Eight Dallas ISD Seniors Receive Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarships

DALLAS, TX – Deloitte, the Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) and United Way today celebrated the eight recipients of this year’s Deloitte/NTPGA Fairway to Success scholarships, a program that now has awarded more than $2 million to local students over the past decade.

Yoseline Flores, Angel Mercado, Jimisola Oladipupo, Jelani Rogers, Samuel Sanchez and Meredith Santiago each received a $20,000 college scholarship.

In collaboration with the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas), a full, four-year scholarship to the university was awarded to Deidre Lewis.

UNT Dallas President Bob Mong said the university is proud to be a part of the Fairway to Success 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.

Additionally and new for 2022, in collaboration with University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), a full, four-year scholarship was awarded to Kassandra Miranda.

“The University of Texas at Arlington is a proud Fairway to Success partner. We are energized to see the skills learned on the fairway leading to new life and professional skills for the program’s scholars.  As they embark on their college journeys, the determination and confidence gained from the Fairway to Success program will serve them well,” said Dr. Troy Johnson, Vice President of Enrollment Management at University of Texas, Arlington. “We extend our sincere thanks to the Deloitte professionals who have volunteered their time and our congratulations to each of the scholars as they continue their journey.”

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 spans 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.

“Deloitte is proud to continue to support the Fairway to Success program. We see firsthand the benefits of sponsoring and mentoring young people in the community and offer our enthusiastic support to this year’s scholarship recipients,” said Dan Berner, North Texas Managing Partner, Deloitte LLP. “I’m proud of the work our professionals have done to support these students this year. It’s our hope at Deloitte that the students continue to succeed and apply the skills they’ve learned – both in the classroom and on the golf course – to their future professional endeavors.”

During the 2021-2022 school year, 61 DISD students took part in a six-week, virtual college prep program led by Deloitte professionals. Also, 57 students took part in an after-school golf program. Students learned the basics of golf from PGA professionals, and graduating seniors who qualified by participating in the program had the chance to apply for the scholarships.

Fairway to Success also includes a mentorship component to support the 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.

Since the program’s inception, 80 DISD students have received scholarships, now topping $2 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 2022 Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success scholarship recipients are:

Yoseline Flores – Thomas Jefferson High School 

Yoseline is a 2022 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and will also graduate with her associates degree from Brookhaven College. This coming fall, Yoseline will head to University of Texas at Dallas to study speech language pathology. During her time at Thomas Jefferson, she was involved with the National Honor Society. As she goes off to UTD, she is looking forward to getting to know more about her degree and others who are also pursuing a speech pathology major.

Angel Mercado – Thomas Jefferson High School

Angel is a 2022 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School as well as a graduate of Brookhaven College. While at Thomas Jefferson, Angel was part of the football, chess, track and basketball teams. This fall, Angel will head to Texas A&M University to study kinesiology. As he looks towards his time in College Station, he is excited to start a new chapter in life and attend all the sporting events possible.

Jimisola Oladipupo – W.W. Samuell High School

Jimisola is a 2022 graduate of W.W. Samuell High School and will also be receiving his associates degree from Eastfield College. He will be pursuing a degree in computer science at the University of Texas at Arlington this fall. During high school, he was involved with Upward Bound and did community service at Ce Dallas Central. He is looking forward to the interactions he will have with people in his new college environment.

Meredith Santiago – W.W. Samuell High School

Meredith is a 2022 graduate of W.W. Samuell High School and will also be receiving her associates degree from Eastfield College. This fall she will head to Texas A&M University to pursue a degree in forensic science. She was part of her high school soccer team, involved with an environmental research project and the Eastfield Food Pantry. Meredith also served as secretary for the National Honor Society at Samuell.

Samuel Sanchez – W.W. Samuell High School

Samuel is a 2022 graduate of W.W. Samuell High School and will also be receiving his associates degree from Eastfield College. He will head to the University of Texas at Arlington to pursue a degree in computer science this fall. Samuel is looking forward to gaining experience in his field of study and deepening his knowledge in learning about artificial intelligence.

Jelani Rogers – David W. Carter High School

Jelani is a 2022 graduate of David W. Carter High School and will be headed to Sam Houston State University this fall. At Sam Houston, Jelani will be looking to complete a business administration degree with a specialization in PGA Golf Management. During his time at Carter, Jelani was part of the wrestling, golf and chess teams. He also managed to have perfect attendance and made the A/B honor roll. He is looking forward to learning new things and meeting new people in Huntsville.

Deidre Lewis – Lincoln High School (UNT-D Recipient)

Deidre is a 2022 graduate of Lincoln High School, ranked 3rd in her class, who will also be receiving her associate's degree from the University of North Texas at Dallas. This fall, as she continues her education at UNT-D, she will study biology. During her time at Lincoln, she spent time serving the community as well as being a Hyatt student ambassador. She is looking forward to continuing her studies along with making new friends at UNT-D.

Kassandra Miranda – W.W. Samuell High School (UTA Recipient)

Kassandra is a 2022 graduate of W.W. Samuell High School as well as an associates degree holder from Eastfield College. She will head to the University of Texas at Arlington to pursue a degree in nursing. She was top 5% in her high school class, while being involved in multiple clubs and organizations. During her time at Samuell, she was involved in National Honor Society, Education is Freedom, Upward Bound, volleyball, student council and also completed an internship at Parkland Hospital.