. She hasn’t felt like she had to hold back on investing in her education and opportunities. She didn’t have to worry about skimping on books for classes or membership fees for student organizations. Instead, Zaman says she felt free to spend as much time as needed to develop her academic and extracurricular experiences, which shaped how she sees her future. She now wants to pay it forward by someday finding a way to help students the way HLSR helped her.

“I hope to one day find a career where I can learn every day and work hard supporting students in education while utilizing my experiences in business technology and community spaces,” she says.

“These events have opened doors to a more accepting and supportive community.”
–Alisha Khan, Junior

Alisha Khan, Junior

When the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarship first came to Alisha Khan’s attention through a college preparation course in high school, she didn’t think she had a good chance of being awarded a scholarship. She nearly didn’t apply, but then discovered a friend (who was already a first-year student at the University of Houston) applied and received a large grant. That award, her friend told her, had an outsized impact on her college experience. Khan decided to apply and was selected.

Khan quickly learned the scholarship was about more than just financial support for covering tuition. The scholarship program helped create meetings that allowed the pre-med biology major with a minor in psychology to meet with other people in the program, fostering a sense of camaraderie with students with similar aspirations and ambitions.

“These events have opened doors to a more accepting and supportive community,” Khan says. “Witnessing first-hand the dedication of HLSR to building our community from the ground up, providing not only financial aid but also emotional, psychological and social support, has deepened my understanding of their mission and the significant impact they have on the community at large.”

Through the ComPsych program, Khan was able to network with professionals in her prospective career, which helped solidify her aspiration to become a physician. She also was afforded the opportunity to work on projects for the American Heart Association, which awakened a love for scientific research. She now plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. with a focus on cardiovascular research. Khan now hopes she can offer rising students in the scholarship program the same support she received. 

“While progressing through medical school, I intend to offer mentorship to HLSR scholarship recipients at UH, sharing insights and guidance garnered from my own experiences,” she says. “Staying actively involved with HLSR, attending rodeo events and participating in public meetings will be a constant, showing my ongoing support for the organization's impactful initiatives. Furthermore, as I embark on my career as a physician, I aspire to contribute to the HLSR by becoming a donor, thereby assisting students facing challenges similar to those I overcame.”

“HLSR alumni are all over Texas and in almost any industry. They have always been eager to help me find success in all aspects of life’s journey.”
–Ethan Collins, Senior

Ethan Collins, Senior

Growing up in the small East Texas town of Zavalla, Ethan Collins fell in love with engineering through high school robotics competitions. When it came time to apply for schools, his mom steered him toward the engineering programs and opportunities at the University of Houston. She also found the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show Scholarship and encouraged him to apply. Collins says the scholarship provided him with the financial peace of mind that has allowed him to immerse himself into his studies and extracurricular interests. The HLSR community also opened new doors for professional growth.

“Through monthly check-ins, regular virtual meetings and friendly staff, they have put my mental well-being first and always made sure I had the resources I needed to face the difficulties of furthering my education,” Collins says. “The program has connected me with HLSR alumni and volunteers to open up professional opportunities. HLSR alumni are all over Texas and in almost any industry. They have always been eager to help me find success in all aspects of life’s journey.”

In addition to his studies, Collins applied himself to many aspects of academic and student life on campus. He is mechanical engineering student, a residential advisor at Cougar Village 2 and an Honors College engineering student ambassador for the Cullen College of Engineering. He also serves as the vice president external of the UH chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and he does research for the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Collins cites the HLSR example of service as one of the contributing factors that inspired his broad range of interests and pursuits.

“The ethic of giving back is strong in the HLSR scholarship program and deeply impacts the mission of the organization as a whole,” he says. “The rich culture of the Livestock Show and Rodeo events in Houston is silver-lined by the fact that most of the money raised by the rodeo is going back to the community. HLSR gives as much to Texas as Texas gives to the rodeo.”

“By having the financial support from the HLSR scholarship, I can focus my attention on my academics and am able to give my all in pursuit of my future career. This scholarship has impacted my family and me tremendously by giving me the support I needed to continue my education.”
–Maya Flores, Junior

Maya Flores, Junior

When Maya Flores first found out about the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s scholarship program, there were several things that jumped out at her. The first was how engaged the HLSR was in the community. The other was how it targeted economically disadvantaged students like her. These factors helped Flores feel like the goal of pursuing a higher education could be more attainable with HLSR’s help.

However, it’s not just the financial assistance that has made a college degree feel like a more tangible reality for Flores. She says the mental health, academic and counseling services available through the HLSR scholarship community enhanced her experience and connected her with a wider network of support.

“I have been able to better navigate my college experience with the support of an amazing community of people focused on helping me succeed in my academic and personal endeavors,” Flores says. “By having the financial support from the HLSR scholarship, I can focus my attention on my academics and am able to give my all in pursuit of my future career. This scholarship has impacted my family and me tremendously by giving me the support I needed to continue my education.”

Flores is a junior at the University of Houston double majoring in psychology and American Sign Language interpretation with a minor in human development and family sciences. She plans to continue her academic journey after graduation by attending a graduate program for social work. She also hopes to apply and test for an ASL interpreter certification. Flores says the desire to pursue a career that is devoted to a sense of service and dedication to community work is reflected back in the attitude and outlook of the HLSR community.

“Participating in the various events hosted by the HLSR scholarship program has helped me build a community of people who are all supporting me in my academic endeavors,” she says. “These events are all uplifting and motivating as I am able to meet with numerous other scholars, alumni, staff and donors who share the same goals and love for their community. I always leave these HLSR scholarship events feeling even more motivated to chase my dreams and more confident in myself and my abilities to continue learning and growing as both a person and a future working professional.”

That sense of gratitude towards the support the HLSR provided also made Flores consider staying engaged in the program after graduation by becoming an alumna mentor for future scholars. She says she knows how difficult it can be for students from challenging backgrounds to navigate their way to and through the college experience. She knows her unique perspective on that process could also make a difference.

“Because I will be a first-generation university graduate in my family, I understand many of the struggles and uncertainties students face as they begin to navigate through the unknown world of college and college applications,” she says. “I want to be someone who can make this experience easier for students so that those seeking higher education can reach their goals.”