Seven Dallas ISD Seniors Receive Fairway To Success Scholarships

DALLAS, TX – Deloitte, the Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) and United Way today celebrated seven recipients of this year’s Deloitte/NTPGA Fairway To Success scholarships, a program that now has awarded more than $1.3 million to local students over the past decade.

Again in 2021, in collaboration with the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas), a full, four-year scholarship to the university was awarded to one deserving student.

Erin Crittendon, Analee Loredo, Antonio Segura, Catalina Salazar, Alejandra Resendez, Mykielia Lovgren each received a $20,000 college scholarship, and Noelia Espinosa was awarded the UNT Dallas-funded scholarship.

“I am delighted to congratulate the new scholarship recipients. At Deloitte, we see clearly that the financial and mentoring elements of the Fairway To Success program can help young people realize their educational and career goals,” said Dan Berner, North Texas managing partner, Deloitte LLP. “Golf offers a fun framework for learning the disciplines of life; we hope students carry that spirit of fun and learning with them in the years ahead.”

UNT Dallas President Bob Mong said the university is proud to join the Fairway To Success scholarship program for another year.

“Our growing urban university is built on the belief that everyone should have access to education, and that’s what this program is all about,” Mong said. “Congratulations to Noelia Espinosa, who will receive a full four-year scholarship to UNTD, and congratulations to all of the scholarship winners from DISD. Thank you to Deloitte and to the Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation for their commitment to providing youth in our community with opportunities for education.”

Established in 2007, the Fairway To Success program annually awards scholarships to students based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, community involvement and financial need. The program covers four DISD high schools – W.W. Samuell, Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln and David W. Carter – and includes introducing students to golf and the life lessons of discipline, honor and integrity that are central to the game.

During the 2020-2021 school year, 59 DISD students took part in a six-week, virtual college prep program led by PGA and Deloitte professionals. They learned the basics of golf from PGA golf professionals, and graduating seniors who qualified by participating in the program had the chance to apply for the scholarships.

Fairway To Success also includes mentorship to support scholarship recipients throughout their college careers. Scholarship recipients interact with Deloitte mentors who share their insights gained from working in a professional services environment. Mentors also help students explore potential career opportunities in the business and STEM-focused fields of study.

So far, 68 DISD students have received the scholarships, now topping $1.3 million – funded by Deloitte partners, principals, managing directors and professionals in North Texas.

The NTPGA also employs two Fairway To Success recipients as interns each summer, furthering the recipients’ golf education that began on their high school campuses through Fairway To Success. 

“The faculty and staff are excited about the partnership with Fairway To Success. It is definitely a great opportunity for our students. The exposure and mentorship that our students receive infiltrates our school community and becomes a pillar in the school culture. We are excited about the scholarship that our student Mykielia Lovgren recently received and believe that it will create a strong foundation to her success,” said Lincoln High School Principal Johanna Weaver. “We at Lincoln are proud of our long-standing partnership between Lincoln and Fairway To Success. We look forward to a long and strong relationship in the future to come.”

The 2021 scholarship recipients are:

Mykielia Lovgren - Lincoln High School

Mykielia Lovgren is a 2021 graduate of the Early College High School at Lincoln High School and will be attending Texas Women’s University in the fall of 2021. Mykielia will be pursuing a degree in biology with an emphasis on pre-med. Her dream is to become an orthopedic surgeon. She will also be the first in her family to pursue higher education. During her time at Lincoln, she served as an athletic trainer for the school's athletics department. If she is not at school or working as an athletic trainer, Mykielia enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants around Dallas, watching movies and listening to music.

Erin Crittendon - David W. Carter High School

Erin Crittendon is a 2021 graduate of David W. Carter High School and will be attending Texas Christian University in the fall of 2021. Erin is our first Fairway To Success Scholarship recipient from David W. Carter High School, as this was the first year the program was offered at the school. She will be completing a degree in English to then pursue her dreams of law school. Her goal is to become a civil rights attorney. Erin’s hobbies include reading, writing and running. If you do not find her attending to her studies, she is leading her senior class where she serves as secretary. Erin also serves as the captain of the mock trial team that won the UIL State championship.

Alejandra Resendez - Thomas Jefferson High School

Alejandra is a 2021 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and will be attending the University of Texas at Arlington in the fall of 2021. She was selected into the freshman nursing scholars program and will be pursuing a degree in nursing. Alejandra was a part of the women’s tennis and soccer team at Thomas Jefferson. While being a multi-sport athlete, she was also a member of the school band, treasurer of student council, NHS and yearbook. Alejandra is the sibling of 2019 Fairway To Success recipient Miriam Resnedez - Ortiz.

Analee Loredo - W.W. Samuell High School

Analee is a 2021 graduate of the Early College High School at W.W. Samuell High School. She will be attending the University of Texas at Arlington in the fall of 2021. Analee will be a first-generation college student with plans to pursue a degree in nursing and dreams of working at the children’s hospital in downtown Dallas. During her interview she mentioned “education is what makes people successful” and that holds true as she is the 2021 Valedictorian for her graduating class. While in high school she has also been involved in community programs such as Buckner Shoes and Inspired Vision Compassion Center.

Antonio Segura - W.W. Samuell High School

Antonio is a 2021 graduate of the Early College High School at W.W. Samuell High School. He will be attending Southern Methodist University in the fall of 2021 with intentions to study out of the Cox School of Business through their entrepreneurship program. Antonio is the oldest of four siblings and encourages all of his younger siblings to do well in school. He will also be the first in his family to pursue higher education. Last summer, Antonio worked as a pension fund intern for the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. During his junior year at Eastfield College in the Early College program, he was involved in undergraduate research looking at the cosmetic industry.

Catalina Salazar - W.W. Samuell High School
Catalina is a 2021 graduate of the Early College High School at W.W. Samuell High School. She will be attending the University of Texas at Arlington in the fall of 2021 to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. During her high school career, Catalina completed two separate internships. She worked as a manager assistant at Seeds to STEM and as an ITS intern with the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. She also held a variety of leadership positions during high school serving as senior class president, vice president and co-treasurer of National Honor Society and treasurer of Model United Nations.

Noelia Espinosa - Thomas Jefferson High School (UNT-D Recipient)

Noelia is a 2021 graduate of the Early College High School at Thomas Jefferson High School. She will be attending the University of North Texas at Dallas this fall to pursue a degree in hospitality management. While keeping up with her studies, she manages to work full-time at Whataburger. Noelia enjoys giving back to her local community and plans to continue helping her community after college. This coming summer she will be completing an internship with I AM a Golfer Foundation. Noelia is the sibling of 2018 Fairway To Success recipient Elia Espinosa.

Photo from left to right: Erin Crittendon, Alejandra Resendez, Noelia Espinosa, Mykielia Lovgren, Catalina Salazar, Analee Loredo and Antonio Segura