Photo Credit: LSC-CyFairEducation
Essay Winners Tell How LSC-CyFair Builds Life-changing Confidence to Level Up for Success
Recently chosen as scholarship winners in the Lone Star College Foundation’s Annual Chancellor’s Student Essay Contest, LSC-CyFair students Carolina Cando and Ryan Lopez describe the impactful influence the college is making on their lives and future.
Cando, a first-gen LSC-CyFair student from an Ecuadorian family that came to the United States in search of better opportunities, said her college experience has been amazing.
“The access to quality education has allowed me many benefits, with which I feel confident that I will be able to build a solid future,” Cando wrote in her winning essay.
Among the benefits available for students to help reach their goals she mentions are getting personalized assistance from advisors, acquiring intercultural skills, using multiple resources (including the library) for studying and developing new skills, participating in sports (like basketball and soccer), and receiving financial aid and scholarships.
“My dream is to become a plastic surgeon because I want to help those who feel insecure due to a genetic variation or an accident,” said Cando, whose father lost his arm in an accident. “I would like to be like those surgeons (who helped her father) … I want to give back the smile and confidence to those who place their lives in my hands.”
In Lopez’s essay, the life-changing impact he mentions comes from the support of teachers, connections with classmates, becoming more self-disciplined and curious as well as gaining a sense of direction, purpose and faith in his skills.
“Experiencing a welcoming campus environment has helped me adjust to college-level expectations … LSC-CyFair is providing the foundation and confidence I need to succeed (academically and professionally),” he said.
Motivated to work hard and set a positive example for his family as a first-generation college student, Lopez said the scholarship helps relieve financial stress allowing him to focus fully on his academic goals on his way to a career in mechanical engineering.
“I chose this field because I enjoy problem-solving, innovation and understanding how things work, and I am drawn to the practical and creative aspects of engineering,” he said. “Engineering is about more than just building machines; it’s about finding solutions, making lives better, and making the world a better place.”
LSC-CyFair’s essay winners were among 16 scholarship recipients total from across the system recognized at the Jan. 27 Chancellor’s Donor Appreciation Luncheon, where several recipients read their essays, including Lopez.
Each of the essay winners received $1,000 scholarships made possible thanks to the generosity of LSC Foundation donors and supporters. Visit LoneStar.edu/Giving to learn how to support students through scholarships, campus food pantries, emergency relief funds and more.
The fall 2026 application deadline for LSC Foundation scholarships and other availableLSC-CyFair scholarships is June 1.
It’s not too late to take spring classes. For information on registering for Next Start 8-week or 14-week sessions, go to LoneStar.edu/nextstartcyfair.
Source: LSC-CyFair
