In 2013, Brownsville, Texas, was named the "Poorest City in America." The median household income is $32,288 and 35.7 percent of Brownsville residents live in poverty. (Data from the United States Census Bureau)

This statistic alarmed an Aggie: Mike Hernandez III '83, a former Brownsville resident, and his wife Kelly. The couple wanted to find a way to alter the fate of Mike's hometown by investing in the lives of its younger generation.


In 2016, the Hernandezes established a scholarship and academic enrichment program to help low-income students from Brownsville achieve their goals of a higher education at Texas A&M University.


Through a cash gift of just over $1 million, the couple will support 10 new students annually for four years, from the time they enter Texas A&M until they all graduate in 2023.

Learn more about the Brownsville Scholars Program and meet the 10 students who are benefitting from this incredible opportunity. They are the first in their families to attend college.